# So, if I wanted to learn to scuba dive.....



## Breeze (Mar 23, 2012)

All I would need to do is take the open water class at MBT, right? Then I am certified to dive up to a depth of 130'? Am I reading it right? And if I got certified, but wanted to rent equipment instead of buying for now, I could rent everything I needed from MBT for 40 bucks a day? Right? But I dont think that includes mask or flippers does it? Someone enlighten me as to what someone that wanted to get into scuba diving needs to do........


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## Firefishvideo (Jul 1, 2010)

I think Openwater gets you to around 55' .....you realy need some dives, and an advanced class before you jump into deeper water.
You will need to purchase your mask, snorkel,booties, and fins for the class.....these are personal pieces which fit YOU, and you would not be happy with borrowed or rented items when it comes these. Talk with the guys at MBT, and they will help you get something that fits you....the sport....and your budget. The stuff from walmart is not meant for this demanding sport....you need scuba grade gear....and It will last you for many years of diving.
All the other gear....BC, REGS,tanks,weights, ect. are included with the class. You will probably know what you want to buy when the class ends, but you can rent pieces you don't have , until you decide to buy.


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## MillerTime (Jul 6, 2011)

x2 what firefish said.

If you think it is something you will be doing for a long time, the more expensive gear will be cheaper in the long run. It might be good to rent before you buys anyways to get a good feel for what type of equipment you want to buy.


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## knot @ Work (Apr 18, 2012)

You might want to learn how to swim first....


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## Breeze (Mar 23, 2012)

Firefishvideo said:


> I think Openwater gets you to around 55' .....you realy need some dives, and an advanced class before you jump into deeper water.


This is what I read on the MBT dive site, which is why I thought it was good for 130 feet

 At the completion of the course, you will be certified to dive within the recognized recreational limit of 130’. We do strongly recommend that if you intend to regularly conduct dives below 60' that you complete the Deep Diving specialty course or an Advanced open water certification. 

I could be wrong, but even 55 feet is pretty deep to me.. LOL


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## Breeze (Mar 23, 2012)

knot @ Work said:


> You might want to learn how to swim first....



Come on now, when your swimming, your trying to stay on top of the water..... diving is below water where you would be anyways if you couldnt swim.... so whats the point in knowing how to swim?? :whistling:


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## jmunoz (Jan 11, 2012)

Breeze said:


> Come on now, when your swimming, your trying to stay on top of the water..... diving is below water where you would be anyways if you couldnt swim.... so whats the point in knowing how to swim?? :whistling:


Lol good point


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## aquatic argobull (Mar 2, 2009)

Breeze said:


> This is what I read on the MBT dive site, which is why I thought it was good for 130 feet
> 
> At the completion of the course, you will be certified to dive within the recognized recreational limit of 130’. We do strongly recommend that if you intend to regularly conduct dives below 60' that you complete the Deep Diving specialty course or an Advanced open water certification.
> 
> I could be wrong, but even 55 feet is pretty deep to me.. LOL


Technically, yes. You are certified to 130 feet, but it would be crazy to go that deep as a new diver. There are a lot of skills you should learn before diving to 130 feet, which is why they mention taking an advanced diver course. Most charter boats that will go that deep will require advanced cert.


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## Breeze (Mar 23, 2012)

aquatic argobull said:


> Technically, yes. You are certified to 130 feet, but it would be crazy to go that deep as a new diver. There are a lot of skills you should learn before diving to 130 feet, which is why they mention taking an advanced diver course. Most charter boats that will go that deep will require advanced cert.


I doubt I would go that deep as a new diver, shoot to me 50 feet is plenty deep enough, for now anyways... LOL Just asking basically if that certification is all I would need to start doing some diving.


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## jspooney (Oct 2, 2007)

You don't have to be certified to dive. No law that says so. However, dive shops will not rent equipment or fill tanks without a c-card. They will for a buddy with a cert, and you could use it, but not to you. You can dive as deep as you want right now without breaking any laws. Open water certification is to 130'. Certification is for safety purposes and should be acquired if you are going to dive. The exception would be if you never have any need to rent or fill equipment and if you have another experienced diver who can properly teach you how to dive. MBT is a great choice and for the money, you can't beat it.


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## jspooney (Oct 2, 2007)

The direct answer to your question is yes, that is all you need. Plus a mask and fins.


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## Firefishvideo (Jul 1, 2010)

jspooney said:


> You don't have to be certified to dive. No law that says so. However, dive shops will not rent equipment or fill tanks without a c-card. They will for a buddy with a cert, and you could use it, but not to you. You can dive as deep as you want right now without breaking any laws. Open water certification is to 130'. Certification is for safety purposes and should be acquired if you are going to dive. The exception would be if you never have any need to rent or fill equipment and if you have another experienced diver who can properly teach you how to dive. MBT is a great choice and for the money, you can't beat it.



WTF are you getting at? Just trivia or encouraging someone who does not know the dangers to experiment with a sport that will kill you in a few feet of water.....with little to no training....or to rely on some random diver for instruction? An untrained diver died in the destin pass this season on a "trust me" dive with a certified diver.....If someone were to take your advise, and die, you would be looking to delete this post.:whistling:
Good instruction is the cheapest thing you can buy...bad or no instruction will be the most costly.


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## jspooney (Oct 2, 2007)

Firefishvideo said:


> WTF are you getting at? Just trivia or encouraging someone who does not know the dangers to experiment with a sport that will kill you in a few feet of water.....with little to no training....or to rely on some random diver for instruction? An untrained diver died in the destin pass this season on a "trust me" dive with a certified diver.....If someone were to take your advise, and die, you would be looking to delete this post.:whistling:
> Good instruction is the cheapest thing you can buy...bad or no instruction will be the most costly.


Read what I wrote. That's what I was getting at.


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## Firefishvideo (Jul 1, 2010)

jspooney said:


> Read what I wrote. That's what I was getting at.


 I read it several times before I replied.....and I just read it again to be sure....still seems like you are neutral to training. Someone that thinks they can "feel out " the sport on their own will interpret it as encouraging them. I still cant say that "get trained because otherwise you cant rent tanks" is the right message to send.
This is just a bit of trivia....no - there are no current laws to regulate training, and yes you have to have a card from a recognized agency to buy or rent gear......but that has nothing to do with pointing a newbie in the right direction.
Sorry If I mis-understood where you were going with the post....but If I did, someone with little to no scuba knowledge would be even more likely to mis-understand.


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## SaltAddict (Jan 6, 2010)

I read that post the same way. 

I often offer to my friends "I will put you in some gear and put you in a pool or off the beach in the sound, waist deep, to see if you like it." If they dig it, my next statement is "go get certified." 

Diving is the easy part. Learning how to deal with simple (even worse, complex) problems while at depth is the hard part. My repeated statement "the 2 most important words in diving Don't Panic."

Back to the op... 50' is deep to start, but you will quickly learn there are not very many things to see in less than 80-90' of water around here. There are several shore dives and near shore dives in 50' or less to get comfortable with yourself and gear. Diving is awesome. It will change your life.


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## El Kabong (May 9, 2012)

SaltAddict said:


> 50' is deep to start, but you will quickly learn there are not very many things to see in less than 80-90' of water around here. There are several shore dives and near shore dives in 50' or less to get comfortable with yourself and gear. Diving is awesome. It will change your life.


There are _millions_ of things to see in less than 40ft of water around here!!! If you're willing to drive a bit, the best dives on the continent are in less than 20ft of water. 

If you have access to a boat it's easy to forget the cool stuff you can see on shore dives. Most of the offshore diving in our area is in the deeper 80-90ft range, but you've got tons of stuff to dive as you build up your experience.

MBT and Dive Pros are two of the better shops in Pensacola. I'd talk to folks at both shops before pulling the trigger. I can't say one is better than the other, but one program may be more to your comfort level than the other, and they're both reputable businesses.


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## SaltAddict (Jan 6, 2010)

Kabong didja just wake up disagreeable today? 

Please enlighten me as to where my diving mind will be blown in 20fsw within 50 miles of pensacola pass?


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## polar21 (Nov 5, 2007)

Training and Experience. There are a reason why most people put training first...


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## El Kabong (May 9, 2012)

SaltAddict said:


> Kabong didja just wake up disagreeable today?
> 
> Please enlighten me as to where my diving mind will be blown in 20fsw within 50 miles of pensacola pass?




Not trying to be argumentative, I just think you're selling our local shore dives short. Certainly you'll find better viz offshore, but if someone told me tomorrow I could dive no deeper than 30ft for the rest of my life, I's still have a lifetime of diving in Florida with no complaints.

Seahorses, morays, parrotfish, french angelfish, two kinds of sea turtles, guitar sharks, nurse sharks, sandbar sharks, spotted eagle rays, nudibranches, common and Caribbean reef octopuses, schools of squid, torpedo rays, southern stargazers, and mantis shrimp all within 20 miles of Pensacola Pass, and all from shore. In fact, most of the list above I've seen at Ft. Pickens.

If that's not something you think is cool, then you'll have to drive further than 50 miles, but you'll still be North of Miami in Riviera Beach, and Ft. Lauderdale, where you'll see all of the above plus lemon sharks, dozens of coral species, jawfish with eggs, seahorses giving birth, manatees in saltwater, trumpet fish, several parrotfish species, sailfin blennies, and just about every tropical fish that swims, burrows, crawls or floats in the Atlantic or Caribbean. Most spots are not even tide dependent, and in about 12ft of water, but the best spot or two gets as deep as 20.


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## SaltAddict (Jan 6, 2010)

One of those days... I got ya


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## El Kabong (May 9, 2012)

SaltAddict said:


> One of those days... I got ya


That's what happens when I go too long without diving


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