Diving near Naples/Italy?

Could anyone point me to a diving center near Naples/Italy? I'm looking
for a PADI certified place in order to get my own PADI open water
diver certificate.

It seems that I'm completely unable to find any information about
possible centers in English (there is plenty of that stuff available in
Italian, which is for me as incomprehensible as language of Martian
people).

Thanks beforehand.

--
Sami Laine @ UTU

"Sami J. Laine" <sjl@despammed.com> wrote in message
news:bvrdju$2fvp$1@bowmore.utu.fi...
> Could anyone point me to a diving center near Naples/Italy? I'm looking
> for a PADI certified place in order to get my own PADI open water
> diver certificate.
>
> It seems that I'm completely unable to find any information about
> possible centers in English (there is plenty of that stuff available in
> Italian, which is for me as incomprehensible as language of Martian
> people).

In June of 2003 I spent a weekend on Ischia, an island just off the coast of
Napoli. I had researched on the Net dive shops, and had not found any PADI
shops listed, but there was a dive operation on Ischia itself.

I arrived Friday night and phoned the shop. Between the owner's English and
my Italian, we were only able to communicate that he was two towns away from
where I was staying and that he was leaving for diving at 8:30 AM the next
day.

I took a bus to the harbor and arrived about 20 minutes late at the shop and
identified myself as the one who had phoned. He eyeballed me, gave me a
hamper which he began to load with a 5 mm two piece hooded wetsuit, BC,
regulator, full foot fins. (The tank was a steel 72 filled to 300 bar.)
This was done in silence. He then asked me my weight. I told him 190 lbs. He
handed me a weight belt with lead already on it ( 7 kilo) and pointed at a
small wooden boat on the dock that had 6 people in it gearing up. I took my
hamper, handed it into the boat, and turned around to go back to the shop,
but he was directly behind me and just nudged me into the boat.

I wished everyone a good day, and began to gear up as they were. The only
conversation around me was in Italian, so I remained quiet.

The boat took off, and in about 20 minutes stopped outside the bay. We were
all geared up and sitting on the edges of the boat as I waited for an
orientation. The captain put his gear on, and without a word everyone
backrolled into the water. So I did as well.

For the first 30 feet, the water was warm, then we hit a thermocline. My rig
only had an SPG on it, but I had my Citizen Hyperaqualand watch on. Within
minutes, we were at 110 fsw, and the temp was 58 F - at least 20 degrees
colder than a warm water wimp like me is used to We then began to make
our way upward.

The total dive lasted about 60 minutes altogether ( I had 80 bar remaining)
and we returned as a group to the boat, where everyone immediately began
changing tanks. The captain took the boat about 10 minutes away, anchored
again. Again, with no discussion or orientation, everyone backrolled into
the water. Again, a thermocline at about 30 feet, then the temp went to 59
F. On this dive, we got to 60 fsw, went through some volcanic caverns and
swimthrough's for about 58 minutes(I also had 80 bar remaining on this
dive), and returned to the boat.

On the way back in, everyone tore down their gear, as did I. I put all my
stuff into my hamper. When we got back to port, I took it into the shop and
gave it to the captain, who then said the first words he had said to me
since he asked my weight: "Novante euro, prego." Which means: $90 euro,
please. I paid him, he said "Grazie." (Thanks.) And turned around and walked
away.

At no time was I asked for my C-card, what my diving experience or
expectations were, when I had last dived; no forms or waivers signed, no
information asked or given, not even my name. Had he lost me at sea, he
would not even have known who I was to report my demise.

These two dives were cold, deep, and semi-overhead environment dives - not
exactly what I would call entry level diving - all done without orientation
(at least for me - I don't know what may have been said to others before I
boarded.) I did not return to dive on Sunday.

If I were you, I don't think I would be too optimistic about receiving basic
PADI Open Water training and certification there.

But if you are game, the shop is in Ischia Porto, called Technosub Divers,
phone 33-9-153-3613. Lucio is the owner/captain. Give him my greetings, but
don't bother telling him my name since he never knew it.

Bona fortuna.


--
But then again, what do I know?

Lou Vallone

LouVallone@aol.com

http://members.aol.com/LouVallone