SCUBA

[porn$tar]

I've decided to graduate from snorkeling to SCUBA diving. Went for a test-drive on Sat and enjoyed it enough to want to make it a full-time hobby.

So my questions are:

• Any SCUBA divers on the forum?
• Recommended courses.
• PADI or NAUI?
• Recommended brands of soft gear, places that offer good value for money.
• Recommended dive charters in Cape Town.
• Recommended diving spots
• Any advice really.

It can become quite an expensive hobby, the wetsuits at the place i went to ranged from R3000 to R5500. I'm looking for mid-range, definitely not second-hand.

Also, their open water course is R2900. Is this the average price?

Thanks.

 

[Grubscrew]

Hi, I personally prefer CMAS over the other two. Do you self a favour and contact the Falsbaai Underwater Club and see what the will charge for a dive course.

 

[eek]

Sup Porn$tar!

Well...I'm a Scuba diver.

Although there tends to be a fair share of politics between PADI & NAUI, personally I don't think there's much of a difference who you do your course through. Rather do it based on your instructor than what institute. At the end of the day it's about the sport and not who you do it through. Most important thing is that you learn how to dive safely and enjoy doing it.

From personal experience I've found PADI courses to be more expensive though and NAUI to be much cheaper as they are a non-profit diving organisation concerned with promoting dive safety through education. I did my course through Duck 'n Dive in Milnerton and it cost me R 1 500, half the price of PADI. I think the price is still the same. Let me know if you want their contact details and I'll send you a PM. They are also very reasonable with their boat dives and they also have a diving club if you want to join a group of divers and be part of the fun.

As for diving spots, there are a lot of great sites for all levels of experience. For beginners, A-frame is really good, as well as Coral Gargens or Batsata Rock. A great wreck dive for all evel divers is the SAS Pietermaritzburg, just off Millers Point. It lies on 18-21m.

 

[porn$tar]

Thanks eek, that''s exactly the kind of advice I'm looking for. Duck and Dive came highly recommended from somebody else I spoke also.

I've been told by most people that PADI is more internationally recognised. If NAUI is just as good then I don't mind.

@ Grubscrew, I've never heard of CMAS, but I'll get in touch with FBUC. I'm in Diep River, so something down south will be preferable.

 

[Palimino]

I've decided to graduate from snorkeling to SCUBA diving. Went for a test-drive on Sat and enjoyed it enough to want to make it a full-time hobby.

So my questions are:

• Any SCUBA divers on the forum?
• Recommended courses.
• PADI or NAUI?
• Recommended brands of soft gear, places that offer good value for money.
• Recommended dive charters in Cape Town.
• Recommended diving spots
• Any advice really.

It can become quite an expensive hobby, the wetsuits at the place i went to ranged from R3000 to R5500. I'm looking for mid-range, definitely not second-hand.

Also, their open water course is R2900. Is this the average price?

Thanks.

I’m a SCUBA diver. I was working on a contract in CT (I’m KZN) and did it over about 5 days (about 2 hours theory in the evening after work) and a few weekends for the dives. I did the course at BluePrint Diving – an outfit on the V&A waterfront. I did it a while ago so prices would no longer be relevant (I don’t remember them anyway). What I do remember is how bloody cold the Cape waters are and the prolific Cape seaweed can be a pest.

PADI is more comprehensive but NAWI is internationally acceptable. Go with NAWI. Wet suits shouldn’t be necessary unless the waters cold. Try pricing non-critical 2nd hand stuff? Critical stuff (masks, regulators, etc) buy new.

The nature of the diving was such that it was an occasional thing. I rented the equipment (why I needed the certification) or, more usually, did another course (night diving, for eg.). That way I got experienced instruction and company, boats, gear, diving spots, etc. and a further qualification.

 

[eek]

Thanks eek, that''s exactly the kind of advice I'm looking for. Duck and Dive came highly recommended from somebody else I spoke also.

I've been told by most people that PADI is more internationally recognised. If NAUI is just as good then I don't mind.

@ Grubscrew, I've never heard of CMAS, but I'll get in touch with FBUC. I'm in Diep River, so something down south will be preferable.

No prob! I too can highly recommend Duck 'n Dive. They are great instructors and really dedicated and passionate about diving.

As for PADI being more internationally...don't think it'll be a problem. They tend to be more prominent at resorts and dive charters outside the U.S. And even though I'm NAUI certified, I've never had any problems yet. Can't really be denied to dive just because of where you did your training now could you? At the end of the day, they want to know if you are allowed and capable of diving, so present your card and/or your logbook and you shouldn't have a problem.

As Hoof-Hearted once told me:

Check out their facilities, enquire about how many sea dives they're going to take you on before they qualify you, ask how many dives their instructors have typically done and if you're not sure they're being honest with you, ask to check out their log books

Only real diffs between NAUI and PADI is the way qualifications are structured. PADI seems to have far more emphasis on seperate "specialities" where many of these are included in NAUI qualifications. An example would be night dives. PADI offers this as a speciality where NAUI includes it in their Advanced course (their second qualification level).

Oh...and even if you've done your Open Water 1 at PADI, you could still do your further courses at PADI.

In short...I think NAUI is just as good. Interesting fact....NASA use NAUI in their astronaut training programmes.

 

[eek]

I’m a SCUBA diver. I was working on a contract in CT (I’m KZN) and did it over about 5 days (about 2 hours theory in the evening after work) and a few weekends for the dives. I did the course at BluePrint Diving – an outfit on the V&A waterfront. I did it a while ago so prices would no longer be relevant (I don’t remember them anyway). What I do remember is how bloody cold the Cape waters are and the prolific Cape seaweed can be a pest.

PADI is more comprehensive but NAWI is internationally acceptable. Go with NAWI. Wet suits shouldn’t be necessary unless the waters cold. Try pricing non-critical 2nd hand stuff? Critical stuff (masks, regulators, etc) buy new.

The nature of the diving was such that it was an occasional thing. I rented the equipment (why I needed the certification) or, more usually, did another course (night diving, for eg.). That way I got experienced instruction and company, boats, gear, diving spots, etc. and a further qualification.

Lol, the Cape Town water's still bloody cold, but nothing a 5-7mm wetsuit cant block out!

Me...I cant think to buy a wetsuit secondhand, that's just not right. I also rather prefer buying my own mask and snorkel. Critical equipement - I think it's fine to buy secondhand, provided you know that the place you buy it from is reputable & the equipment in good condition with a good service history. But if you can....rather buy new as they are your life support when underwater and you don't want anything going wrong!

 

[porn$tar]

Lol, the Cape Town water's still bloody cold, but nothing a 5-7mm wetsuit cant block out!

The water in the pool was icy cold, but i was nice and toasty under the parts of the wetsuit that covered my body. No booties, so i couldn't feel my feet after a while.

I want to get a 2mm shorty for snorkeling and maybe a 5mm long for scuba, how restrictive would it be to wear the shorty under the long? Also, for gloves boots and hoodie, 3mm okay or 5mm for CT water?

 

[eek]

The water in the pool was icy cold, but i was nice and toasty under the parts of the wetsuit that covered my body. No booties, so i couldn't feel my feet after a while.

I want to get a 2mm shorty for snorkeling and maybe a 5mm long for scuba, how restrictive would it be to wear the shorty under the long? Also, for gloves boots and hoodie, 3mm okay or 5mm for CT water?

Lol...can imagine, though the pool's quite toastie in comparison to the fresh Atlantic!

Hmmmm....it depends on what you prefer, but it shouldn't restrict you too much. I've had a guy wear a 7mm jacket over a 5mm.

As for gloves, booties and a hoodie...depends on your threshold for cold I guess. For Cape Town water 5mm's probably a better bet though 3mm should do if you don't get cold easily. When you do the ocean dives on your scuba course, play around to see what works for you or ask your diving instructor for some advice.

 

[Voicy]

Eek, I just bought me a wetsuit for surfing for the 1st time in 15 years. Always just gone longboarding/surfing/bodysurfing in baggies - regardless of season.

Anyway, i had a look around and suits are going for stupid prices - but I managed to pick up a "REEF South Africa" 2mm full suit M-Large (black) for R600 @ sportsman's warehouse.

I've been putting off doing my open waters for quite some time, but i'll follow this thread closely. The last quote I got was also R1500...not sure if it's padi or naui.

 

[porn$tar]

Anyway, i had a look around and suits are going for stupid prices - but I managed to pick up a "REEF South Africa" 2mm full suit M-Large (black) for R600 @ sportsman's warehouse.

last time i was at Sportmans warehouse in 2007, those were going for around R900. saw the Reef 2mm shorty for R650 on their website today.

High-end wets go for R5.5k and up, insane.

 

[davemc]

Diving is awesome. It's the freaking costs of doing the diving that is prohibitive.

Last time I dived, it cost R350 (for the boat) for a single dive. Then add R40 for the air, and another R80 for the other equipment (I have my own goggles + snorkel + flippers).

I took one look at the bill afterwards and gave it up as a really really expensive and bad idea.

Though, I really really enjoyed it, it's just not worth that kind of cash. I want to dive every weekend, not once a month.

 

[Bismuth]

Hi, I personally prefer CMAS over the other two. Do you self a favour and contact the Falsbaai Underwater Club and see what the will charge for a dive course.

I am a non-current CMAS Lvl 2-certified Scuba Diver!

Mares and Cressi/Cressisub are good for gear.

So, yes, I would also recommend CMAS.

What davemc says is also the reason that I am non-current, the costs are rather high.

B

 

[eek]

Eek, I just bought me a wetsuit for surfing for the 1st time in 15 years. Always just gone longboarding/surfing/bodysurfing in baggies - regardless of season.

Anyway, i had a look around and suits are going for stupid prices - but I managed to pick up a "REEF South Africa" 2mm full suit M-Large (black) for R600 @ sportsman's warehouse.

I've been putting off doing my open waters for quite some time, but i'll follow this thread closely. The last quote I got was also R1500...not sure if it's padi or naui.

Voicy!!! Try sustaining that in the Cape Town waters! And if you've managed that....try doing that on 10m! Just messing around with you!

Yeah, they do have stupid prices...I know. R600 is a good price. Sadly though they tend to get more expensive though the thicker they get and 2mm is just not enough in the Atlantic...I manage cold quite well...but jeepers...that's too cold!

You should definitely consider doing it though if it's something you've wanted to do for years! It's well worth it! R 1500's good price, regardless of whether it's PADI or NAUI. My last PADI quote I got about R 3000 and the course I did through NAUI was R 1 500.

 

[eek]

Diving is awesome. It's the freaking costs of doing the diving that is prohibitive.

Last time I dived, it cost R350 (for the boat) for a single dive. Then add R40 for the air, and another R80 for the other equipment (I have my own goggles + snorkel + flippers).

I took one look at the bill afterwards and gave it up as a really really expensive and bad idea.

Though, I really really enjoyed it, it's just not worth that kind of cash. I want to dive every weekend, not once a month.

Yeah, can be expensive! Especially tourism dives. Last boat dives I did though was R 150. Once you have your own equipment though it cuts down renting. Equipment is expensive, but it's something you can use for many years to come should you really be passionate about diving. Join a dive club, once a member, your air fills are normally free and you get some great diving opportunities at good prices.

 

[Voicy]

Quite hectique how much refills add up to... I know with my paintball gun, filling up a little 9oz tank with CO2 puts me back R9 each time -which isn't a lot, but if you consider it only lasts me 1 round, it starts getting expensive.

 

[Ou grote]

Old Mutual have a scuba club

http://www.omsac.co.za/

 

[Sackboy]

PADI. The courses are better designed and the qualification is better for use overseas.

Avoid Mares wetsuits - they are designed for small Italians and are not very high quality.
Their BCDs are good though.

If you go cheap on a wetsuit you will shiver. Surfing wetsuits are not designed for SCUBA.

 

[Palimino]

Me

PADI is more comprehensive but NAWI is internationally acceptable.

I stand to be corrected. The impression I gained was that PADI was more of a professional certification (a job) whereas NAWI certification was recreational. They are both safe but I would imagine that PADI would deal more with the dangers of an underwater workplace after extensive periods underwater.

 

[eek]

In my opinion I don't think it really matters who you do it with, both are internationally accepted and both are professional. As said earlier, rather look at the instructor than the institution.