# Time in the water



## Buck306 (Aug 12, 2012)

Hello all I will be coming down from Columbus Ohio in June 14 and will be in the area till the 22. Coming down to kayak fish offshore but was hoping to get out in the water. My uncle that my friend and I will be staying with dose not go out diving much any more so he dose not have his gear. So I was hoping to find someone with gear and time to take my friend and i out. So if someone knows anyone or anyone wants to give some time up who has gear would greatly appreciate it. Would hire out if wanted and pay for whats needed for oxygen or whats needed. I do have some time in the water and about 30 to 50 foot depth but can honestly say green horn at it. So I do not have a permit or license to back up anytime i have had. My friend that is coming with me dose not have had any time but listens and will do whats needed to be safe. Most of my time will be fishing so just looking for a morning or afternoon to get a diving fix and someone to take us out to some good spots. Thank you for your time or any help.


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## below me (Jan 13, 2012)

so neither of you two are certified? i don't think it's legal to provide scuba gear to someone who is not certified. that's why dive shops look at your certification card before they fill/rent tanks for you, FYI. if it's not "against the law" there's no doubt in my mind a diver would lose in court when you family sues me for lending you gear.

i may have misunderstood what you said. anyway, if you are certified you can rent a full set of gear pretty cheap at local shops...cheaper than i thought it would be, at least. 

good luck


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## Buck306 (Aug 12, 2012)

below me said:


> so neither of you two are certified? i don't think it's legal to provide scuba gear to someone who is not certified. that's why dive shops look at your certification card before they fill/rent tanks for you, FYI. if it's not "against the law" there's no doubt in my mind a diver would lose in court when you family sues me for lending you gear.
> 
> i may have misunderstood what you said. anyway, if you are certified you can rent a full set of gear pretty cheap at local shops...cheaper than i thought it would be, at least.
> 
> good luck


Yes your right I am not certified. Wrong choice of words when I said I do not have license of permit. I am looking to go out with someone to take us out. Maybe some kind of the scuba diver instructor or someone experience. I do understand with now a days everyone sue happy so I do understand if we dont get any help on this topic. I did not know if there are people to hire out to go out with. They do in Mexico and that is were I have had some past experience.


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## esenjam (Jan 30, 2013)

Buck306 said:


> Yes your right I am not certified. Wrong choice of words when I said I do not have license of permit. I am looking to go out with someone to take us out. Maybe some kind of the scuba diver instructor or someone experience. I do understand with now a days everyone sue happy so I do understand if we dont get any help on this topic. I did not know if there are people to hire out to go out with. They do in Mexico and that is were I have had some past experience.


No diver or instructor that has a brain in his/her head is going to "take you out diving" just for the experience - especially without you being certified. The laws in Mexico and the liability issues are completely different than in the US. If you want to dive, then get certified in Ohio before you come down and rent or buy gear from a local shop - there are several in the area. You can do a PADI Discover Scuba Class for about $100, but those are generally in a pool, where you can stand up and not drown. Are you coming to Pensacola, Destin, or AL? I can recommend shops in any of these locations.


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## AndyS (Nov 22, 2011)

Buck306 said:


> Yes your right I am not certified. Wrong choice of words when I said I do not have license of permit. I am looking to go out with someone to take us out. Maybe some kind of the scuba diver instructor or someone experience. I do understand with now a days everyone sue happy so I do understand if we dont get any help on this topic. I did not know if there are people to hire out to go out with. They do in Mexico and that is were I have had some past experience.


Good luck finding anyone who would loan you gear or fill your tanks if you are not certified. I wouldn't. Scuba is a self-regulated community ... no government licenses or permits required ... & the diving community wants to keep it that way. That's why no dive shop is going to fill your tanks or rent your gear without at least an "open water" cert card from one of the major agencies.

I re-certified when my daughter got hers a few years ago 'cause I'd been out of the water a long time. There was a guy in the class like you .... a buddy (non-instructor) of his had taken him diving 20 or 30 times and he had decided it would be a good idea to get certified. He stated at the end of the class he was really glad he did take the class 'cause he learned a lot of important stuff of which he was unaware.

If you already have some diving under your belt and know you are comfortable underwater in dive gear you probably don't need to do the "Discover Scuba" class ... go straight for your "Open Water" cert & maybe combine that with an "Advanced Open Water" A lot of shops will do both for one price.

As to diving the gulf in this area ... I haven't yet myself since I moved here a year ago #1: because I've been busy with a stupid job I just ditched, & #2: I wouldn't without going with someone local 'cause I have little familiarity with the currents, tides, other hazards, and dive sites. 

Bottom line here is as the old saying goes .... "you don't know what you don't know."


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## Buck306 (Aug 12, 2012)

Well thanks for the help. Did not realize how strict it was. I have done a few lessons in pools and some ocean dives in Mexico. It is something I would like to get is my cert. but here in ohio there is no where to dive that is worth my while. How long dose your certification last? There is oddly a dive shop that dose do classes so I will check it out. Thanks....Sounds like I got some people all hyped on this subject because of my arrogance on this.


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## esenjam (Jan 30, 2013)

Buck306 said:


> Well thanks for the help. Did not realize how strict it was. I have done a few lessons in pools and some ocean dives in Mexico. It is something I would like to get is my cert. but here in ohio there is no where to dive that is worth my while. How long dose your certification last? There is oddly a dive shop that dose do classes so I will check it out. Thanks....Sounds like I got some people all hyped on this subject because of my arrogance on this.


People aren't hyped up. People just don't want to see you get yourself killed. SCUBA is a high risk activity, and there are several ways to hurt yourself or die in this sport, unless you have the education to prevent those risks. Your certification is good for life, it never expires. You do need to do tune up refresher dives, with an Instructor or Divemaster, in a pool if you haven't dove within a year. You could start your training in Ohio and get a referral to do your open water dives here in Florida with an Instructor while you are here - completing your training. PADI also has online learning now, reducing some of the costs, and allowing you to complete the book work on your own time/schedule. Or do all of your training up there, then ask a shop here if they can recommend a guide or a charter to take you out locally here.

I am also from Ohio and got my initial certification in a rock quarry outside of Chicago in 1995 when I was in College. From 1995 to 2010 I never took the opportunity to dive. I met an Instructor friend of mine and now I'm in the water every weekend. There are places/opportunities in Ohio to dive - your local dive shop will know where to steer you. And then when you want to come to Florida, Mexico,the Carribbean, etc. - you'll be good to go. Be careful diving is addictive - the more you do it, the more you want to do it. Good luck. :thumbup:


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## AndyS (Nov 22, 2011)

Buck306 said:


> How long dose your certification last?


Depends on how much time you have, your preferred learning style, and what's offered in your area.

There are courses that will certify you open-water in as little as 2 days and you do the book/dvd work ahead of time at home.

Or you can take a longer course that has classes once a week over a period of weeks or months that gives you more interaction with your instructors and other students.


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## daniel9829 (Jan 31, 2009)

Google dive shops where you will be staying and I believe you can find someone to certify and do a openwater cert. within the alloted time you have. Good Luck.


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## below me (Jan 13, 2012)

like they mentioned above, you could do the online portion of your training before you come and then knock out your pool and open water certification dives when you get here. that would be something on the order of an orientation class and pool dive on a Friday, then a couple of quick shallow dives saturday and sunday mornings.

also as mentioned above, it is indeed a high risk activity...much more than i thought before i got certified a couple summers ago. i always tell people it's easy to dive safely but it's also very easy to get yourself hurt or killed without basic training that is really not that expensive anymore. a looked into it years ago and the cheapest training i could find locally (i live about an hour from Pcola) was like 600 bucks and that just wasn't in the cards at the time.


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## aquatic argobull (Mar 2, 2009)

*does


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## WhackUmStackUm (Jan 31, 2010)

Like diamonds, scuba certification is forever.

SCUBA is an extreme sport. It is important to get proper training and use the right gear.


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