We are going to mexico and we don't have time to get certified untill we get back. Not exactly sure how this works but we can take a class for $100 each and they instruct us in the pool for and hour or so and then take us out scuba diving to a depth of no more than 35 feet. They are not certifying us, we will do that when we get back home at the lds. Do they teach you enough at the resorts to do it safetly? They will have divers with us so we won't be alone. Has anyone done this or know anything about it. Not sure who is doing it for sure but the lomas travel agent told us about it.
Resort diving course
- Thread starter kaylex
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My wife and I did this. You spend a morning in the pool learning very very basic skills, after which you are allowed to dive with an instructor, no more than 4 students per instructor, no more than 40 feet, over the next two weeks.
If it's truely your only option, then go for it. But there *are* other options...
My wife and I did the PADI online classroom learning. Print out your results and take them with you. The dive op then does your enclosed water dives (we did ours all in one long pool session) and then your open water dives. After which, assuming things went well, you get OW certified.
The second route requires a bit more pool time on your first day. But your OW dives are less restricted. And of course, you're actually a certified diver when you're finished.
When and where are you going? How long will you be there?
If it's truely your only option, then go for it. But there *are* other options...
My wife and I did the PADI online classroom learning. Print out your results and take them with you. The dive op then does your enclosed water dives (we did ours all in one long pool session) and then your open water dives. After which, assuming things went well, you get OW certified.
The second route requires a bit more pool time on your first day. But your OW dives are less restricted. And of course, you're actually a certified diver when you're finished.
When and where are you going? How long will you be there?
WeldonDowd
Contributor
Padi Discover Scuba. You will be taught enough to dive safely alongside the instructor. If the operation leading the dive is safe, then yes, the dive is perfectly safe. Totally worth it and a fun way to "discover" scuba diving.
koozemani
Contributor
My girlfriend used a resort cert on a recent vacation to the Turks and Caicos. She had been working on the pool work for her OW cert, but was having issues with some of the skills (mask clearing). She had a wonderful experience with an excellent instuctor who put her at ease. As mentioned above, no more than 40ft with instructor. She had a blast and got got 3 OW dives under her belt and couldn't wait to get back and finish her OW cert.
Her instructor put her through pretty much the same skills required for a OW cert. Some resorts have instructors onsite, she did hers at a LDS nearby our resort that I was using for my dives.
From the other replies, it seems that everyone had great experiences, it would be interesting to see if anyone has had a negative resort cert experience to share. From talking to her instructor, it seems that the LDS only uses certain instructors to give resort cert classes specifically because of their ability to help interested people have a wonderful experience.
Hope your experience will be as memorable as hers was!!
Her instructor put her through pretty much the same skills required for a OW cert. Some resorts have instructors onsite, she did hers at a LDS nearby our resort that I was using for my dives.
From the other replies, it seems that everyone had great experiences, it would be interesting to see if anyone has had a negative resort cert experience to share. From talking to her instructor, it seems that the LDS only uses certain instructors to give resort cert classes specifically because of their ability to help interested people have a wonderful experience.
Hope your experience will be as memorable as hers was!!
Linedog
Contributor
My wife had 4 resort certs until she bit the bullet and got her OW cert the last time we were in Jamaica. If you can somehow squeeze in the OW couse on line it is well worth it.
I did find out that they are PADI instructors. The problem is is that there isn't time for all of us to get certified before we go, with the sports, school, and everything else they have going on. Thanks for the info, I think we are going to do it.
klinc
Registered
The wife and I did the resort dive in the Bahamas in early July. Went over this is what will happen to your boddy kinda thing, got in the pool and did a few clears and made sure we were comfortable breathing underwater, then they took us out to the ocean.
Ended up doing three dives that day. It was great! 35-40 ft dive, 60-65 foot reef wall dive, then a 35ft dive.
When we got back home I had us signed up for a 5 week class (local class using other certifying agency than the resort dive we did) in two weeks. Tomorrow we have our lake dive, test next week, then 4 ocean dives next weekend.
Ended up doing three dives that day. It was great! 35-40 ft dive, 60-65 foot reef wall dive, then a 35ft dive.
When we got back home I had us signed up for a 5 week class (local class using other certifying agency than the resort dive we did) in two weeks. Tomorrow we have our lake dive, test next week, then 4 ocean dives next weekend.
An option that might work with your schedule would be to do the class online, do the confined water part with the LDS, then you get a referral to the dive centre in mexico. You do your 4 open water dives in mexico and you're certified.
The whole course doesn't take as much time as you may think. You can easy do all of confined water in one day or over the course of a few evenings.
The whole course doesn't take as much time as you may think. You can easy do all of confined water in one day or over the course of a few evenings.
DSD courses are (in my view) perfectly safe if taught by a properly qualified instructor.
The main downside to them is doing the skills is a one shot deal - so if you can't master the skills during your one pool session, you don't get to go diving.
Although most people only do it for a holiday dive, after a DSD you can technically dive with that instructor for up to a year, and I certainly know people who live in this part of the world who have done that.
The main downside to them is doing the skills is a one shot deal - so if you can't master the skills during your one pool session, you don't get to go diving.
Although most people only do it for a holiday dive, after a DSD you can technically dive with that instructor for up to a year, and I certainly know people who live in this part of the world who have done that.
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