Dolphin Scuba Center-Stockton
- Thread starter AquaTommy
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
Ok well I thought I would drop a quick update on my "progress". It looks like I will be starting my cert classes in July, its the only time I can get away from work without burning about a weeks worth of vacation to complete it all. I will be taking the course here in Stockton, I was planning on trying to take in Sac but some other obligations prevent this. I am looking to start on 07/21 and 07/22 for the class and pool portion of the class, and 07/28 and 07/29 for the open water dive part. These dates would have actually worked for the Sac classes except 07/20, my anniversary is on 07/22 and I promised wife I would take her out that day since my class is on our anniversary (she being waaaaaaaaay cool about that). So now I am going to start looking into getting sized and so on for gear so when time comes to purchase I know exactly what I need. Does anyone know if I can buy the student packages this early since I won't be starting class until July? If not I am not to worried. I just need to find out of the LDS has inserts in my prescription otherwise going to have to order them, should only take about 2 weeks from what I heard. I also plan to try and get into my AOW class in Dec. if I can. So hopefully between the end of July and then I can get some good dives in to keep in practice and my skills up. So be expecting lots of calls from me Jim and Minh...
Tommy
Tommy
Tommy,
I am pretty sure that if you sign up for the OW course right now, they will let you purchase the items at a student package price. Just a couple of things to consider:
1. I would hold off on purchasing some of the material until it's closer to class time. I heard that PADI may be going away from the tabled RDP to the eRDP (may have already happened). I would also "study" your material closer to class time so that when you have your classroom work, all the material will be fresh.
2. For the mask - I would not put the prescription in until you had a change to try it out in the pool. Although the mask you purchase now may fit fine, you may find out that once you are in the pool, it may not work for you. My wife went through three pairs of masks before she found one that didn't leak. Dolphin was really cool about letting her switch mask. But if you have the prescription lenses installed -I doubt you can return/exchange the mask. BTW - how bad is your prescription? I have a -2.0 in both eyes, and I dive without prescription lenses. I will probably end up ordering prescription for my lense later though.
3. For equipment - wait until the June Madness sale. You will get a substantial saving buying things during the June Madness sale. I think last year it was around June 8th. During the June Madness sale - their price is as low as any online places.
Minh
PS - what is your RC handle?
I am pretty sure that if you sign up for the OW course right now, they will let you purchase the items at a student package price. Just a couple of things to consider:
1. I would hold off on purchasing some of the material until it's closer to class time. I heard that PADI may be going away from the tabled RDP to the eRDP (may have already happened). I would also "study" your material closer to class time so that when you have your classroom work, all the material will be fresh.
2. For the mask - I would not put the prescription in until you had a change to try it out in the pool. Although the mask you purchase now may fit fine, you may find out that once you are in the pool, it may not work for you. My wife went through three pairs of masks before she found one that didn't leak. Dolphin was really cool about letting her switch mask. But if you have the prescription lenses installed -I doubt you can return/exchange the mask. BTW - how bad is your prescription? I have a -2.0 in both eyes, and I dive without prescription lenses. I will probably end up ordering prescription for my lense later though.
3. For equipment - wait until the June Madness sale. You will get a substantial saving buying things during the June Madness sale. I think last year it was around June 8th. During the June Madness sale - their price is as low as any online places.
Minh
PS - what is your RC handle?
Do you have astigmatism? The inserts the dive shop as are for near/far sightedness
only. If you have much astigmatism you need to have a dispensing optician install custom
ground lenses. The good news is that it's not terribly expensive. I know a couple
opticians here in the bay area that I can recommend, but not anyone in the
Central Valley. Be sure to get some time in the water on the mask and be happy
with it before they glue in the lenses.
And how much correction do you have? You may be able to get by with a basic
mask, at least for a while, esp. if you are nearsighted.
only. If you have much astigmatism you need to have a dispensing optician install custom
ground lenses. The good news is that it's not terribly expensive. I know a couple
opticians here in the bay area that I can recommend, but not anyone in the
Central Valley. Be sure to get some time in the water on the mask and be happy
with it before they glue in the lenses.
And how much correction do you have? You may be able to get by with a basic
mask, at least for a while, esp. if you are nearsighted.
Peter_C
Contributor
Chuck, has great info as always, along with Minh. I would like to add to it a little so bear with me if you already know...when underwater everything looks much BIGGER than above the water. So us blind people can see just fine without lense corrections. I wear glasses most of the time on the surface for near sightedness.
As to gear, especially if it is Scubapro, you have to service it every year. Wait and purchase your gear either right before class, or after if you want to try some things out first. Gear purchases are very personal. I have already changed from a BC to a backplate and wing. Fortunately other than my compass being switched to a wrist mount, I am happy with everything else.
Good luck!
As to gear, especially if it is Scubapro, you have to service it every year. Wait and purchase your gear either right before class, or after if you want to try some things out first. Gear purchases are very personal. I have already changed from a BC to a backplate and wing. Fortunately other than my compass being switched to a wrist mount, I am happy with everything else.
Good luck!
Ben_ca
Contributor
Jim Ernst:
We'll just look for him at the BW... no mistaking that Pink TLS
Similar threads
