Suggestions for Open Water Certification Referrals?

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Messages
4
Reaction score
6
Location
Philadelphia
# of dives
None - Not Certified
Hi Everyone,
I'm taking my pool and coursework here in Philadelphia, but as my wife is a dive master, I thought it would be more enjoyable to do my open water dives on a trip. Does anyone have any suggestions for US or abroad destinations?
 
Guess that depends on what you're looking for. Pretty much anywhere in the Caribbean is a good bet. Seeing as how I've only been diving in Cozumel, I can highly recommend doing your OW dives there. Plenty of sites there with a hard bottom above the 60 ft (18m) threshold and certainly lots to see. And it's really hard to beat Cozumel when it comes to bang for the buck.
 
You're going to pay for the referral, for the checkout dives, and lose two days of diving on your trip. It may make more sense to do the whole thing locally, check your numbers.
 
You're going to pay for the referral, for the checkout dives, and lose two days of diving on your trip. It may make more sense to do the whole thing locally, check your numbers.
I always agree here, though that isn't your question. But, Spring is around the corner. Keep out of the Delaware......
 
I thought it would be more enjoyable to do my open water dives on a trip

Don't think anything is wrong with that. My wife, son, and I were taking our first trip out of the U.S. to Grand Cayman many years ago. Because of the trip, we decided to take the OW course and planned our checkout dives for the trip. It was only a 1 week (spring break) trip, but we did our dives and had plenty of time to enjoy other things on the trip. Not saying go to GC, but a trip elsewhere that includes checkout dives, and where your wife can dive also, can be easily planned. My favorites are St. Croix, GC (both with variety for some great dives in calm water*), Cozumel, but you can get a lot of good information/recommendations from other threads here on SB.

*clarification - calm water most of the time on west side of St. Croix and 7 Mile Beach in GC anytime of year
 
Personally I would probably do the certification locally - that way you get to enjoy full dives with your wife without any worries about study/passing/failing.

If you can cope with the additional requirements of cold water diving (such as thick wetsuit/drysuit, additional weighting etc, lower visibility), life becomes so easy when you do dive in warm blue water.
 
I did a bunch of specialties while "snowbirding" 3 months in FL. I wouldn't take 2 days of a week (or even 2) vacation to do skills on checkout dives. But that's just me.
 
What's your ballpark budget, when are you traveling, and what other types of things do you like to do on vacation?
 
If you're not already planning for the trip to a warmer climate before mid- to late-May this year, I'd recommend doing your check out dives at Dutch Springs. It's cold, you're pretty miserable in all that neoprene and lead yes....BUT....it's very short dives, the platforms make running through the skills very easy, and you then get to travel to the more highly desirable locale with the Mrs. fully certified and able to take it all in at your own pace and without all the testing looming over your head. It's how I did my OW certification and wouldn't have done it differently, even now knowing how vast the difference in experience is between Dutch and the Caribbean. :)
 
Here are the benefits for coming to south Florida to do your check out dives.

1. No international travel needed. You can even drive and not worry about luggage fees
2. you can drink the water
3. Unless you are completely unlucky you will always have a few dive'able days
4. Your options in S Florida are endless, Jupiter, Palm Beach, Ft Lauderdale, Miami, the Keys (all of them. Beach and boat.
5. If you get completely blown out, drive 4/5 hours north and do your check out dives in the springs (Blue Grotto, etc)
6. 100's of Dive operators to choose from.
7. Your options for accommodations range from 5 star resorts to cheap motels and Airbnb's.

Not that traveling to some Caribbean destination wouldnt be cool, but dang, but paying $75 for a cheese burger in the Cayman's is a tad tough on the budget.
 
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