Scuba Rentals on Independence and Coco Cay

[DunkelBierJay]

Does anyone know if there is wet suit and dive computer rental on Indy or on Coco Cay? I don't want to carry that stuff and Royal has not responded to an inquiry about it.

[CruisingOz]

Try emailing Royal Diving - royaldiver@rccl.com

[AdventureKenandCar]

I wouldn't rely on a rental computer.  Bring your own and learn all the ins and outs before you dive with it.  And make SURE its batteries are charged (I made that mistake.)

[twangster]

CocoCay dives max out around 35' from what I've experienced.  Most of the time I was between 20 - 30'.  I wore my dive computer because I have one but at that depth and considering it's a one tank shore dive, a dive computer may not have the benefits normally associated with a dive excursion. 

[DunkelBierJay]

Thanks for the responses. After local quarry dives to get my C card reactivated, I did my first ocean dive in over ten years on Coco Cay last week. The dive was fine, however, we were towed to a buoy at the reef by a jet ski and submerged from there. Our profile was 35' for 48 minutes. While I had a computer, the spg was adequate because we trailed the instructor, Yumi the whole way, and at that depth, there is a lot more bottom time anyway. The biggest struggle was dealing with buoyancy since I have a lot more lbs on my frame now vs then. Yumi added weight to three of the four of us who were diving with him when we hit the shallow depths. The main thing I learned from this dive is that I have issues to work through including foot cramping, so I will be addressing booties and fins next. My old ones were constricting.

The thing is, Yumi and the staff were great, and did everything equipment wise, much more than any dive master or instructor has ever done on any of my previous dives (about 50). I was a little disappointed because I still need to shake off the rust and get back into the flow of things. I also would have preferred a boat dive to a shore dive because coming back at Chill Island amidst the swimmers and snorkelers was a little strange. There has to be better reefs near there that are accessible by boat, and I would book every time I go there if that was the case. The way it's set up now, I don't think I would dive at Coco Cay again.

We saw puffer fish, a few rays, a sea turtle, lots of yellow tail snapper, a parrot fish and an octopus near the beach. We also saw the plane engine, an anchor and some other man made stuff I don't recall. Getting back to the beach in the shallows was a pain in the butt because of the surge through the channel.