OW check-out dives near GTA

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the_explorer

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Toronto
Hi everyone,

I'm looking into getting my OW certificate and I'm in need of a dive shop that offers a decent dive experience for a good price (not necessarily cheap).

I've seen dive shops that offer the entire OW course for $400+tax for everything (pool training, equipment rentals, OW check-out), but they seem to be in boring places. Ideally, I'd like to learn in Tobermory so at least I get to see some wrecks while I'm out there. However, the price is a bit higher than what I was expecting ($650 and up). Are there other shops offering locations that are in a happy medium between the two? I just want to at least see a ship wreck in one or two OW dive.

Thanks.

Edit: Just a little bit of extra information about me. I am located in Etobicoke and Richmond Hill so doing my pool sessions in this area is necessary for me. I'm just looking for information on less expensive, OW check-out dive locations with at least a wreck or something that's closer to home.
 
Centennial Beach in Barrie has a small, broken up paddle wheeler wreck, "The Morrison". It's a pretty popular site for open water check-out dives.

Bob
 
You do not get to go very deep on your check out dives, so most wrecks in Ontario will be well beyond your viewing visibility
 
Another thing to keep in mind is that most of the diving during OW checkout is about skills and not sight seeing, although most people get at least a little bit in. It's also not uncommon to be out of gas or energy by the time you get through the checkout dives to tack on any more diving to a checkout weekend. While it's reasonable to at least consider doing them somewhere a little more interesting, I wouldn't give that factor too much weighting. After all, checkout dives are so that you can get certified, so that you can do all the sight seeing you want. It may be more practical to get the checkouts over with somewhere nearby, convenient and somewhat less interesting, and then plan weekend trips where you can fully dedicate yourself to wrecks (or whatever else).
 
You can try Etobicoke Underwater Club They are located at the
Albion pool & Recreational center 1485 Albion Rd. Etobicoke
M9V 1B2 phone # 647-6382 Is a non profit Organization that
they love to dive They do the OW at Innerkip quarry a lot to see
underwater here the web site
www.euc.ca


Hi everyone,

I'm looking into getting my OW certificate and I'm in need of a dive shop that offers a decent dive experience for a good price (not necessarily cheap).

I've seen dive shops that offer the entire OW course for $400+tax for everything (pool training, equipment rentals, OW check-out), but they seem to be in boring places. Ideally, I'd like to learn in Tobermory so at least I get to see some wrecks while I'm out there. However, the price is a bit higher than what I was expecting ($650 and up). Are there other shops offering locations that are in a happy medium between the two? I just want to at least see a ship wreck in one or two OW dive.

Thanks.

Edit: Just a little bit of extra information about me. I am located in Etobicoke and Richmond Hill so doing my pool sessions in this area is necessary for me. I'm just looking for information on less expensive, OW check-out dive locations with at least a wreck or something that's closer to home.
 
I wouldn't dive Innerkip again, if it was the only dive site left in Ontario. Give some consideration to heading for Kingston. Lot's of wrecks and some great people. I go there a lot more often than Tobermory and from Kitchener, about the same driving time, cheaper accommodations (Toby hoses you), more places to eat. Kingston Wreck Diving Scuba Diving Shipwrecks Kingston ship wrecks Lake Ontario charters dive charter wreck diving Wolfe Islander Munson Aloha Davies Marsh Comet Gallery

I know OW cert dives on The Wolfe Islander are common.
 
Sorry Groundhog246
He is looking to get his Certification no places to dive right now
I'm be in all the places you mention and they are Beautiful
 
Hey, the_explorer
I concur with 4scuba. Check out Etobicoke Underwater Club. They are an ACUC training club. They have a great crew. Our club in Hamilton does instructor training with them and we sometimes go on their dives with them. Excellent training and great social club too.
Stui
 

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