Learing to Dive

[Bali-Lover]

ScubaPete once bubbled...
I wanted to get my training neer home because I heard that once you go to the ocean you never want to go back where there is low viz

You are so right! I did my OW dives in Bali and I am hooked for life. Viz is about 15-20 meters (50 to 66 ft). Water is about 28 Celsius.

The underwater view is fantastic. Not to mention the bikinis snorkel patrols...:tease:

Where I come from, there are no lakes, just ocean all around the island. But vis is real bad and too much water traffic. So I have been going back to Bali for Dives and my Bali buddies are getting more and more each time.

Oh yes and to reply to the poll, I did my cert dives all in Bali and with Bali instructors (and my Course Director and all his instructors are all foreigners who doesnt want to go home anymore!!)


Bali - Its Magic is Indestructible!!!

 

[WVMike]

It wasn't planned this way but I did my class and pool sessions locally and then went with my instructor and 5 other students to the Bahamas to do OW cert dives.

I have waivered on whether this was the best way. At first I felt I would have gotton much more out of the trip if I had allready been certified and had some experience.

I have since gone diving with my LDS on many OW cert dives at Mount Storm Lake. First lake dive after Bahamas was 58 degree water temp, air was 37, vis at best 5 feet to O feet and first time in 7mm two piece.

After watching all the problems students had going from pool to those conditions I was glad I did my first dives in Bahamas. I am now hooked and dive the local lakes as much as possible, and look forward to return to tropical waters. It is all fun, learning and training to me.

As an side benifit there are some folks from my class that still have not got in their OW dives yet, because of bad weather this year. I was certified in March and now have logged over 60 dives. The tropical start jump started me.

 

[navy85]

I also did all my training in the tropics. Haven't yet done any local diving, although I think I am finally going to brave the cold waters here by the end of the summer.

 

[diverbrian]

Charlie99 once bubbled...
I flew to Maui, did all of my OW cert there, and return often. Scuba is a good excuse to take off to a tropical island every couple months during the winter. Option 6: Learn to dive in the tropics. Make frequent return trips to dive.

BTW, the thread title "Learing to Dive" keeps getting my attention as I read it Leering to Dive, but keep mentally reversing it to Diving to Leer. Another nice thing about the tropics: bikinis.

Bikinis---- Oh that is what the ladies are wearing as we move them out the way with our multiple dive bags of lead, drysuits, extra lights, and other cold water gear (paraphrased for Chris Kohl) in order to dive those local waters.

 

[gkwaldee]

Diving on Guam is "easy" to say the least. Our kids are taking open water now, and I'm glad its here vice a more hostile climate. There is ample time and opportunity to gain basic diving skills without too much trouble. The reef is always on one side or the other, depending on where theyre at in the dive. Of course, there are a lot of other options here, but its a great spot to learn the sport at a relatively cheap price. Beach dives will keep them busy for years, and boat dives arent that expensive.........even better now that Krista is working for MDA hehe.

tiny bubbles

 

[Water Baby]

Ron was asking if there were any uncertified divers, and I guess I qualify!

I have done three resort dives in the tropics and have finally saved up the cash to do my OW cert. I found this board while looking for information on which agency to get my cert through.

If your question is which way would you rather do your cert, I'm all for the full cert in the tropics on a vacation with a group (#4)! I really hate cold water and loved the tropical dives I did.

That said, that sort of trip is not in the budget (the budget was also why we did resort dives and didn't buy the full cert classes).


Which means if the question is which will you do, it's going to be the local cert and local OW due to budget. On the bright side, being a California girl, it'll be Monterey. Very cold (to me), but lots to see at least.

 

[konohiki]

I'm newly certified and did my class and confined water work here locally then took my OW cert. in Maui with a different instructor. It was great and I have no regrets, although it did cost me more $$ that way. One benefit is that both instructors were great and it gave me some slightly different perspectives. When I got back to the Pacific Northwest and took my first dive in the Puget Sound (visibility was 10 feet, water temp about 50 degrees F.), I did have a difficult time adjusting, but am working through it so I can dive more often. In hindsight, I would probably do it all here and use my travel time for more fun dives, but I would have missed out on meeting some really great instructors in Maui.

 

[mogwai]

Ok, i am not certified, but have dived on holiday several times. Just got back from Turkey and am going to do my padi course. As soon as my instructor gets back from the Maldives (lucky so and so) I am keen to get qualified and am going to do it at home. Cold as it may be i am super keen to get qualified and get diving regularly. So to answer your question, i will learn here, practice here and when my holidays come up enjoy being able to dive abroad as a certified diver.

 

[El Orans]

I got my training done here locally under conditions that are not comparable with the tropics. Less visibility, lower temperature.

However things can only improve when I finally can get to the tropics. If I had done it the other way round, it would have been much more difficult to continue diving locally.

Budget was also a consideration.

 

[perpet1]

gkwaldee once bubbled...
Diving on Guam is "easy" to say the least. Our kids are taking open water now, and I'm glad its here vice a more hostile climate. There is ample time and opportunity to gain basic diving skills without too much trouble. The reef is always on one side or the other, depending on where theyre at in the dive. Of course, there are a lot of other options here, but its a great spot to learn the sport at a relatively cheap price. Beach dives will keep them busy for years, and boat dives arent that expensive.........even better now that Krista is working for MDA hehe.

tiny bubbles

I was out there for a dive trip a few weeks back after having lived there many years ago. I was on an MDA boat. One of the people there said and I quote "anyplace except Blue Hole"... Now that is spoiled.

I am here in the Northeast and it is COLD. living in the tropics does not prepare you to dive in a more agreesive climates.

Have Fun...

Pete