The ultimate diving and snorkeling thread!

[SMB]

Planning a trip to Hawaii in 2 years with the family. We have only been snorkeling once in Destin, Florida. We loved it have bought snorkel gear to use at our camping spot on a lake (unfortunately very poor visibility) Now debating getting scuba certified before our Hawaii trip. My kids are 12 and 15. We live in Wisconsin so all our certification dives will be freshwater. After paying the money to get to and stay in Hawaii we probably will only be able to do 1 dive (maybe 2). Is it worth it? Haven't planned specifics yet of where in Hawaii we want to go (Pearl Harbor is a must though). What are some good diving or snorkeling spots?

For just a few dives it is probably not worth it. Personally I would recommend everyone just enjoy the snorkeling.
It's possible not everyone in your family will take to diving and perhaps this trip is not the time to find out. If you think diving is something the whole family would enjoy then at some point plan a diving vacation where you can work your way into a safe enjoyable hobby. There are lots of trips you can set up where you do your book and pool learning at home and all your open water training at a dive resort.

A less expensive option while in Hawai'i would be to research a reputable dive center near where you are staying and see if they have a "Discover Scuba" class (also called a "Resort Course"). This entails a short class, a pool dive and one well supervised shallow open water dive. There is no certification offered with it but if everyone is comfortable with diving then when you get home you can research certification.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Get certified- Its worth it. Amazing what you see 60-80 feet down. Due to warm waters, most of the beauties stay down as the water is cooler. Im a certified firefighter, so it cost me nothing to learn to use SCBA breathing apparatus. this was off Montego bay

 

[Geebs19]

Got to snorkel for the first time while we were on our honeymoon in Nassau, Bahamas. We stayed at the Sandals and they had a private island that on the back side has a pretty cool cove where they were lots of creatures. The 1st day we got in and were maybe 20 feet from the shore and my wife spotted a stingray, she turned into Jesus and walked across the water to get back on the beach. Needless to say she didnt get back in. I was lucky enough to meet a couple that let me tag along with them and we went quite a ways out to another secluded reef. Saw lots of Sea turtles, couple of octopus and a ton of fish. My go pro got stolen while we were there otherwise I would be uploading the awesome pics.

 

[User1]

Worth is up to you. Personally speaking my daughter was certified around that age bracket. I went through the course again with her and it was fresh water, lake. I actually think it is better because lakes usually mean murkier and colder water. Might as well get used to it doing drills for certification early rather than open water oceanic. She later did advanced diving and on our Hawaii visit we did a couple wreck dives. She was always first in the water, first to reach depth, and last coming up. For a dive partner I couldn't feel any safer because she is honestly always checking air status and alert. Really neat thing to be a part of. Even if you block out a dive while there you are looking at 2 possibly 3 dives if you go on the morning trips. Worth it to me anyway.

As far as what you do after that again is up to you. We have done more classes and dive at least once a year local. Usually Monterey beach diving but I'll also bounce up to Lake Tahoe. I wouldn't buy any major equipment though if this is something you won't do regularly outside of mask and fins. Those are reasonable and something you can hold onto for a while. You start talking buying regs and BC's, well, they also need yearly checks and what not. Now your hobby just got more expensive :D. But yes - if you can fit it in look at the locals for a morning dive charter and enjoy it.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Got to snorkel for the first time while we were on our honeymoon in Nassau, Bahamas. We stayed at the Sandals and they had a private island that on the back side has a pretty cool cove where they were lots of creatures. The 1st day we got in and were maybe 20 feet from the shore and my wife spotted a stingray, she turned into Jesus and walked across the water to get back on the beach. Needless to say she didnt get back in. I was lucky enough to meet a couple that let me tag along with them and we went quite a ways out to another secluded reef. Saw lots of Sea turtles, couple of octopus and a ton of fish. My go pro got stolen while we were there otherwise I would be uploading the awesome pics.

 

[Epic Aquaculture]

I lived on the water in the Lower Florida Keys for 7 years until this past February, so I dived more days than not, but my favorite dives I have done were in Gaudaloupe Island Mexico with Great White Sharks. The first pic is me in the cage taken by the Captain of the boat. The second pic I took. Awesome experience!

 

[vetteguy53081]

I lived on the water in the Lower Florida Keys for 7 years until this past February, so I dived more days than not, but my favorite dives I have done were in Gaudaloupe Island Mexico with Great White Sharks. The first pic is me in the cage taken by the Captain of the boat. The second pic I took. Awesome experience!

That is COOL !!!!

 

[cycled123]

For just a few dives it is probably not worth it. Personally I would recommend everyone just enjoy the snorkeling.
It's possible not everyone in your family will take to diving and perhaps this trip is not the time to find out. If you think diving is something the whole family would enjoy then at some point plan a diving vacation where you can work your way into a safe enjoyable hobby. There are lots of trips you can set up where you do your book and pool learning at home and all your open water training at a dive resort.

A less expensive option while in Hawai'i would be to research a reputable dive center near where you are staying and see if they have a "Discover Scuba" class (also called a "Resort Course"). This entails a short class, a pool dive and one well supervised shallow open water dive. There is no certification offered with it but if everyone is comfortable with diving then when you get home you can research certification.

Worth is up to you. Personally speaking my daughter was certified around that age bracket. I went through the course again with her and it was fresh water, lake. I actually think it is better because lakes usually mean murkier and colder water. Might as well get used to it doing drills for certification early rather than open water oceanic. She later did advanced diving and on our Hawaii visit we did a couple wreck dives. She was always first in the water, first to reach depth, and last coming up. For a dive partner I couldn't feel any safer because she is honestly always checking air status and alert. Really neat thing to be a part of. Even if you block out a dive while there you are looking at 2 possibly 3 dives if you go on the morning trips. Worth it to me anyway.

As far as what you do after that again is up to you. We have done more classes and dive at least once a year local. Usually Monterey beach diving but I'll also bounce up to Lake Tahoe. I wouldn't buy any major equipment though if this is something you won't do regularly outside of mask and fins. Those are reasonable and something you can hold onto for a while. You start talking buying regs and BC's, well, they also need yearly checks and what not. Now your hobby just got more expensive :D. But yes - if you can fit it in look at the locals for a morning dive charter and enjoy it.

Thanks for the input! Lots of things to think about. I could see my husband and I taking a few dive vacations especially once our kids are grown. My daughter is a fish in the water and I could see her continuing. My son not so much. My friend's husband dives a lot of quarries around us and shipwrecks in the great lakes. There are more options around us then I thought. It's hard to know how much we will do it until we actually try it. Maybe a resort try it course is the way to go but in all honesty the cost of that and full certification course in WI is not that much different (~$100 a person difference)

 

[saltyhog]

Hawaii is great. We love Kona for diving/snorkeling. Not the touristy place that Oahu is but lots of beauty and cool stuff. The reefs were very healthy when we were there.

 

[cycled123]

Hawaii is great. We love Kona for diving/snorkeling. Not the touristy place that Oahu is but lots of beauty and cool stuff. The reefs were very healthy when we were there.

I will add Kona to my list to check out. We tend to like the non touristy places anyway, lol

 

[GWHouston]

I will add Kona to my list to check out. We tend to like the non touristy places anyway, lol

If you visit Kona for a dive, definitely dive with Jacks dive locker. One of the best diving groups in the world. Do the manta ray dive where you kneel on the bottom at night with flashlights shining up. This attracts the plankton and
the Rays swoop in and around you filter feeding the plankton. Jacks will video it for you also and then you can keep a memorial of the dive. I had a moray eel climbing around me during the dive. Maui has a good dive destination in molokini crater. Oahu has volcano tubes that are filled with sea life: reef tip sharks, octopus, eels, etc

If you just want to snorkel, go to Oahu to Hanuma Bay.

 

[cycled123]

If you visit Kona for a dive, definitely dive with Jacks dive locker. One of the best diving groups in the world. Do the manta ray dive where you kneel on the bottom at night with flashlights shining up. This attracts the plankton and
the Rays swoop in and around you filter feeding the plankton. Jacks will video it for you also and then you can keep a memorial of the dive. I had a moray eel climbing around me during the dive. Maui has a good dive destination in molokini crater. Oahu has volcano tubes that are filled with sea life: reef tip sharks, octopus, eels, etc

If you just want to snorkel, go to Oahu to Hanuma Bay.

Thanks! This is great info

 

[MBX5]

Quick skim and post from our last trip to Belize 2 weeks ago.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Quick skim and post from our last trip to Belize 2 weeks ago.

I need a better underwater camera. My pics always have a green tint from water

 

[MBX5]

I need a better underwater camera. My pics always have a green tint from water

I’m using a Canon G7 with 2 Kraken 5000 lights. When I used my GoPro a few years back I always had to run filters depending on depth. Maybe you can look into that?

 

[GWHouston]

I need a better underwater camera. My pics always have a green tint from water

I use a red filter with my GoPro. That helps the clarity of all the pics and videos...

 

[vetteguy53081]

This is a Fuji brand. Was inexpensive but effective at 80 feet. I think I have an excuse for a new unit as we do carribean annually.

 

[GWHouston]

I’m using a Canon G7 with 2 Kraken 5000 lights. When I used my GoPro a few years back I always had to run filters depending on depth. Maybe you can look into that?

Belize is on my bucket list. We dove grand Cayman two years back. Exceptional diving there. If you go in May after the 5th, the prices and crowds are down.

 

[Bebow]

I need a better underwater camera. My pics always have a green tint from water

Where in Belize? I dove off Dangriga 2 years ago, great diving there.
Most of the pictures look good. If your camera will shoot in RAW format you can edit out the green. Basically you can reset most of you camera settings right on your computer, pretty amazing what RAW and a good editing program can do![/QUOTE]

 

[GWHouston]

Belize is part of the ABC islands below Cancun and above Brazil. Aruba Belize and I think it’s Caracas