Baru Island Scuba Diving Experience

• Hotel pickup and drop-off
• Scuba diving gear
• PADI certified instructor
• Towels
• Boat transportation
• Soft drinks and snacks
• National Park fees
• Lunch

• Gratuities

From your accommodation in Cartagena

7:30 am from your location property or hotel.Times are subject to change due to local traffic conditions.

Returns to original departure point hotel or property

• Confirmation will be received at time of booking
• Not wheelchair accessible
• Not recommended for travelers with back problems
• Not recommended for pregnant travelers
• Before You Scuba Dive
• Make sure you're fit to dive
• If you've never dived before, you should have a medical examination in your home country before you go travelling to ensure you're fit to dive. If you're generally fit and healthy, there should be no problem. You will be required to sign a medical statement before learning to dive.
• If you're already certified to dive, avoid diving if you're not feeling one hundred per cent. In particular, don't dive with a cold or a bad hangover! Save the big party night for the finale of your diving days.
• Listen to your instructor or dive guide
• Once you're on the dive boat, it's important to listen to your instructor or guide, no matter how experienced you are. Plan Your Dive, Dive Your Plan is the number one rule of dive preparation - you need to follow your instructor's brief on where you're going, the route you will follow and what you need to watch out for.
• Double check all your scuba gear
• En route to the dive site you will need to set up all your scuba gear. Take your time and double check everything is working. If you are not sure about anything, don't be embarrassed - ask your guide or instructor.
• Make sure you do your buddy check
• Doing the buddy check of each other's scuba gear is extremely important before you get in the water to make sure neither of you have missed anything. Introduce yourself to your buddy beforehand as well, so you can get to know each other a little. It's better for you both safety wise and it can also be the start of a great friendship!
• Carry your policy number, medical information and emergency contacts
• It's a good idea to carry your policy number, any medical information and emergency contacts with you while on a diving holiday if in the event you are injured or become ill.
• During the Scuba Dive Trip Never hold your breath - breathe normal
• Scuba is a strange and exhilarating experience because you're doing something technically impossible - breathing underwater. It is important to NEVER hold your breath - breathe normally on scuba at all times. Holding your breath can cause an air embolism (where an air bubble enters the blood stream), which is a serious and potentially fatal injury.
• Equalise frequently as you descend
• Just like on a plane, the change of pressure as you descend to depth while scuba diving means you need to equalize your ears. This needs to be done frequently and before feeling any pain to avoid injury to your inner ear.
• Stay aware of where your guide and buddy are located
• Don't be tempted to swim off on your own when you spot something interesting - point it out to your guide and dive buddy and head towards it together. Staying with your buddy and guide is important for safety and also your orientation. If you do lose each other underwater, look around for 1 minute, and if you still can't see them, slowly ascend to the surface where they should have done the same.
• Keep an eye on your air gauge
• You can only stay down as long as you have air in your tank, and you need to be aware of when your tank is half full and quarter full so you can plan your return to the surface accordingly. Your guide will ask you how much air you have left periodically, but you are ultimately responsible for your own air consumption.
• Don't over exert yourself
• Diving is often called an adrenaline sport, but you should actually be super relaxed when underwater. The is no gain to swimming fast over reefs - the slower you go, the more you'll see. Avoid moving at a pace which makes you out of breath. If you do feel tired, signal your buddy and find a coral-free rock on which you can hang to have a rest.
• Don't touch anything
• You should avoid touching anything (besides the aforementioned rock) as good practice to protect the coral reefs - but also to protect yourself. Many corals are sharp, many marine plants poisonous and many marine creatures will bite if they feel threatened. Keeping your hands to yourself ensures you and they stay safe and unharmed. It's also important to perfect your buoyancy so you can hover without effort over the reefs and therefore won't feel the need to touch anything.
• This is one creature you don't want to pick up. In the ocean, any colour can mean danger. Always ascend SLOWLY from every dive
• As well as not holding your breath, ascending slowly from a dive is the other Number 1 rule of diving. Coming up fast from a dive can cause "the bends" or decompression sickness, as nitrogen is forced into the bloodstream. By coming up slowly from a dive and doing the safety stop, the nitrogen in your body has a chance to dissipate and therefore cause no harm.
• Things You Should Never Do Right After Scuba Diving.
• 1. Fly
• Flying after scuba diving is one of the more widely known risks to divers. This issue comes up frequently in the diving world because divers want to take full advantage of diving trips and get the most amount of diving time in while they can. The main reason for this warning is not the flying itself but the pressure inside the airplane's cabin. Air pressure lessens when you fly. If you rode in a plane right after diving the increase in altitude would result in a drop in pressure which is comparable to a fast ascension while diving. The longer the dive and the deeper you go the more nitrogen is absorbed into your blood. Upon returning to the surface the pressure reduces and the nitrogen reverts to gas bubbles. Decompression needs to be done slowly so the nitrogen can pass back out through your lungs. If you ascend too fast the nitrogen can form bubbles in your blood which can be painful and possibly fatal (think of opening a bottle of soda). Waiting the correct amount of time before flying will reduce the nitrogen in your blood. The general rule that seems to be widely agreed upon is that you should wait 12 hours after a single no-decompression dive, 18 hours after multiple dives or multiple days of diving and at least 24 hours after dives requiring decompression stops. As a general rule it is recommended to wait 24 hours before flying after doing any type of diving. This rule covers all types of dives and adds extra time as a safeguard for peace of mind.
• 2. Heavy Drinking
• I know this may be a controversial subject for many but It is no secret that many divers enjoy drinks after a day of diving. Drinking alcohol immediately after a dive is not recommended because alcohol may affect the way that our body eliminates that excess nitrogen. Dehydration is one of the main causes in decompression sickness, and drinking alcohol is one of the most efficient ways to dehydrate ourselves. Another important reason to avoid heavy drinking after a dive is because being heavily intoxicated can mask the true symptoms of decompression sickness and adequate medical care may be sought too late. To avoid any problems, drink plenty of water before and after diving to combat dehydration. Most of all try and wait a few hours before drinking alcohol to prevent any mishaps.
• This tour or activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers