I got certified by Naui about a year ago and it was one of the best learning experiences I have ever had.

I would recommend that you get certified before going on vacation so you can "dive right in" and not waste valuable vacation time in a classroom.

In terms of equipment, always go with what is the most comfortable on you. Most importantly, your mask. You should literally try on every single mask in the shop until you find one that is the most comfortable. I wouldn't skimp on the price- afterall, when you are 100ft in water, this is the stuff that will keep you alive.

Remember that any place you go to visit, you'll be able to rent equipment. You might want to try out a few different labels when you go diving to see which one you like best.

AND I would recommend getting an underwater camera.

Diving is very easy, you just have to learn all the rules and follow them closely.

Have a wonderful time!!!!!!

 

Cool - I did buy the underwater camera housing for my Canon S400 so I'm hoping to get some "ok" pictures. I read a review on it last night and it seems to be quite involved to get decent pictures under water.

Thanks for the tips on the masks. How about fins? What should I look for with those?

 

Thanks for the tips on the masks. How about fins? What should I look for with those? [/QUOTE]

Split fins, make sure they can fit tightly but are easy to get on and off

Also I'd recommend getting some gloves because even when you are in warm water, at the beginning you are going to have less control and you might want to reach out and touch a rock or something. It's mainly for protection.

 

SSI certified here...as stated already, quality instructors are key, not the organization. I've used this cert to dive in Hawaii, Bahama's, Greece, New Zealand, Australia, etc.....

Your going to have a blast!

 

this is going to sound spiritual, but it's not. it's just my way of thinking, because scuba diving should be taken this seriously.

get into the rituals of diving. once you know how to do things the right way, they need to be like a ritual-- same way, same order, every time, including the double-checks. that way, you don't forget anything crucial. and when, for some reason, the "ritual" is interrupted... that's when you want to go back through the steps, meticulously. there should be a whole ritual before and after each dive.

even during the dive, there should be periodic checks with your buddy. "ok?" "ok." "safety stop?" "ok." make sure your dive buddy takes safety as seriously as you do. macho jokesters are the ones who end up whimpering in pain in decompression chambers... if they're lucky enough to be close to one. or Mr. Macho Cool guy who was your dive buddy who said you'd be a pussy right in front of your wife or gf for not diving such-n-such... will probably be the one consoling (and hitting on) your wife or gf at your funeral. think about it.

watch out for overconfidence in yourself too. try to dive well within your personal limitations. and I'm speaking from experience. my ego has made me push my limits and I was damn lucky to only get first stage decompression sickness and The Most God F*cking Awful 18-Hour Headache. I could move my neck from side-to-side and it would crack so loudly from all the little nitrogen bubbles being released. not even joking. I really thought I was going to die. really. it was scary, because I hurt so bad, I wanted to just hurry up and die and get the suffering over. don't ever put yourself through that by getting a "f*ck it" attitude about diving.

$.02

 

I got certified last year at about this time (PADI). I did my pool work locally then open water in Key West.

One thing I would suggest is not to buy your mask until your have spent some time in the pool. I found myself to be a nose breather and had quite a bit of trouble equalizing. I ended up trying a mask with the nose purge and that made a huge difference.