Piedras y Olas :: Exploring Nicaragua

Discover scuba diving

If you’re looking for a convenient way to try scuba, try the PADI Discover Scuba Diving experience to broaden your horizons. As a guest of Piedras y Olas Hotel & Resort you can jump into this program during your stay. Diving can change your life!

What Is “Discover Scuba Diving?”

World’s most popular introduction to scuba diving
A short flip chart lecture, a few in water skills and a chance to experience SCUBA in the comfort and safety of Piedras y Olas Hotel & Resort’s 25 meter infinity pool
Feel like exploring the open ocean? An open water dive can be arranged following the pool session.
Average dive depth of the open water dive is 6 metres/20 feet (12 metres/40 feet is the maximum depth)
Most Discover Scuba Diving experiences take just an hour or two
No equipment necessary – everything’s provided except you supply the smiles

Scuba Shack-Nicaragua
www.scubashack-nicaragua.com
info@scubashack-nicaragua.com

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Scuba Diving

I'm planning on getting certified. I've been to several shops, and they all offer different certifications. I've heard of PADI, NAUI, YMCA, NASDS and SSI. Which one should I go with?

The short, widely agreed upon answer is that agencies all must follow a minimum standard set by an industry organization, so they differ less than you might expect. However, instructors can differ a lot, so you should try to talk to the instructor you will be taking the course from and determine exactly what will be offered, and how you feel about them as your instructor.

Finally, some instructors add significantly to the standard course (and may also charge more). You should ask exactly what you are going to get for your course fees, what else you will have to buy, and where you have to buy it.

At Scuba Shack, the prices quoted are fully comprehensive exclusive of I.V.A., the national sales tax
I'm new to diving, and I want to buy some equipment. Which piece of equipment should be the first?

There are two schools of thought on this. One is that you should consider only purchasing your personal gear until you are sure what type of diving you like. This school believes you should buy only mask, fins, and snorkel, for fit and sanitary reasons. The other school of thought is that the rental gear you can rent, especially in tropical locations, is second rate and poorly maintained, and that gear you purchase will be better and more reliable. Typically, people agree that you should not buy a tank until you believe that you will be doing a significant amount of local diving.

Scuba Shack uses only the best and new equipment professionally serviced on a regular, ongoing basis by manufacture trained professionals.
Can I dive in contact lenses (contacts)? Is it safe? Will I go blind?

Divers who wish to wear contact lenses while diving should ask their ophthalmologists or optometrists to prescribe "soft" contact lenses. "Hard" lenses or rigid gas-permeable lenses, the other two commonly prescribed types of lenses, have been found to sometimes cause symptoms of eye pain and blurred vision during and after dives, in which the diver accumulates a significant inert gas load. These symptoms occur as a result of gas bubbles forming between the cornea and the contact lens.
What affect, if any, does menstruation have on diving?

Are women at an increased risk of shark attacks during menstruation? There are few reported shark attacks on women, and there are no data to support the belief that menstruating females are at an increased risk for shark attacks. The average blood lost during menstruation is small and occurs over several days. Also, it is known that many shark species are not attracted to the blood and other debris found in menstrual flow.

In general, diving while menstruating does not seem to be a problem, as long as normal, vigorous exercise does not increase the menstrual symptoms. As long as the menstrual cycle poses no other symptoms or discomforts that affect her health, there is no reason that a menstruating female should not dive. However, based upon available data, it may be prudent for women taking oral contraceptives, particularly if they are menstruating, to reduce their dive exposure (depth, bottom time or number of dives per day). Please check with your physician if you have further questions or concerns.

QUESTIONS 3 AND 4 WERE PROVIDED BY Divers Alert Network, Duke University, an absolutely fantastic source of information pertaining to divers safety and medicine.
Do I need a certification do scuba dive on vacation?

No reputable dive operator will take an uncertified person scuba diving. Many vacation spots have what is called a resort dive. For a resort dive, an instructor will provide a basic introduction to scuba diving. After the basic instruction, you are taken to a pool or beach to experience breathing underwater for the first time. From there, it's off to a shallow reef where the instructor will guide and accompany you throughout the dive. You are generally limited to dive depths of 30 feet or less, limited to one tank per day, and limited to diving only with the dive shop that provided the instruction. There is no certification card provided to the resort dive student.

If you plan on doing more than one or two resort dives, you may be better off getting certified. A PADI Open Water Certification is about 8 hours of classroom training, 8 hours of pool training, and 5 open water dives with an instructor over 3-4 days.
How Long Does The Certification Course Last?

Scuba certification is performance based, meaning there is no set amount of hours required for completion. You move from one level to the next during the course at your own pace. You will find that most PADI certification courses advertised are based around an estimated three (3)-day timeframe for completion. For the average person, however, this may not be enough time. Four (4) days for certification is a much more realistic goal.
Who Is The Instructor?
How Long Have They Been An Instructor?
How Many People Have They Certified?
How Many Certification Courses Have They Taught?

Good instructors, who have an extensive resume of experience teaching scuba certification courses, are extremely hard to find. Dive shops have a notoriously high turnover ratio of scuba instructors to staff. Many of the ones who are there are recent hires, and have very little real world experience. They also work long hours for very little money, generally getting paid by the activity, not by the hour. Insist on someone who has certified at least 25 people, and has been teaching a minimum of one year.

Glenn Campbell and Nahoko Ueda have trained more than 1500 divers of all levels including instructor and mixed gas diving
Is The Instructor First Aid/CPR Certified?

In order to become a PADI instructor, one must complete the Rescue Diver certification. PADI requires current CPR/First Aid training for one to receive Rescue Diver certification. All Scuba Shack dive instructors are First Aid/CPR Instructors.
Will Both Instructor And Student Use Similar Equipment Setups During The Course?

When both instructor and student are using the same brand of scuba gear, and have similarly designed equipment configurations, it allows students to learn faster and easier, both in and out of the water, during the certification course
Will The Course Incorporate A Giant RDP Table Into The Academic Sessions?

Learning how to use the dive tables is perhaps the toughest academic challenge a student faces during the certification course. We have a giant version of the standard dive table, allowing students to more easily master this important academic information.
I Have More Questions - Who Should I Contact?

Please contact Glenn Campbell and his team at Scuba Shack via email at glennc1961@gmail.com for any further questions or visit their website www.scubashack-nicaragua.com

Website: www.scubashack-nicaragua.com

Pelican Eyes... Piedras y Olas Hotel & Resort
De la Parroquia 1½ cuadras al este
San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

Toll-free for Reservations: 1 (866) 350-0555
Telephone: (505) 568-2110 Fax: (505) 568-2511
Dial (011) first if calling from US or Canada

Email: reservations@piedrasyolas.com

Make A Reservation

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What Is “Discover Scuba Diving?” World’s most popular introduction to scuba diving A short flip chart lecture, a few in water skills and a chance to experience SCUBA in the comfort and safety of Piedras y Olas Hotel & Resort’s 25 meter infinity pool Feel like exploring the open ocean? An open water dive can be arranged following the pool session. Average dive depth of the open water dive is 6 metres/20 feet (12 metres/40 feet is the maximum depth) Most Discover Scuba Diving experiences take just an hour or two No equipment necessary – everything’s provided except you supply the smiles Scuba Shack-Nicaragua www.scubashack-nicaragua.com info@scubashack-nicaragua.com Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Scuba Diving I'm planning on getting certified. I've been to several shops, and they all offer different certifications. I've heard of PADI, NAUI, YMCA, NASDS and SSI. Which one should I go with? The short, widely agreed upon answer is that agencies all must follow a minimum standard set by an industry organization, so they differ less than you might expect. However, instructors can differ a lot, so you should try to talk to the instructor you will be taking the course from and determine exactly what will be offered, and how you feel about them as your instructor. Finally, some instructors add significantly to the standard course (and may also charge more). You should ask exactly what you are going to get for your course fees, what else you will have to buy, and where you have to buy it. At Scuba Shack, the prices quoted are fully comprehensive exclusive of I.V.A., the national sales tax I'm new to diving, and I want to buy some equipment. Which piece of equipment should be the first? There are two schools of thought on this. One is that you should consider only purchasing your personal gear until you are sure what type of diving you like. This school believes you should buy only mask, fins, and snorkel, for fit and sanitary reasons. The other school of thought is that the rental gear you can rent, especially in tropical locations, is second rate and poorly maintained, and that gear you purchase will be better and more reliable. Typically, people agree that you should not buy a tank until you believe that you will be doing a significant amount of local diving. Scuba Shack uses only the best and new equipment professionally serviced on a regular, ongoing basis by manufacture trained professionals. Can I dive in contact lenses (contacts)? Is it safe? Will I go blind? Divers who wish to wear contact lenses while diving should ask their ophthalmologists or optometrists to prescribe "soft" contact lenses. "Hard" lenses or rigid gas-permeable lenses, the other two commonly prescribed types of lenses, have been found to sometimes cause symptoms of eye pain and blurred vision during and after dives, in which the diver accumulates a significant inert gas load. These symptoms occur as a result of gas bubbles forming between the cornea and the contact lens. What affect, if any, does menstruation have on diving? Are women at an increased risk of shark attacks during menstruation? There are few reported shark attacks on women, and there are no data to support the belief that menstruating females are at an increased risk for shark attacks. The average blood lost during menstruation is small and occurs over several days. Also, it is known that many shark species are not attracted to the blood and other debris found in menstrual flow. In general, diving while menstruating does not seem to be a problem, as long as normal, vigorous exercise does not increase the menstrual symptoms. As long as the menstrual cycle poses no other symptoms or discomforts that affect her health, there is no reason that a menstruating female should not dive. However, based upon available data, it may be prudent for women taking oral contraceptives, particularly if they are menstruating, to reduce their dive exposure (depth, bottom time or number of dives per day). Please check with your physician if you have further questions or concerns. QUESTIONS 3 AND 4 WERE PROVIDED BY Divers Alert Network, Duke University, an absolutely fantastic source of information pertaining to divers safety and medicine. Do I need a certification do scuba dive on vacation? No reputable dive operator will take an uncertified person scuba diving. Many vacation spots have what is called a resort dive. For a resort dive, an instructor will provide a basic introduction to scuba diving. After the basic instruction, you are taken to a pool or beach to experience breathing underwater for the first time. From there, it's off to a shallow reef where the instructor will guide and accompany you throughout the dive. You are generally limited to dive depths of 30 feet or less, limited to one tank per day, and limited to diving only with the dive shop that provided the instruction. There is no certification card provided to the resort dive student. If you plan on doing more than one or two resort dives, you may be better off getting certified. A PADI Open Water Certification is about 8 hours of classroom training, 8 hours of pool training, and 5 open water dives with an instructor over 3-4 days. How Long Does The Certification Course Last? Scuba certification is performance based, meaning there is no set amount of hours required for completion. You move from one level to the next during the course at your own pace. You will find that most PADI certification courses advertised are based around an estimated three (3)-day timeframe for completion. For the average person, however, this may not be enough time. Four (4) days for certification is a much more realistic goal. Who Is The Instructor? How Long Have They Been An Instructor? How Many People Have They Certified? How Many Certification Courses Have They Taught? Good instructors, who have an extensive resume of experience teaching scuba certification courses, are extremely hard to find. Dive shops have a notoriously high turnover ratio of scuba instructors to staff. Many of the ones who are there are recent hires, and have very little real world experience. They also work long hours for very little money, generally getting paid by the activity, not by the hour. Insist on someone who has certified at least 25 people, and has been teaching a minimum of one year. Glenn Campbell and Nahoko Ueda have trained more than 1500 divers of all levels including instructor and mixed gas diving Is The Instructor First Aid/CPR Certified? In order to become a PADI instructor, one must complete the Rescue Diver certification. PADI requires current CPR/First Aid training for one to receive Rescue Diver certification. All Scuba Shack dive instructors are First Aid/CPR Instructors. Will Both Instructor And Student Use Similar Equipment Setups During The Course? When both instructor and student are using the same brand of scuba gear, and have similarly designed equipment configurations, it allows students to learn faster and easier, both in and out of the water, during the certification course Will The Course Incorporate A Giant RDP Table Into The Academic Sessions? Learning how to use the dive tables is perhaps the toughest academic challenge a student faces during the certification course. We have a giant version of the standard dive table, allowing students to more easily master this important academic information. I Have More Questions - Who Should I Contact? Please contact Glenn Campbell and his team at Scuba Shack via email at glennc1961@gmail.com for any further questions or visit their website www.scubashack-nicaragua.com Website: www.scubashack-nicaragua.com
	Pelican Eyes... Piedras y Olas Hotel & Resort De la Parroquia 1½ cuadras al este San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua Toll-free for Reservations: 1 (866) 350-0555 Telephone: (505) 568-2110 Fax: (505) 568-2511 Dial (011) first if calling from US or Canada Email: reservations@piedrasyolas.com Make A Reservation
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