Confused about classes

[hanlyb]

I've never dived before, but believe that I will enjoy it, and now want to take classes. I've read a number of posts on this board, but I'm a little confused. Is there an advantage to taking OW and AOW at my LDS compared to taking those courses in, say, Roatan? Will I need to purchase my own equipment before a dive trip or can I rent equipment until I reach a level of proficiency that will allow me to make better choices? Basically, what's your advice for someone who has never breathed through a regulator, but wants to pursue diving as a hobby?

 

[DS1]

If your just getting into diving i think its best to rent some equipment first to try different configurations until you know more of the type of diving you will be doing and what equipment you prefer

 

[Arnaud]

1. Get your education wherever you'll be diving most of the time. If you have have a choice, it's a good idea to get your instruction in the environment that's least appealing.

2. Rent first, read, try out, then buy.

 

[gj62]

Where are you located? If your checkout dives through your LDS will be in a quarry, etc, and you have the means to go elsewhere, by all means go somewhere you will enjoy.

I would strongly recommend renting most gear prior to purchasing - and certainly completing your class first.

Sometimes when I travel, I rent all my gear, if I find myself somewhere I can dive but have nothing but a credit card... :grin:

 

[fins wake]

Is there an advantage to taking OW and AOW at my LDS compared to taking those courses in, say, Roatan?

Choose a dive centre where you feel comfortable with the instructor. This might be at your LDS, or it might be in Roatan.

Will I need to purchase my own equipment before a dive trip or can I rent equipment until I reach a level of proficiency that will allow me to make better choices?

The latter is a very good idea, as everybody else has already stated. Enjoy the sport!

 

[Walter]

It's best to take your class locally. A good course will stretch over several weeks. You can't do that on vacation.

Shop around and don't forget independent instructors, often the best classes aren't offered at a shop. An independent will usually charge more, but is more likely to take the time to do it right. There are exceptions, so ask questions. Look for the class that includes the most skills and pool time.

I also recommend doing your check out dives at home. You'll have everything finished and you can concentrate on having fun during your vacation. Additionally, folks who do their checkout dives on vacation often only dive on vacation, while those who finish at home feel more confident diving on vacation AND on weekends nearby.

 

[IndigoBlue]

I've never dived before, but believe that I will enjoy it, and now want to take classes. I've read a number of posts on this board, but I'm a little confused. Is there an advantage to taking OW and AOW at my LDS compared to taking those courses in, say, Roatan? Will I need to purchase my own equipment before a dive trip or can I rent equipment until I reach a level of proficiency that will allow me to make better choices? Basically, what's your advice for someone who has never breathed through a regulator, but wants to pursue diving as a hobby?

My general advice is this:

1st, become a good swimmer, in the pool, and then in your local area, in the local lakes, quarries, river, or whatever you have available locally. Always swim with a buddy.

2nd, become a good snorkeller. Learn to clear your snorkel and mask, to surface dive, and to swim underwater. Always snorkel with a buddy.

3rd, become a good freediver. Get to where a 15 ft or 20 ft freedive is easy and comfortable for you. Always freedive with a buddy.

Now, you will be totally ready for scuba. After those 3 sets of skills, scuba will simply be a matter of breathing under water, and very easy to learn. Go into scuba with a buddy, train together, and then dive together.

As to whether you should take your classes locally or at a warm water resort site, you would be a better, safer diver if you dived locally several times a year, locally, rather than just at a warm water destination once each year. That suggests that taking classes locally is superior to taking them away from home.

 

[gj62]

I agree that it is a good idea to take the classes locally, as you will learn more if you can spread the timeline of the class out (rather than an intensive weekend course) - plus, it isn't any fun to sit in class during your vacation. However, you may wish to do your open-water check-out dives where you will be doing most of your diving. I know many divers that never dive at home, but go on many dive vacations...

 

[IndigoBlue]

Where are you located? If your checkout dives through your LDS will be in a quarry, etc, and you have the means to go elsewhere, by all means go somewhere you will enjoy.

I would strongly recommend renting most gear prior to purchasing - and certainly completing your class first.

Sometimes when I travel, I rent all my gear, if I find myself somewhere I can dive but have nothing but a credit card... :grin:

This advice is TOO FUNNY.

He/she obviously hates quarry diving.

But the more significant issue is diving regularly. So this advice in this original post is risky. See Walter's advice, supra, about diving locally. It pretty much agrees with the concensus here, rather than this advice, on this. No offense intended, its just that to be a good diver, you need to dive a lot. And diving a lot usually means locally, even if locally means diving at a quarry.

-0- vis in a quarry can be very challenging!

 

[Damselfish]

It's very important to get a good instructor, wherever you do it. This can be tricky because until you've dived for a bit, or are at least partway through the class, you might not be able to recognize a bad instructor. So getting specific recommendations in your area if you can is a good idea. And make sure to get a class that gives you enough time to digest everything properly, rather than be rushed. Best to avoid any certified in a weekend things.

Doing it locally you should have more time, as the course will (hopefully) be spread out over several weeks. Then you can go on vacation and dive rather than going to class and stuff for alot of your trip. On the other hand, if you don't have the time to do it at home, or don't want to dive in local conditions, vacation is an ok option too. Or you can do what they call a referral, class/pool at home and OW dives elsewhere. You don't say where you are located, but if your local diving is cold water and you get certified someplace like Roatan, you will not yet be prepared to dive at home. Good to do it, as previously said, in the "least appealing" place, unless you think that will totally turn you off. It's good experience.

You can and should rent equipment for at least a bit and learn what you like and need.