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Many shops have Waikiki hotel pickup service. The difference would be how long the drive is after they pick you up. If you go with Capt Bruce or Ocean Concepts, the drive would be about 45 min to an hour. If you go with Honolulu Scuba Company, the drive is usually less than 10-15 minutes.

Island Divers is in Hawaii Kai...good group of guys there. There are some shore dives on that side but the conditions aren't always great. But the island isn't all that big that you can't drive anywhere on the island for shore diving.

Sounds like some people drank the NAUI kool aid. As a PADI instructor, I will NOT certify someone that I feel would be a hazard to themselves or someone else. I know the PADI standards ... and if someone is unsafe, they won't master the skills with me.

I have a question about NAUI...if NAUI is a non-profit organization, why do the classes cost the same (sometimes more) than classes from other training agencies?

My experience in Hawaii is that most charter boats are staffed by instructors...or at least divemasters. There is no reason you can not dive past 60 feet...especially if your guide is an instructor. I think that shop was just trying to sell you an AOW course.

If your main goal is to save money...do the AOW, skip the specialties and go right into Rescue Diver and then Divemaster. But if your main goal is to be a great Divemaster and someday instructor, do the 5 specialties (by default you will complete the AOW requirements if two of the specialties...

I saw a comment earlier in this thread that stated if the student completed all the requirements, you had no choice as an instructor (PADI) but to certify them. This is not true at all. I do have a choice...and if I feel the student can't dive safely, I will not certify them.

So if you take away all the "restrictions" that make a training program, why have agencies at all?? Just let each instructor come up with his own class standard...oh, and BTW, that instructor better be ready to defend that standard in a courtroom.

Agreed. These guys are great. One of the few on the island that run their own boat.

Seems to me the diver is certified by the instructor...not the agency. So if a class is great, just good, or terrible, you should credit or blame the instructor. If the instructor is great, just good, or terrible then credit or blame the course director.

yeah, extremely fishy. Judging by the number of dives on your scuba board profile, I'm assuming you're not a divemaster/instructor. So you may want to clarify your salary with that shop. They will probably take some of that salary in order to train you as a divemaster/instructor and your...

If you already have a job lined up, shouldn't you know how much it will pay? Also, what is your current diver rating?

The Kona Aggressor is a great choice if diving is the main focus of your trip. As mentioned earlier, you will not be able to explore the rest of the island when not diving. With only ten days planned for your trip, I would stay on the island and you'll get much more exploration time. While...

You should also think about this...while Aaron's Dive Shop might be closer to where you are...don't forget to include the distance to the dive site. If you're planning on doing shore dives at North Shore, a drive to Aaron's then back to North Shore is quite a distance compared to renting from...

be careful if you find some at Long's. Check the material...you don't want them to rust after one dive.

I think Pearl Harbor Divers might have some

If your'e just here on vacation, I wouldn't really worry about who is 5 star or gold palm or whatever else they call themselves. Just go with who will give you the best dive experience.

Unfortunately, I don't even think it's about one person's personal agenda to save the fish and his snorkeling business. It seems more motivated by his personal agenda to make a name for himself and get create a buzz and some free publicity for himself.

Yeah, it definitely could be that the captain wants to get back to pick up the next herd or just end the trip quickly. I would agree with that. I would also agree that it has to do with inexperienced divers being the majority of the clients here. This is definitely a tourism driven place...

I would agree that it's who you know (and more importantly, how well they know you). It's a liability issue. The captain of the boat is responsible for your safety. If he doesn't know you (or your dive experience), why would he just let you take off in the open ocean? He's paying that dive...