Best Dive Op for 13 year old OW Referral Certification

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obviously i cannot speak for any of the dive shops. but the above statement may not always be the case. i would suggest discussing this with the instructor before you make plans just so you are not surprised and disappointed.

for myself, i rarely allow anyone on site if i have students. but it depends on the course we are doing, the student, and the other divers wanting to tag along.

i am sure whoever you decide to go with you all will have a great time. HAVE FUN !!

I am 100% sure BA allows a parent to be the "3rd wheel" so to speak for OW/AOW. It would be as an observer only. I did this with my son when he did his AOW with BA. Of course, Tech and other "specialty dives" would be the exception.

I asked Jeremy at Living Underwater about this as well, and he had no problem with it. You would need to book a dive of course to use each respective Op's tanks/weights. (Free shore diving if you are staying at BA and diving with them.)
 
I am 100% sure BA allows a parent to be the "3rd wheel" so to speak for OW/AOW.

and i never said you were incorrect. i was mearly pointing out to the op that this is not always the case. it depends on the shop, and it may depend on the instructor. it woud suck if they assumed they would be allowed to join, only to find out on the day of the dives that they had to to watch from shore.
 
I recommend Blue Angel as well, but they usually do checkout dives from shore and BA is north of Residentias by quite a ways. Mateo (aka Matt from Chicago) is their instructor and he is great, though. It would be worth the cab ride, IMO.
Thank you
 
and i never said you were incorrect. i was mearly pointing out to the op that this is not always the case. it depends on the shop, and it may depend on the instructor. it woud suck if they assumed they would be allowed to join, only to find out on the day of the dives that they had to to watch from shore.
When my daughter (13 at the time) did her checkout dives with her instructor in Lake Travis just outside Austin, her mom and I stood on shore and watched their bubbles. It was kinda scary.
 
It was kinda scary.

yes it can def be tough on parents. especially those that dive themselves. we all want to be involved and to see everything first hand. not to mention being there to protect them should something go wrong.
but honestly, i think it is better for the new diver to accomplish this on their own. it helps build their confidence and feeling of independence.
i would also add that although a great many parents are helpful during the training, there are some that actually make it more difficult for their kids. some are over bearing and want to control the whole process. it can be a real problem for an instructor.
 
I am advanced open water certified and my son did his book and pool work in the states.

I am looking for a recommendation for an operator who can deal with kids/young adults - 13 boy.

I can understand if it is not everyone's cup of tea.

We are staying at Residentias Reef. He is a strong swimmer.
I will be renting BC and Reg ...

thanks in advance

UPDATE: I don't have to be there for the skills test. If they do a dive for fun, I would love to see his first experience of enjoying the view.
 

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