Best value location for PADI Certification

[diversteve]

Thanks, great advice.

I added more choices - network problem when I posted that.

 

[Landau]

Here a different suggestion. Vancouver Canada. Way cheaper travel costs. You can probably drive. Several shops here can set you up with semi-private lessons over a few days. Plus with the current exchange rate Canada is on sale for Americans.

I can get you more details if you are interested.

 

[zich6]

I believe if you sign up for PADI e-learning there's a code the shop you might do your dives thru provides so they can access your records. At least it used to work like that. Probably add them later when you decide where to go also.

Good point. Thanks

 

[zich6]

Here a different suggestion. Vancouver Canada. Way cheaper travel costs. You can probably drive. Several shops here can set you up with semi-private lessons over a few days. Plus with the current exchange rate Canada is on sale for Americans.

I can get you more details if you are interested.

Hadn't thought of that. Any dive shop recommendations? Thanks.

 

[drbill]

Not sure where you are from, but I feel it is best to get certified in your home waters or at least in waters similar to where you will do most of your diving. For example, too often we see divers certified in the tropics struggle to complete a dive here in colder waters where a thick wetsuit and weights are almost mandatory.

 

[Landau]

Hadn't thought of that. Any dive shop recommendations? Thanks.

Diving Locker Vancouver. Private lessons just you and the instructor over 3 or 4 days including a pool sessions, ocean dives transport to the dive sites and Equipment & Drysuit rental work out to about $730 USD

Much cheaper if your schedule lets you fit into one of their semi-private sessions.

PM me if you want more gory details or instructor recommendations.

 

[zich6]

One aspect of any southeast asia flights from Idaho has to be the travel time/flight expense to get there. Thailand is known for cheap everything once you get there. I have no personal experience but had a friend who owned a dive business there.

From Idaho regionally best value has to be south Florida or Cozumel. Probably Coz as you just fly south through a hub in TX. Or south Florida since you could do things like stay at a Motel 6 like property and drive to any number of dive shops/boats locally.

Roatan and Utila are also very inexpensive once there. Flights to Roatan run about $200+ more than other Carib destinations.

Go where there's a lot of dive training done. Usually there's very inexpensive accommodations.
On Roatan that's the West End. There must be a dozen dive shops there - all competing on price.
Even the hostel Chillies has it's own affiliated shop - Native Sons. The entire West End is about 2 miles long so everyone walks. Lots of dive training done in the area and dives are cheap - about $35/boat dive now.

Anthony's Key Resort has extended their Buy one Get deal. I understand you can buy 1/2. That would get you a week of diving - class probably extra. But they'll pick you up at the airport and it;s all included. Nicer resort and you can dive with the Dolphins there for about $125.

Utila is even cheaper/smaller. There are dive schools there and cheap acoommodations - I think it's still possible to get a room for $20mt Plus many of the shops have dorms for advanced students. You can either fly into Roatan and ferry over weekends or fly into San Pedro Sula and catch a local flight over. Has to be during daylight - no lights at the Utila airport.

It's my opinion that Roatan/Utila shops/resorts try to hold down the prices since the flights are higher. I rented a 3br house, sub-rented two of the bedrooms to my buddies, did a week of boat dives and ate at the better restaurants for around $1500. Our flight was about $800 more. You could do it for 1/2 that.

Getting back to Coz - my friends stay at Villablanca Garden hotel because they're cheap. There's 3-4 dive shops walking distance nearby and all offer package deals. there. It's a little out of town and a more expensive cab ride. The cheap way to Cozumel is the "bag drag" from Canucn - details are in a post in the Coz forum here. I have not but understand there are some inexpensive rentals downtown walking distance to the pier/dive shops.

Also look at Ambergris Caye in northern Belize. They do a lot of dive training there. Southwest flies into Belize City and there's a ferry that I believe is about $40.

Grand Cayman is one of the most expensive dive locations in the Carribbean so I wouldn't consider it.

hth,

Very good info, thanks.

 

[zich6]

I believe if you sign up for PADI e-learning there's a code the shop you might do your dives thru provides so they can access your records. At least it used to work like that. Probably add them later when you decide where to go also.

Good idea. Thanks

 

[zich6]

Diving Locker Vancouver. Private lessons just you and the instructor over 3 or 4 days including a pool sessions, ocean dives transport to the dive sites and Equipment & Drysuit rental work out to about $730 USD

Much cheaper if your schedule lets you fit into one of their semi-private sessions.

PM me if you want more gory details or instructor recommendations.

Great, if I choose Vancouver I'll PM you.

 

[Marie13]

Great, if I choose Vancouver I'll PM you.

I hope you’re aware Vancouver diving is going to be nothing like the tropics...