Wait time to start open water dive at shop?

[Whitetofu]

Hello, I was just wondering how long did it took you guys to start your open water dive course after filling up the papers and taking note of your sizes of the gears? I did my Padi eLearning online and I'm trying to do the open water course in person. I've been waiting 3 months so far and I'm wondering why is it taking so long. I tried calling them and they said they would call me back and still waiting.

I'm from Canada and winter is coming soon so I don't think I'll start my course before next year.

 

[Whitetofu]

Yeah. The courses here are one weekend pool, next weekend ocean (after e learning and a bit of review and the written test of course). Back in '05 they did have "weekend" courses but the norm was 3 weeks of Tues. & Thurs. nights (some classroom, some pool each night). Then the following weekend the ocean check out dives. I think they still do that but not as often since e learning came in the last few years. Having assisted on "weekend" OW course often, I was glad I did the 3 week classroom thing. There is IMO a lot to digest when all the pool skills are done on one weekend.

Alright that works better for me when it's done on the weekends only. I work during the week so I can't afford to miss work. I do find my local scuba diving shop fishy with how they organize their courses but I guess I'll keep waiting for them to give me news. It's frustrating to wait this long but I have one year to do my open water dive after completing my elearning? I did think of going to Mexico during winter and do my certification but from what I discovered, it's not very safe to do so. Many safety drills are skipped and can put my life at risk. I guess all I can do is wait from my local diving shop.

 

[NW Dive Dawg]

Take a jaunt down to the Bellingham or Seattle area and complete your cert there. Plenty of PADI. I think you'll ultimately be glad that you completed your OW cert in the cold water environment.

 

[Damselfish]

Alright that works better for me when it's done on the weekends only. I work during the week so I can't afford to miss work. I do find my local scuba diving shop fishy with how they organize their courses but I guess I'll keep waiting for them to give me news. It's frustrating to wait this long but I have one year to do my open water dive after completing my elearning? I did think of going to Mexico during winter and do my certification but from what I discovered, it's not very safe to do so. Many safety drills are skipped and can put my life at risk. I guess all I can do is wait from my local diving shop.

Not safe? Skipping drills and putting your life at risk? Wondering where you heard that, your local shop?

While you could run into a bad class or instructor anywhere and its good to ask for recommendations, that is certainly not the norm. What is true is that doing your certification in a warm water location will not fully prepare you for your local diving and you’d want to at least get mentored on your first cold water dives. Perhaps hire a DM to show you the ropes. Find a local club.

Getting jerked around by a shop that can’t figure out their schedule seems at best lame.

 

[Whitetofu]

Take a jaunt down to the Bellingham or Seattle area and complete your cert there. Plenty of PADI. I think you'll ultimately be glad that you completed your OW cert in the cold water environment.

I could try to do it in the USA but it might cost me a lot if it's longer than a week the course so I thought Mexico would be cheaper. Not sure yet if I want to travel and do my certification outside of Canada but I'm running out of patience lol

 

[Whitetofu]

Not safe? Skipping drills and putting your life at risk? Wondering where you heard that, your local shop?

While you could run into a bad class or instructor anywhere and its good to ask for recommendations, that is certainly not the norm. What is true is that doing your certification in a warm water location will not fully prepare you for your local diving and you’d want to at least get mentored on your first cold water dives. Perhaps hire a DM to show you the ropes. Find a local club.

Getting jerked around by a shop that can’t figure out their schedule seems at best lame.

I heard that while searching on Google. I think it was either Reddit, Quora or TripAdvisor. One of the 3 but if it's actually safe to do so then I'm honestly down to go to Mexico and get my certification done! I heard resorts that advertises for open water dive isn't considered safe but I could be wrong from my research. As long I can get my certification then it's certainly worth doing it than waiting for my local dive shop.

I think they are monopolizing the industry in my area. I can see on their FB page that they are doing the open water dive course while also doing discover open dives which confuses me? If you have spots available for those who want to discover diving then you should have open spots for those who want their certification too no?

 

[TMHeimer]

Alright that works better for me when it's done on the weekends only. I work during the week so I can't afford to miss work. I do find my local scuba diving shop fishy with how they organize their courses but I guess I'll keep waiting for them to give me news. It's frustrating to wait this long but I have one year to do my open water dive after completing my elearning? I did think of going to Mexico during winter and do my certification but from what I discovered, it's not very safe to do so. Many safety drills are skipped and can put my life at risk. I guess all I can do is wait from my local diving shop.

Those classes were Tues. & Thurs. nights so most people wouldn't miss work. But it's unlikely you'll find much of that now.

 

[Damselfish]

Where in Mexico did you have in mind?

There’s also lots of other warm places to get certified.

 

[Landau]

Take a jaunt down to the Bellingham or Seattle area

The OP is in Quebec. Seattle would be a several day drive or a flight longer than to Florida.

 

[lizardland]

Mine was many moons ago but I started the course within a few weeks of calling the shop. Really that was my choice so I could sort out travel & hotels. I could've started sooner if I lived closer.

I'd go somewhere else. Three months is long enough to string along a customer that it'll either kill interest or they'll go somewhere else. If that's the amount of concern they have for you now then think about how much concern they'll have for you during and after the course.

 

[Whitetofu]

Where in Mexico did you have in mind?

There’s also lots of other warm places to get certified.

I thought of booking into all inclusive resorts on Sunwing website but it might not the best apparently? If you have any places in mind in Mexico to get my certification, let me know. I'll definitely start looking into it. I'm very close to ask for a refund at my local diving shop.