I hope someone will be able to help me out. I am going to Hawaii in a couple weeks and we plan on going snorkeling. My friend was trying to practice with me in the pool (I am not much of a water person) and I can get myself to sink underwater or swim underwater. I think its because I am too fat still. Any suggestions? I know i can swim on the surface and still have a good time which is what I will have to do. I was just hoping to be able to do a little more than that. Any input is appriciated!

Hi Earl, I'm glad you had a good time in my back yard, Cozumel. I came here 6 years ago on a 3 day dive trip with Aldora. Liked it so much I built a place and moved here 5 years ago. I took a trip to Belize, but I have to admit it's not as good as Cozumel as far as visbility and huge coral formations. I did see some huge whale sharks in Belize so that kind of made up for the visibility and other stuff. I found the people there friendly, and I wasnt ever worried about safety. I would go back someday, but living in Cozumel it's kind of hard to justify travelling anywhere to go on a dive trip. DavidG

Hi Scott, I agree with Tammy that the place to start is the yellow pages (either on line or the book) and get a list of the dive shops in your neighborhood. Once you have your list start calling them and ask what agency they certify under. The 3 biggies are PADI, SSI and NAUI. They all teach along the same guidelines. Ask how much - if they will tell you, but then go visit the shops. Don't do this based on price alone, you need to like and feel comfortable with the dive shop, the instructors and the staff. The more comfortable you are, the better off your experience will be. Then ask about any "personal" gear discounts for students - that would be mask, fins, snorkel, and booties (maybe a gear bag as well). You can rent all of your other gear and if you go on vacation you can usually rent there OR rent from home and bring it with you (there are pro's and con's to each). Also find out what other trips they do because if you certified in a lake or a quary and they don't do any trips on a regular basis you can move away from the sport and lost interest. Now that didn't happen to me - I was so enthralled that I worked my way up and became an instructor. It's also an amazing family experience. I certified my husband and step-kids and our vacations are always great. Well enjoy it and if you have any other questions please let me know - I LOVE talking about diving. Mara

Hey everyone, I'm intersted in learning how to scuba dive. Can anyone tell me where to start? Do i need to get a license to do it? What kind of class do i need to take and how long do you need to train? etc etc. Any helpful information would be great. I live in orange county, NY about 1 1/2 hours from manhattan. I want to do this with one of my sons. BTW can you rent equipment? I just don't have the storage place of a lot of bulky equipment right now (live in a very small place) thanks everyone scott

Hi Sharon, I had my RNY surgery in December 2005 and went diving in Australia last month; just under three months after surgery with approval of my surgeon. I had no problems. I loved diving in Belize. I was there in 2002 in Hopkins/Placencia. Happy Diving! Patti