First Dives - Cozumel & Grand Cayman - Expectations?

[freedivernd]

Puck,
don't sweat the dive boat.. if you've booked through the cruise there's going to be a lot of divers just like you and the dive masters/captains have seen it all. Most dive boats I've been on are near the same in what goes on... sometimes they like you to hand them your gear before you board the boat.. sometimes you board the boat carrying your own gear, sometimes the crew is handling your stuff as soon as you walk up the dock. They'll have the tanks all lined up against the sides and they will setup the bc's and regs on the way to the dive sites. With a bench in front of the tank holders it's easy donning the equipment. They'll be asking what you want for lead and if they think you're wrong they'll tell you what you want, and give you the option to change it on the next dive. Lot's of divers aren't familiar with their lead needs in the salt water, but what I've seen on the boats is that they generally figure most people want too much lead. More than likely, as they're setting up all the bc's onto the tanks that's a good time to get into your wetsuit..depending on the ride.. you may not want your wetsuit on for an hour ride. They will spend maybe 20 minutes or so discussing the dive and after that will be a time for you to ask any questions that didn't get answered. Stow away your gear under the bench and off to the sides or hold onto it.. If you have stuff you don't want to get wet, best to bring some kind of a dry bag because if you have rough seas and with all the divers coming out of the water, things get wet. If you're on a big enough boat there may even be a bathroom to use, which is fine if the seas are calm