Benidorm

[Balders]

<font color='#0000FF'>Hi all,

I am off to Benidorm later this year on a family holiday. &nbsp; (Ok pick yourself up i am the only Brit who has never been there )

Obviously i will be wanting to get wet so Here is a few queries for you.

1. &nbsp;Is there a dive centre there?
2. &nbsp;If not then is there one close by?
3. &nbsp;What is the minimum dive qualification needed?
4. &nbsp;Can i get a dive medical there, or do i need one from England first
5. &nbsp;Some dive centres insist you have a computer, do i need one here?

Cheers guys, any advice will be helpfull

[Balders]

<font color='#0000FF'>Ahhhhh !!
Me again,

Ok heres another one for you.
I am off with Jet2,com, anyone been with them? &nbsp;And how do i stand on taking my dive gear.?

Do i have to pay extra?
What is the security like?

As a novice diver i have never taken my gear abroad before.

[CotoChris]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Balders @ Jan. 18 2004,21:59)]Hi all,

I am off to Benidorm later this year on a family holiday.   (Ok pick yourself up i am the only Brit who has never been there )

Obviously i will be wanting to get wet so Here is a few queries for you.

1.  Is there a dive centre there?
2.  If not then is there one close by?
3.  What is the minimum dive qualification needed?
4.  Can i get a dive medical there, or do i need one from England first
5.  Some dive centres insist you have a computer, do i need one here?

Cheers guys, any advice will be helpfull

<font color='#0000FF'>I got the 'Diver' last Friday which had a letter about qualifications.in Spain. This was misleading and I'm tempted to write back.
For a normal dive Open Water is Sufficient. When there are places that have currents, depths or certain degree of difficulty some centers will ask for Advanced O.W. With some dives (although exceptional) you need master scuba or above. From what I understand this is not a law but a reccomendation from the clubs.
As for Medical Certificates this is an odd one. Normally you don't need one, especially at Centers where they get a lot of tourist. From the 4 dive centers I've used across Spain only one requires a Medical Certificate issued in the last 12 months. If you have a certificate (even from England)take one, otherwise I wouldn't worry about it.
As for Dive centers requring computers, that's rubbish - I havn't heard of that before. Do take your equipment rather than renting, at least your reg's and BCD if you are not too limited by weight.
I have yet to find a dive clubs list &nbsp;across Spain. You can try www.Padi.com where they have a list of all their clubs in Spain. I'm sure they will be a dive center around there. Once you have found &nbsp;a center or two drop them an e-mail with the above questions.

[richarddbarker]

I've flown Jet 2 but not with dive kit. Seemed well organised and the allocated seating removes the need for a scrum to get on the plan (Easyjet, etc).

I checked there website FAQ but couldn't find anything about extra allowance. Just says they charge for it and bigger sports stuff such as surfboards need to be prebooked.

Let us know how you get on with your enquiries. I live in Leeds so might use them for a diving holiday myself in the future.

[John Gulliver]

I found this by doing a Google search:
http://www.costablancasub.com/

[craigh]

I dived a place just up the coast in Moraria a lot in 2002. Very enjoyable diving with an outfit called scubamar..( british owned) have a look at http://www.scubamar.com it is just up the road from Benidorm.
i was sked for my cert card and that was it.

[Dave Crampton]

<font color='#000080'>As for diving rules, I dived in Menorca (different Island I know but still Spain) and they required a Medical Certificate. I got on in the UK as it lasts for 5 years, (BSAC). They required dive insurance so I went with Dive-master and they seemed reasonable enough. As for dive qualifications I think most places would take anything so long as you only dive within you limits. A good dive operation should ensure your well guided/marshaled within your limits. They should also tell you up front what you need to dive with them, either on their web site or as an attached form in a response to your initial email.

Happy Holiday, Dive safe.

Dave C