Frequently asked questions specific to Blue Water Divers & Watersports.
| I
do not have a buddy, do I need to find one? |
| It is a requirement of both Bermuda and international law that you never dive alone, as well as a requirement of all major certification agencies. We will find a buddy for you if you wish. We can not allow solo diving regardless of experience level. |
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Questions
| Do
you "pick up" from hotels? |
| Unfortunately, due to local laws, we are not permitted to supply transportation to the dive shops. An excellent public transportation service including buses and ferry's covers the whole of Bermuda. If you would like a little flexibility on your travels rental scooters are available. Taxi's are available and typically will arrive within 15 minutes of being reserved. We are able to offer hotel pick ups via the boat's to large groups staying at certain hotels. (suitable water access is essential). Please note rental cars are not available in Bermuda. |
| How
much will a taxi cost me ? |
Please refer to this table for current charges incurred
using bermuda taxi service.
|
1-4
pax |
5-6
pax |
|
|
|
| 1st mile |
$4.80 |
$6.00 |
| Each subsequent mile |
$1.68 |
$2.10 |
| Surcharge (00:00 - 06:00, Sundays & public
holidays) |
25% |
25% |
| Luggage - per item |
$0.25 |
$0.25 |
| Sightseeing rate per hour
|
$30.00 |
$42.00 |
|
| Where
can I keep my heavy dive gear? |
| If you are diving on multiply days with us we are happy to provide gear storage for your dive equipment. |
| What
sites do you go to? |
| We are able to offer a full selection of dive sites. Visit The
Ultimate Bermuda Wreck Guide or The Ultimate
Bermuda Reef Guide for full details of over 25 wreck sites and 30 reef sites we visit on a regular basis. |
| When
do you cancel the trip? |
| We will only cancel a trip if the weather conditions are not suitable for SAFE diving, or for numerical considerations. A minimum number of divers is required for a trip to run. Cancellations of trips seldom happen during the summer months, typically more trips will be cancelled during the winter months, and yes we dive in the rain! |
| How
many divers to 1 guide? |
| For resort courses only, the Bermuda government regulations allow for a maximum of 6 divers to1guide. We usually have a maximum of 3 or 4 divers per guide. Although on occasion during busy periods this figure may rise. |
| Do
you have to be guided? |
| Instructors and Divemasters are on the boats to aid and offer as guides when the need arises. |
| Which
is the best wreck? |
This is a personal thing. It all depends on what your looking for. Some people love The
Hermes. Due to it being upright, fully intact and a relatively deep dive. Others like wrecks such as L'HerminieY ou'll find very little wreckage but it oozes with history.
Please note: All Bermuda's wrecks are protected by law and it is illegal to remove any artifacts from any wrecks.
For full details of Bermuda's ship wrecks, visit The Ultimate
Bermuda Wreck Guide. |
| Which
is the best reef? |
| We have a vast array of reef dives to meet the variety of different tastes. Our reef sites feature caves and tunnels, shallow or deep. Visit The
Ultimate Bermuda Reef Guide To see the whole range of sites and find one
that meets your taste. Popular choices are Blue
Hole or Smuggler's
Notch. |
| How
big is the boat? |
| We have 2 boats. "Rum Line" and "Tsunami" both are 36ft Newton's, with 400hp engines. Visit the boats for full detail of our
vessels. |
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Questions
| I'm
a certified diver, but my wife and children aren't.
How can they accompany me/dive with me/snorkel with
me/hangout with me? |
| Snorkelers and passengers are welcome on all trips. A spouse or companion is fine, but scuba diving is not a great spectator sport and space is limited. We do daily "Resort Lesson & Dives"specially tailored for the non-diver. These are escorted dives with an Instructor. Certain age and health restrictions apply. We also offer a full range of Certification coursesfrom total beginner to Instructor level. |
| I
want to dive 5 days in a row, will I repeat sites? |
| We try our very best not to repeat sites. Sometimes the weather makes it necessary. Popular sites are occasionally repeated due to high demand. |
| What
safety equipment is on your boat? |
| All boats are equipped with Marine VHF Radio, Oxygen, First Aid Kit, Life Raft, Life Jackets, Flares and all crew are CPR certified. Bermuda Government regulations require all boats to pass an annual safety inspection. |
| How
long are the trips? When do we get back? |
| The morning 2-tank trip departs at 9am and return at approximately 12:30pm. The afternoon single-tank dive leaves at 1:30pm & returns at approximately 3:45pm. IMPORTANT: Please remember…. Check-in time is 45 minutes prior to departure! Don’t miss the boat! |
| The
deepest dive? |
| The wreck of The
Xing Da lies in 104ft. The
deepest regularly dived site is The
Hermes at 75ft. |
| Average
depth? |
| Most of our sites are between 25ft and 75ft. Typically the first dive will be between 50ft and 75ft. The second 25ft to 35ft. |
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Questions
| I'm
not Advanced Certified or Wreck Certified, can I dive
on wrecks? |
| You don't need advanced certification or wreck specialty to dive Bermuda's wrecks. But we offer both courses if you do want to, what better place to do the wreck course than Bermuda! |
| Can
I get certified or complete higher dive education whilst
in Bermuda? |
| We offer a complete range of courses from Lesson
and Dives for complete novices to Instructor
level training |
| Are
all the staff Divemasters? |
| Most of our staff have gained ratings in advanced of Divemaster. We have Master Instructors, IDC Staff Instructors, Master Scuba Diver Trainers And Open Water Scuba Instructors on staff as well as Divemaster's. If you feel brave!!! Have a look at the Crew Pics. But remember........ we
warned you!!!! |
| Will
I see sharks? |
| Probably not. Although there are sharks in Bermuda's water, they are seldom seen by divers. |
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Questions
| Will
I need my "C CARD"? |
| Certified divers must submit their certification cards or other proof of certification prior to any diving activity. We can verify PADI certifications via PADI's computer system, a $5 charge will be made for this service. Unfortunately we can not verify any other certification body. |
| Do
you provide towels? |
| Sorry no. Unless you are a resident at Elbow Beach hotel and use the Elbow Beach Dive Shop. For more info on our two sites visit our Elbow Beach dive centre or Somerset
Bridge Dive Centre. |
| Do
you provide lunch? |
| For larger groups (10 plus) with a minimum of 72 hrs advanced notice, we can arrange boxed lunches. Contact:- phone (441) 234 1034 or E-mail for pricing and to
order. |
| Can
I dive from all of your locations? |
| We only offer boat diving from our Somerset Bridge dive
centre. From Elbow Beach you may dive from shore. The
wreck of The Pollocksheilds is only 150 yards offshore. But the beach makes
this location unsuitable for boat diving. You may
use any of either of our facilities to make reservations for
any activity, from either facility. |
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Questions
|