Good Place to Learn Scuba and Become Certified?

The subject header says it all. A friend and I want to try out Scuba
diving for the first time and hopefully get basic certs at the same
time. Can anyone recommend some good place(s) to go that won't be
overloaded with tourists, have good attentive instruction, have some
nice reef spots to dive and won't break the bank?

Thanks!

Tom

<tomzpc@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1113933706.013999.110540@g14g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...
> The subject header says it all. A friend and I want to try out Scuba
> diving for the first time and hopefully get basic certs at the same
> time. Can anyone recommend some good place(s) to go that won't be
> overloaded with tourists, have good attentive instruction, have some
> nice reef spots to dive and won't break the bank?

Your local shop won't be overloaded with tourists, won't break the bank, and
will have good attentive instruction by instructors who speak English as a
first language. Finish your certification process by doing the requisite
open water dives at your nice reef spot.

tomzpc@aol.com writes:
> The subject header says it all. A friend and I want to try out Scuba
> diving for the first time and hopefully get basic certs at the same
> time. Can anyone recommend some good place(s) to go that won't be
> overloaded with tourists, have good attentive instruction, have some
> nice reef spots to dive and won't break the bank?

I'd suggest getting your classes and pool work locally, then if you
don't have warm water (even in the summer) anywhere local, have your
check out dives done somewhere warm.

We did this with my SO--did a park district class with a PADI class
locally, checkout dives in St Thomas at a PADI shop there. Diving in
Lake Michigan is not a very appealing thought really.

I on the other hand was certified in Austin, TX where lake Travis
isn't _that_ cold in the summer. I haven't dived (dove) in
freshwater since, nor have I dived in non-tropical waters since.

I was glad neither of us had to burn vacation time sitting in
classrooms or doing skills in a hotel pool while spending hundreds a
day in a nice locale.

As for where to do your checkout dives, try the Floriday Keys. Key
Largo, for instance. Transportation there shouldn't be bad, and
you can find accomodations to fit most budgets.


Best Regards,
--
Todd H.
http://www.toddh.net/

> > The subject header says it all. A friend and I want to try out Scuba
> > diving for the first time and hopefully get basic certs at the same
> > time. Can anyone recommend some good place(s) to go that won't be
> > overloaded with tourists, have good attentive instruction, have some
> > nice reef spots to dive and won't break the bank?
>
> Your local shop won't be overloaded with tourists, won't break the bank,
and
> will have good attentive instruction by instructors who speak English as a
> first language. Finish your certification process by doing the requisite
> open water dives at your nice reef spot.
>

I would second that suggestion. Doing the classroom work and pool sessions
at home will be at a slower, less hectic pace giving you time to study the
book portion of the class. If you go to a dive resort to do this you will
be rushed and will not have time to really become familier with the
coursework. That is if there are local scuba shops and teachers in your
area.

Walter

<tomzpc@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1113933706.013999.110540@g14g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...
> The subject header says it all. A friend and I want to try out Scuba
> diving for the first time and hopefully get basic certs at the same
> time. Can anyone recommend some good place(s) to go that won't be
> overloaded with tourists, have good attentive instruction, have some
> nice reef spots to dive and won't break the bank?

If we knew of such places, we would not tell you about them.

There are places that won't break the bank, and places with good diving, and
places that are not overloaded with tourists, but as far as I know, there
are no places that have all of the above. The closest I know of is Boynton
Beach, Florida. Get in touch with Lynn at Splashdown Divers. Tell her Lee
sent you.

Lee

tomzpc@aol.com pounded away at his keyboard resulting in:
:The subject header says it all. A friend and I want to try out Scuba
:diving for the first time and hopefully get basic certs at the same
:time. Can anyone recommend some good place(s) to go that won't be
:overloaded with tourists, have good attentive instruction, have some
:nice reef spots to dive and won't break the bank?

If it doesn't have a lot of tourists, it probably has some things
wrong with it.

A significant part of the cost is the travel expenses. So pick a
place reasonably close to where you live. For example, if you live in
the eastern part of North America, pick a spot in the Caribbean. If
you live in Japan, consider Palau.

Pick a place that has things to do other than diving. If, when you
try it, you discover you either don't like it or can't do it, you'll
have something to do for the rest of your vacation.

Dan Bracuk
If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure.

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tomzpc@aol.com wrote:
> The subject header says it all. A friend and I want to try out Scuba
> diving for the first time and hopefully get basic certs at the same
> time. Can anyone recommend some good place(s) to go that won't be
> overloaded with tourists, have good attentive instruction, have some
> nice reef spots to dive and won't break the bank?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Tom

I live in austin by that cold dark lake, and i found a group (online,
from chicago)that offered my doing all the bookwork online, SDI cert.,
then met them in Curacao, did pool work and first 2 dives one
afternoon, second 2 dives next morning, and i was certified in 24
hours. Of course i did great or they wouldn't have passed me... been
diving tropical waters ever since... cost was the SAME as doing the
work here in austin.

shawn

"shawn" <shawnabbtt@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1114003587.603077.183980@g14g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...

> I live in austin by that cold dark lake, and i found a group (online,
> from chicago)that offered my doing all the bookwork online, SDI cert.,
> then met them in Curacao, did pool work and first 2 dives one
> afternoon, second 2 dives next morning, and i was certified in 24
> hours. Of course i did great or they wouldn't have passed me... been
> diving tropical waters ever since... cost was the SAME as doing the
> work here in austin.

An entire half a day of pool work for you to master all the skills you need
to be certified? That's reassuring.

Why are you so sure that they wouldn't have passed you had you not done
"great"? Your check cleared, didn't it?

Thanks for the responses. I appreciate everyone's advice re: doing
classes locally, however, the plan is to do everything on site. It's
not a regular vacaction persay. More of a 5 day or so "quest" to get
certification and some dives. For example, Utila Dive Center offers
what breaks down to about 2 days classroom and 2 days water plus
accomodations for a little over $200 US with all equipment included.
Anything similar along these lines that you can recommend?

Thanks again.

tomzpc@aol.com pounded away at his keyboard resulting in:
:Thanks for the responses. I appreciate everyone's advice re: doing
:classes locally, however, the plan is to do everything on site. It's
:not a regular vacaction persay. More of a 5 day or so "quest" to get
:certification and some dives. For example, Utila Dive Center offers
:what breaks down to about 2 days classroom and 2 days water plus
:accomodations for a little over $200 US with all equipment included.
:Anything similar along these lines that you can recommend?

A mite pricier, but have you considered a liveaboard dive boat?

Dan Bracuk
If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure.

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