Scuba advice for honeymoon

[Smarkow]

My Fiancée and I booked Sandals Royal Bahamian for our honeymoon (May if season matters) and wondered if R2R could help us with some scuba advice - both novices.

Specifically we wondered if it is worth it to get PADI certified beforehand, if anyone had ever done scuba through sandals before and had some general advice, and lastly any ideas for underwater photography that will not break the budget but capture us together?

Thanks,
Stephen and Megan

 

[Captain Quint]

Welcome to R2R @Smarkow

It really depends on if y'all feel scuba will be a long-term adventure for you. It can become quite expensive with getting certified for your 'open water' alone. Then you'll need to buy at least minimal PDG (personal dive gear) not to mention the O.W. course itself through whatever agency you choose. You will learn more than if you do the mini 30 certs for the honeymoon but you would be much more comfortable being fully certified which would be my vote.

However, if you do the tempory cert on the honeymoon you could always get fully certified when Y'all got home as I know it's gonna be hectic with wedding plans and all, but honestly best going into it being educated and fully certified.

Then again, many agencies have an intro to diving mini course to see if diving is something you want to pursue and if so, they apply what you pay for the intro session toward your open water certification.

My oldest daughter and her husband went to where you're going on their honeymoon and loved it. It did rain quite a bit. They went mid-May 0f last year. Seems every time I've been to the Bahamas it has rained some of the days I was there but no biggie really. lol

 

[Gablami]

I got certified in Roatan, Honduras.

The experience is completely different getting certified at a reef, in tropical waters vs at home in a swimming pool or in a cold lake/ocean with nothing to see.

We were watching videos basically steps from the beach, eating local street food in between, and then jumping in the warm water for the basics. From the beginning, there was interesting stuff to see.

Now, I don’t know what it will be like where you’re at, but I felt the experience of getting certified on site was far better than at home. It also depends how much time you have. It’s going to take a good deal of time to get certified, and then you’re going to want to get in a bunch of dives. If time is a factor, then getting certified at home might be more practical.

 

[norfolkgarden]

As a former instructor in Hawaii, I would recommend either getting fully certified before traveling or limiting the honeymoon to your open water dives. The book learning is pretty interesting but do it at home with fewer distractions. [emoji846]
You will want to be focused on enjoying paradise while you are there.

If you have any decent places to get fully certified and do your open water dives locally I would recommend that.

Lol, sooner rather than later. Adding a dive course to later Wedding planning wouldn't be my first choice.

A lot of places will offer you the opportunity to do a quick (20 minute?) refresher in the pool at the resort the day before you go on your 1st dives. [emoji846]
Besides getting rid of the cobwebs this will also give you a chance to get used to diving their gear, which may be slightly different from what you learned on.
Some places will expect you to do a 5 minute dive in a pool so they can comfortably observe you going through a quick skills session.
Call ahead as part of your honeymoon planning so you know what to expect. [emoji846]


Gear:
Unfortunately, for most people, they do about 5 dives after getting certified. Then it becomes a wonderful memory as life moves on further.

I would definitely buy a comfortable mask that fits your particular face shape and a pair of booties and a comfortable powerful set of fins. (Lol, not the superlong free diving fins) Also a cheaper comfortable snorkel. Not so much for diving but for strictly snorkeling.

Unless you have money to burn, I would just plan on renting the rest of the gear from a reputable dive shop.

My 25 year old personal gear hasn't been used or serviced in over a decade.
Same with Better Half's 15 year old $3,000 worth.

Lol, I'm still glad we bought it at the time. But we definitely have not been getting our money's worth out of it lately.

Make sure you slow down and keep an eye on your wife and make sure she is comfortable at all times! [emoji846]
Rushing your dive buddy is the easiest way to ruin the dive. The day, the honeymoon.
(Don't ask. I think they were doomed from the start. We just got a front row seat to it on the dive boat. [emoji53])
I say watch your wife because traditionally the wife is the one who needs a little bit more encouragement and assistance. That is not always the case. She may blow past you and then she needs to remember to slow down to make your diving more comfortable and enjoyable. [emoji846]

Forget the expensive camera! [emoji846]
You both need to be paying attention to your diving and not worrying about F stops and framing. [emoji846]
Dual Selfies don't often come out well under water anyway.

Spend just a couple $100 on a waterproof point and shoot camera that's good to 60' for snorkeling.

Many resorts have dedicated camera people to video or take pictures of your dive.
Inquire if the dive shop has this and Book this specifically ahead of time!
The camera people I knew didn't always show up if they didn't have a pre confirmed booking.
Using a dedicated camera person is the best way to get good pictures of the 2 of you in the same shot. [emoji846]

Hope you have an absolutely wonderful time!

 

[jgvergo]

Get certified before your honeymoon! I went diving on my honeymoon without being certified. Years later, I got my PADI certification. In retrospect, I think it was incredibly dangerous to do the dives I did on my honeymoon without proper training. If you don't have the opportunity to do your open water certification dives before your honeymoon, you can arrange to do them on your honeymoon.

To me, certification is, first and foremost, a safety issue.

I would also reiterate norfolkgarden's advice...make sure you focus on your "dive buddy", her safety and happiness. Not only is it a recipe for great dives and a honeymoon, it is good advice forever ;)

 

[User1]

I would get certified before hand just for safety reasons.

 

[Gablami]

What’s so unsafe about getting PADI certified on site? I can’t speak for the poster earlier who went diving without being certified, but that’s not what we’re talking about. It’s still the official class, official videos and licensed educators teaching the class. It’s just whether you want to get trained during your honeymoon vs before. Has nothing to do with safety in my mind. If you have the time, it’s a very memorable experience to go through training and dive a bunch afterwards. I could see it being pretty fun for newlyweds.

But to each his/her own...

 

[Hemmdog]

Get certified before so you are comfortable. The more uncomfortable you are down there the faster you use up air. You want your dive to last as long as possible. I’ve been diving for over 15 years, and I’ve loved every single dive including silly things like rivers and lakes. Favorite dive spots I’ve been to are bora bora, Tahiti, Maui, Hawaii(big island), Maldives, Christmas Island, GBR, Canary Islands, Catalina, St. Lucia, St. Thomas.
Enjoy your time it is truely other worldly

 

[Katrina71]

They usually offer a snorkel excursion at Sandals resorts too. I did some in Jamaica.

 

[Hemmdog]

They usually offer a snorkel excursion at Sandals resorts too. I did some in Jamaica.

The difference between diving and snorkeling is like walking and driving a car.

 

[Katrina71]

The difference between diving and snorkeling is like walking and driving a car.

Just offering a do-able alternative.

 

[Hemmdog]

Just offering a do-able alternative.

Oh I know :), they are just very very different

 

[KrisReef]

Take the class in Ohio together. You might find out that being underwater and breathing isn't comfortable for one or both of you, and not even finish getting certified? A few people dropped out of the course when I took it. It would be better to know before you go, either way. Also, if you get certified before hand, you wont be wasting time doing check dives in paradise. You will be able to go directly to the good dive sites and drop in on the coral reefs without chaffing in a class room on vacation. Best Wishes!

 

[User1]

What’s so unsafe about getting PADI certified on site? I can’t speak for the poster earlier who went diving without being certified, but that’s not what we’re talking about. It’s still the official class, official videos and licensed educators teaching the class. It’s just whether you want to get trained during your honeymoon vs before. Has nothing to do with safety in my mind. If you have the time, it’s a very memorable experience to go through training and dive a bunch afterwards. I could see it being pretty fun for newlyweds.

But to each his/her own...

It isn't that one is better than the other (although I would question it if I was being honest) but more of time. PADI open water certification while being performance based is going to take more than a honeymoon weekend. I'd say anywhere from 2 to 6 days depending on both of your competencies. Class room books. Pool equipment learning and use. Open water (lake or ocean (much different)) for skills. Just at a high level. Remember you are not just putting your own life at risk but also the dive master(s) that are escorting you.

Back to time. Time equals practice of drills, of buoyancy, air management, and emergency situations that may never arise but you need to be aware of in case it does so you don't panic and make matters worse. Apologies if this is sounding like a lecture because I don't mean it that way. Was just trying to clarify why getting certified before hand is worth it rather than limited certifications at the resort. Remember - SCUBA is self contained underwater breathing apparatus.

Life support.

 

[norfolkgarden]

What’s so unsafe about getting PADI certified on site? I can’t speak for the poster earlier who went diving without being certified, but that’s not what we’re talking about. It’s still the official class, official videos and licensed educators teaching the class. It’s just whether you want to get trained during your honeymoon vs before. Has nothing to do with safety in my mind. If you have the time, it’s a very memorable experience to go through training and dive a bunch afterwards. I could see it being pretty fun for newlyweds.

But to each his/her own...

I believe that it is perfectly safe to get certified in paradise! [emoji846]

If both of you are on the same page and both doing well it can be absolutely fantastic!

You were about 3% of the couples we met. Working with people like you makes our job the wonderful fantasy most people think it is. Thank you!

The problem quickly arises when one of you needs considerable extra time and effort to get it right.
About 40% of the couples we met.

For that person, the added pressure of "failing a test" on your honeymoon is *absolutely* miserable.
Especially if they really are struggling with the bookwork!

Getting most of your certification out of the way beforehand gives you plenty of time to practice and in a much less stressful environment. [emoji846]

 

[Smarkow]

Welcome to R2R @Smarkow
My oldest daughter and her husband went to where you're going on their honeymoon and loved it. It did rain quite a bit. They went mid-May 0f last year. Seems every time I've been to the Bahamas it has rained some of the days I was there but no biggie really. lol

Thanks for the great info. Also great to hear they had a good time!

 

[av8soulfly]

Get certified at home. Spend more time enjoying paradise...and each other!
It is way more convenient to just walk into a dive shop in some tropical paradise and show your certification card and hit the water immediately. Safety is not really an issue...PADI is PADI no matter where you go.
I got certified way back in 1981. Went to the Cook Islands and spent more time wet than dry.

 

[Smarkow]

Forget the expensive camera! [emoji846]
You both need to be paying attention to your diving and not worrying about F stops and framing. [emoji846]
Dual Selfies don't often come out well under water anyway.

Spend just a couple $100 on a waterproof point and shoot camera that's good to 60' for snorkeling.

Many resorts have dedicated camera people to video or take pictures of your dive.
Inquire if the dive shop has this and Book this specifically ahead of time!
The camera people I knew didn't always show up if they didn't have a pre confirmed booking.
Using a dedicated camera person is the best way to get good pictures of the 2 of you in the same shot. [emoji846]

Hope you have an absolutely wonderful time!

Okay great call on the photo shot. Will def look into that. take time to smell the daisies? Errr.... gorgonians?

 

[Smarkow]

Thanks for the great feedback, all. The future Mrs. is super excited about it as well!

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

My Fiancée and I booked Sandals Royal Bahamian for our honeymoon (May if season matters) and wondered if R2R could help us with some scuba advice - both novices.

Specifically we wondered if it is worth it to get PADI certified beforehand, if anyone had ever done scuba through sandals before and had some general advice, and lastly any ideas for underwater photography that will not break the budget but capture us together?

Thanks,
Stephen and Megan

Awsome!!! If you wear glasses/contacts. Have a set of goggles made for u. Get certified, get the one for worldwide cert., good watch. Have fun