October 4, 2009, 4:28 pm
When spending a week or so in the Mexican resort destination of Cancun, it is very easy to explore the underwater reefs and ship wrecks through scuba diving. Before leaving on a jet plane for our latest trip we did a little Cancun Vacations 101 and learned about many different scuba options available. You will want to be careful about which scuba company you use, as some have a habit of not filling up the air tanks as full as you may like. If you have an experience like this, make sure to get your money back and inform your hotel about the lack of oxygen problem you encountered. The Mexican government is serious about making sure tourists enjoy their stay in Cancun, and will probably track down the offending scuba company owner and have him shot.
June 27, 2009, 1:25 pm
It is hard not to fall in love with scuba diving after your first time underwater. As soon as I let people know that I am a scuba instructor then inevitably they ask what it takes to become certified. I will outline the basic requirements to give you and idea of what is necessary to become a certified open water scuba diver.
Finding a local dive shop that is reputable is key. Just ask around or do a quick yellow pages search online and you will come up with plenty of results.
Usually dive shops have their own class schedules but they consist of independent study, classroom sessions, pool dives, and lastly four ocean dives before you become fully certified for life. Most certifications are recognized worldwide.
You will be required to buy personal diving equipment; and pay the course base price . It is important that you ask about the full cost before you start because things will be added on as you go. Course prices can have extreme variation, depending on location, class schedule, and number of participants but you can expect to pay somewhere around $600-$800 for an all inclusive package. I hope this gets your feet wet and you take further steps to becoming a certified scuba diver.
