SCUBA diving in the aquarium

[tjkluse]

My daughter17 has here SCUBA certification and I thought it might be fun to do the aquarium dive(I think it's in Epcot?). Has any one tried it? Is it worth the price?
Just wondering,
Tammi

 

[donna in Oz]

Absolutely worth it!! Here's a link for specifics:

http://wdwig.com/tour_div.htm

My SO will be doing this for the 4th time in October; it has now become a must-do event on every trip to WDW.

It takes place in the tanks at the Living Seas in Epcot. A videographer will make a tape of her dive (for you to buy afterwards, if you like). They generally will get a shot of the family watching from the other side of the glass, with the diver in the foreground. Kind of cool.

Don't worry about having to pack scuba gear; they provide everything and the only personal gear she will be allowed to bring is her mask. Most divers prefer their own.

I'm sure she'd love it!

 

[therealgoofy]

That sounds AWESOME!! Can you guess what I'm going to ask my girlfriend for my birthday..heheh? I've been looking forward to our trip, but now I'm REALLY looking forward to it. I can't think of a better way to experience a part of Disney that so few people get to.

Chris

 

[ralphd]

I have done the dive twice. They have two groups per day starting at 5:00pm. The dive will last about 45 minutes. The DM will give predive that lasts about 30 minutes and a postdive that also lasts about 30 minutes. All the money goes into a wildlife conservation fund.
You will receive a 't' shirt and certificate. Try it once and decide for yourself. We usually eat at dinner at Epcot after the dive.

ralphd

 

[OregonDucks]

I am using this as a Father's Day gift for DH. He is going to be so happy.

I talked to a CM on Friday and the times were either 4:30 or 5:30 daily. The tour group is no larger than 12 and all equipment is provided. All the divers need to bring their swimsuits and certification.

The cost was 140.00, but when I verified amount to be charged to the card the CM said 126.00. I asked about the difference and she said that it had to do with the organization that you got your certification with. His is PADI certified.

Me and our DS-s (9) and (4) will be watching from the tanks. Its going to be a great experience for all of us.

 

[KIRSTIN'S MOMMY]

My husband did this last year (it was his anniversary present)...He absolutlely loved it!!! He will probably do it again when we go next year. Also, another tip for getting a discount is AAA....we booked through them after I had already booked the dive, and they credited 10% back to my cc....if you book with them you get 10% off some of the behind the scenes tours, including the dive.

 

[donna in Oz]

Words of wisdom for those of you planning to watch your diver from the viewing areas:

Make sure you have some kind of signal to recognize them by!! Once they're in the tank, they look pretty much alike since they're all wearing rental dive gear, they all have snorkel gear covering part of their mouth, and their hair is pretty much flattened down by the mask. And you'd be surprised at how many wristwatches look alike.

I mention this only because I once watched the divers with the wife of a fellow diver. Only when the dive was over did she realize that she had shot an entire roll of film of the wrong guy!! No pics at all of her hubby.


OregonDucks, is this going to be a surprise for him after you arrive at WDW?? If so, make sure you bring his C-card with you; he'll need it.

 

[jiminyfan]

I have done DiveQuest twice and plan on doing it again this November. Having SCUBA'd in a few great places - Hawaiian Islands, the Keys - the dives at Disney are still some of my favorites. The fish count is great. Sure it is a controlled dive, but you sometimes forget that you are in a BIG tank.

If you have any specific questions feel free to ask. I know they changed the dive format from the first to the second dive and from what I was told by a friend who just did it, they are now giving you more bottom time (45 mintes). you can purchase a video of the dive. you get a t-shirt and can see some of backstage WDW.

I think that this is one tour that is definitely worth the $$$!!

 

[lrodk]

Here's another site with a good description of DQ.

http://www.naui.org/NAUI_DiveQuestInfo.html

 

[OregonDucks]

donna in OZ-
I plan on giving my DH his gift on Father's Day. That way he can be as excited as I am about this. Plus, I'm horrible at keeping things a secret. He's already asking me what I've been up to. He can read me like a book!

Thanks for the reminder of the C-card. I've already got it in with our AP's.

 

[donna in Oz]

Oregon ... Send me a PM after Father's Day and let me know his reaction!

I'm guessin' he's gonna be big-time THRILLED !!!

 

[kvcycle]

I did it last October and it was amazing. We were a small group and they let you just swim around on your own even though they mentioned that you SHOULD stay with your buddy. If I remember correctly, our bottom time was around 45 minutes.

The giant grouper is a blast, he is like a very, very big underwater dog.

Say hi for me

 

[dBugged]

It's a blast! I loved it when I did it last year! Seeing a shark up close was the coolest part!

 

[BluOrchid2]

Do you have to be SCUBA certified to do the dive? I didn't think you did anymore! I hope not; I booked it for my husband and son to do as a surprise for them in August!!! Please tell me!

 

[Goofy4DisneyWorld]

Originally posted by BluOrchid2
Do you have to be SCUBA certified to do the dive? I didn't think you did anymore! I hope not; I booked it for my husband and son to do as a surprise for them in August!!! Please tell me!

You do have to be certified to do DiveQuest. However, there is a new "Epcot Seas Aqua Tour" that does not require certification. They are two separate programs, so you may want to confirm which one you booked.

You can find information on the new program here:

http://wdwig.com/tour_aqua.htm

 

[BluOrchid2]

Oh, thank you. Yes, I booked the right one, the Epcot Seas Aqua Tour. I appreciate your response.