As anyone following my blog wioll know, in 2012 I am test-driving 12 hobbies with a view to finding something I love.
Scuba diving was considered then decided against ... but we're considering it again.
So please, pop kiddies: tell me all about it!
What's involved? Where do I do it? What do I need (to do/rent/buy)? Time committment? Cost?
The only absolutes are that I need to do it in either September or October, I need to be able to take photos and blog about it, and DH might be doing it with me
Scuba diving is AMAZING! I did my cert while I was on holidays in Bali, but you should be able to do it pretty much anywhere. PADI is who I got my cert through and they are internationally recognised. There's another company that is also internationally recognised but I'm not sure who they are. I'd reccomend going with a dive school that uses either of these so you can then dive anywhere in the world. With PADI, I was able to do all the theory online which saved me having to sit in a classroom while I was on holidays. The cost of doing your cert should cover everything you need equipment wise. My course cost around $1000 from memory, but will cost a bit more doing it here in Oz. I spent 2 days doing my cert - mornings were spent doing my confined water dives (some places do this in a pool, I did mine in the shallow water at the beach) and then the afternoon doing my open water dives. I really wish we'd done it earlier in the holiday so we could have spent another day or 2 diving. Once you have your open water cert, you can then do a photography course. Not sure what the cost is if you're using their equipment, but I know purchasing your own equipment (decent camera and underwater case) is very pricey.
As far as finding somewhere to do it, I'd recommend looking for reviews on trip advisor. That's how we found the dive shop I did my cert through and they were just as fantastic as the reviews said.
Diving really is so amazing. I could easily spend all day under the water, it's just so peaceful and the sealife is amazing to watch.
Do you just want to do a try dive, where DH would just take you and Mr P out for a day? That involves basic theory in the morning then in the water in the afternoon. Cost TBA - will let you know.
The more expensive time and money commitment is the full PADI Open Water certification. That one you are talking two weekends and hundreds of dollars (but not over a thousand as Miss Dee indicated above it might be). Maybe $500pp. Maybe.
Locations: Williamstown, Black Rock, Sorrento, Portsea, Rye, St Leonard's, Queenscliff are all possibilities.
Gear requirements: depends on where you do it (which company you do it through). Most places hire gear so you can try it out and then buy when you are ready for a serious commitment. Otherwise you beg, borrow and steal off your amazing friends who have a storeroom full of scuba gear
You know you should do it with me and DH DH might be able to take you one at a time to help kid-wrangle or you could bring someone with you/leave the kids somewhere so you can go together.
ETA: We've also got an underwater camera you can borrow. While the marine life in Melbourne/Port Philip is not as abundant as somewhere like the Great Barrier Reef, there are still some pretty amazing things to be seen in our bay. Google "Southern blue devil" and you'll see one of my favourite little fishies
We'd want to do two weekends over the month, and then we'd do some "play" practices in the pool, learning the book, etc etc etc to pad out the month, so the blog doesn't go unattended
we could even get DS1 and DS2 some little goggles and have some family play time wading somewhere ...
for the main dives, I think we'll organise them to be with my parents, unless it's overnight ... if it's overnight, I might see if I can bribe my sister or brother to come away with us, and mind the kids wherever we are ... ?
but not going somewhere overnight is by far the preference, as having to rent accommodation might blow the costs (and the logistice) out of the water, excuse the pun
begging, borrowing and stealing are all fine by us!
camera stuff doesn't have to be too high tech, as long as we can get a few pics ...
if you could get some prices from Mr Ocean (I might have to call him Danny...) that would be top
I've done it once, we went to portsea, We had a theory lass then a pracitse with the equiptment in a swimming pool and then we dove off the pier, i cant remember how much it cost, but i think it was under $200.
Its not for me personally, i did well in the pool but once in the ocean i couldnt handle it
OK, so checked with DF and looks like I remembered the price just a little bit wrong DF pretty much organised the whole thing, I just nodded and said "ooooooh pretty" when he showed me where we'd be diving It was about AU$900 (just under) but that was for both of us, plus transfers each way. We were staying about an hour from the dive site so the transfers cost us a bit. It would have been more like $700 (for the two of us) if we were staying right near the dive site.
Sorry to rain on your parade but October is the coldest time to swim/dive in Port Philip Bay. The water runs a season behind so October is winter water
I did mine down at Portsea in October - it was freezing and I wasn't very good at the whole thing, kept on getting cramp in my leg. Think the cold made it quite an unpleasant experience for me, would be different in warmer waters I am sure.
If you were in Brissy I'd say go for it with bells on. It's warm enough here at that time of the year and some of the best conditions. But as much as I love diving, I wouldn't get in the water in Melbourne at that time of the year. No way. Of course it could be a good excuse for a holiday in warmer parts
Now I'm a bit worried, 'cause I am a bit of a wuss about the cold ... I catch the train to work (and used to catch it to school and then uni) and in winter, I have about 67 layers ...
I'm not going to lie, it is always cold in Melbourne water.
Think back to jumping in at St Kilda beach or Angelsea or wherever you might have gone as a kiddie - you know that initial shock as you hit the water? You get the same thing with scuba diving. The initial shock as you hit the water and then the excitement of what you are actually doing/seeing takes over.
I learned in wetsuits, I have my own wetsuits, I only upgraded to a dry suit when I could afford it (they are like 2k to buy). The first "date" that DH and I went on I was a dive and I was still in a wetsuit. I wear thermals underneath my wetsuit to help. We can find you a hood, that makes a big difference. But when you turn your head and cold water hits your neck between the top of the wetsuit and your hood, that can be a bit bitey.
But honestly, you won't be in the water for long those first few dives (20-30mins) and you'll be near the surface where it is warmer. I'm pretty sure once you realise you are BREATHING UNDERWATER and LOOK! a fish!, you'll put the cold to the back of your mind.
Then you get out and hopefully it'll be nice and sunny while you hop round stripping off icky wet wetsuits and you'll be warm before you know it.
I think you mentioned it being something like 10oC? Is that right?
Did you mean 10oC but I'm wearing a nice big jumper and long socks and a scarf, or 10oC and I'm doing a nudie rudie ... but there are dishies and stingrays to distract me?
When I say I'm a wuss about the cold, I'm not kidding ... when I was at school, I'd wear bike pants and knee socks over my woollen stockings in winter, a t-shirt underneath my blouse, jumper, scark, blazer, beanie, gloves and I'd still be shivering ...
But on the other hand, 20-30 minutes isn't long to be cold ... I don't want the cold to be the only thing standing between me and a maybe hobby ...
Scuba diving
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It was about AU$900 (just under) but that was for both of us, plus transfers each way. We were staying about an hour from the dive site so the transfers cost us a bit. It would have been more like $700 (for the two of us) if we were staying right near the dive site.
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