Question about Trainers??

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If you are in Los Angeles California you sould not pay more than 350.00 dollars for your Cert. All of the above is true. So sort it out. The instructor is the most important, along with the training in general. Take for example American Pro Divers who offer a 2 day course. You will be a 2 day diver, you really can absorb much info in two days unless you are in the military or parmailitary service. So with that said look at th provider and see where they are comming from if they endorse such activity then you can see where there motives lie. PADI has great program that can be Life Changing just study all the material PADI offers read every book and absorb as much as you can. Check out the NOAA diving Manual. It all depends on what you want out of diving if you just want to go to 40 feet and see fish then you don't need to understand dive physics. On the other hand if you want to be a Hyperbaric Nurse, then dig in and get to learning.
 
I've said it before and I'll say it again... the Agency is not important.

Find a good Instructor and stick with him. The letters behind his/her name are unimportant.

There are at least 20 agencies out there... all with good and bad instructors.

If I had to recommend an agency to a friend or family member based on pure professionalism across the board (not knowing an Instructor in their area)... I'd refer them to

SDI/TDI
BSAC
CMAS
PADI
IANTD
ACUC

The ones I would not recommend based on personal experience are

SSI
PDIC
NAUI
IDEA

With all that said, I know there are good Instructors even in the bad agencies

Prices for open water vary by zip code... from as low as $99 to as high as $6000. Being cheap with training (in a sport that can kill you) is not necessarily the best way to go. I think a fair price for Open Water is about $400 - $600. Just remember, you generally get what you pay for.

I'm certified with SDI and NAUI. Does that make me only half good?
 
Not sure where you are located but as already said, what agency you choose really isn't that important. Go for a reputable instructor and really apply yourself. You'll get out of it what you put into it and then when you're finished just KEEP DIVING!! The best thing you can do for yourself is hook up with experienced local divers in your area, dive with them as much as possible, ask questions and implement suggestions that make sense to you. My diving style and gear configuration are totally different than those first 20, 30, 40 dives... thanks to the generous help of many in the So Cal diving community, many of which are on this board.

So, you are in the right place. My suggestion is to find divers in your regional forum and get diving as soon and as much as possible!! Don't let one or two crappy vis days get you down. Good luck and if you are in So Cal, I'd be happy to dive with you. :D

John
 
There are so many ingredients in the recipe for good instruction and mentoring, that you can't just "go with an agency". We teach our courses and issue certifications through every major agency, and typically we combine classes and materials so that the diver can cover two or three agency requirements in one class program. We accomplish that by "over-laying" each course requirement, then selecting the more stringent factor for each area, such as number of dives, depths, testing, etc, to ensure that the requirements for each agency is met. This also helps cut through the cloud of "my agency is best" BS that one often hears. If you are working with a shop that has a truly professional staff of instructors then you should have an open mind and be able to make your own decisions, learning about what parts are best from each agency offering, and why they are incorporated into the training program.
 
I would like to thank every one for their comments, concerns and the questions I should be asking the instructors. The one guy that ask about what else did the money go to with PADI was the books and the other stuff. Anyway, I have a lot of homework to do before I jump in and wanted to thank everyone. As for the SO-CAL KELP DIVER I will be in that area since I go down there on my days off from work so I may take you up on that offer one day. Again, thanks for all the help
 
Riger, wish more people were like you! :) I think Indian Valley Scuba probably has a good concept there. Having gone through SSI OW training and then through PADI again with my 12 year old, I could see where each agency had some subtle strengths. Adopting the best from each would indeed seem beneficial. WD, when you're ready, feel free to post in the So Cal forum and PM me and we'll get together.
 
The fun is just beginning for you! I was torn with the same type of question when I started, not so long ago. It really pays off to visit each shop in your area and talk with the instructors, not just the guys behind the counter selling gear, although sometimes they are the instructors also. You might get a large range of prices from different shops in your area. I visited probably 8-10 shops in my area before deciding on which to go with. It turns out the last shop I visited I liked the best.

This is a little off topic, but since you are in So Cal I would also suggest you ask them about beach diving. My class was all beach diving, but you could pay extra for a boat trip if you wanted. I am glad it worked out that way, since most of my diving is from the beach. Boats are great when I can get the money together, otherwise I am diving from the beach. One shop I almost went with only did boat dives and looking back that would have been a mistake.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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