Finding a dive shop to certify with...

[Bibendum]

Find out a shop's policy on personal gear obtained from an outside source. The fins and mask that a new diver walks in with didn't necessarily come from an internet discounter. You may have a friend or relative that dives and offers you the use of their stuff.QUOTE]

Will some stores not allow you to use existing gear? For instance I already have mask, snorkel, gloves, booties and fins (although I will be buying new fins) from all the snorkeling I have done. These items were all purchased with the intent of getting certified...it's just that the certification hasn't happened as soon as would have liked it to.

 

[triton94949]

...If you are one of the (according to Triton) select few people who are able to learn from reading, you can learn a lot from ANY agency's manual, and the internet. And what's wrong with comic books anyway?

If the manuals at the stores you are visiting are all the same, then the quality of the resource materials is not an issue. If they are different, then I would gravitate towards the ones that are the most detailed and technical in nature. On the other hand, the comic book variety, that look oversimplified and cute, even funny, may be your thing. Just not mine. Everyone is different.

There is nothing wrong with the comic book variety, other than that they are written to the lowest level of aptitude, and not everyone is at that level. Some people might find them boring, whereas others would be stimulate by the funnies.

 

[yknot]

I've never personally encountered a shop that won't allow outside equipment but alot do unofficially discourage it. Part of the point I'm trying to make is that when a LDS owner allows shady practices to prevail, logic would suggest that things extend to the caliber of instructor allowed. You won't really be qualified to assess the quality of instruction until after you have been diving for some time, but, you have been a consumer long enough to get a feel for whether or not you can do business with a LDS. New divers are constantly getting their feelings hurt when they find out they have been mistreated, misled, overcharged, etc. Too many want to throw a shroud of respectability over the industry just because a shop treats you like a "friend". In reality, a lot of shops don't deserve any more trust than a used car lot. Your long term relationship with the LDS will be important in the long run. As you take a look at the training facilities in your area, be up front with them about having your own gear. Don't find out it's frowned upon after you pay for the class.

 

[O2BBubbleFree]

I agree that the instructor is more important than the agency or shop.

I went to a quality LDS, and talked with the head of training. He is an old navy diver and has probably forgotten more than I will ever know. HOWEVER, when it came to class time, the instructor (asigned from a pool of instructors) was a moron who was giving out bad advice, and could get someone hurt.

The only reason that I knew it was bad info was that I had researched/read a lot before the classes. Which brings us to point number two... also mentioned before: get books appropriate for your learning style and read, read, and think. Understand the theory behind the procedures and think about the 'why's.

I know, you're already been told all this. I just thought I'd illustrate with personal experience.

Oh, and welcome to the greatest hobby there is!

 

[Stirling]

If the manuals at the stores you are visiting are all the same, then the quality of the resource materials is not an issue. If they are different, then I would gravitate towards the ones that are the most detailed and technical in nature. On the other hand, the comic book variety, that look oversimplified and cute, even funny, may be your thing. Just not mine. Everyone is different.

There is nothing wrong with the comic book variety, other than that they are written to the lowest level of aptitude, and not everyone is at that level. Some people might find them boring, whereas others would be stimulate by the funnies.

For OW certification, aren't the materials going to be the same for all NAUI instructors, and the same for all PADI instructors, and so on? I have copies of the NAUI materials, and an old copy of the PADI book somewhere, and I think they are both perfectly appropriate for the courses for which they were prepared. I wouldn't describe either as "comic book" materials, although neither aims at a highly detailed or sophisticated level of instruction - probably because there is no chance that the courses for which they were prepared would ever cover the material in the depth required to justify going further. I don't think it would be appropriate to use materials that are not designed for the course as it is actually going to be taught. I have no idea what SSI or others may use for basic OW certification.

 

[triton94949]

One problem with interviewing an instructor or watching a class is that you don't have any basis to compare good with bad. ...

That is not the issue. The issue is compatibility.

Any instructor certified to teach will be able to teach you scuba.

The issue is that you as a student may not like the instructor's personality or style. The best way to ascertain that is to speak with him/her. You will quickly be able to tell if the instructor seems impatient, uninterested, flippant, arrogant, inflexible, in too much of a hurry, disrespectful, or any of a number of individual qualities that may be incompatible with your own personality. You can also tell by the instructor's choice of words whether she/he is of the same social background and education as you are.

If you can get a chance to watch the instructor teach at a pool, that would be even better, but not necessary as critical as just a friendly discussion, about gear choices, or simple things like that.

 

[yknot]

That is not the issue. The issue is compatibility.

Any instructor certified to teach will be able to teach you scuba.

The issue is that you as a student may not like the instructor's personality or style. The best way to ascertain that is to speak with him/her. You will quickly be able to tell if the instructor seems impatient, uninterested, flippant, arrogant, inflexible, in too much of a hurry, disrespectful, or any of a number of individual qualities that may be incompatible with your own personality. You can also tell by the instructor's choice of words whether she/he is of the same social background and education as you are.

If you can get a chance to watch the instructor teach at a pool, that would be even better, but not necessary as critical as just a friendly discussion, about gear choices, or simple things like that.

Most shops are going to have more than one instructor. If you can't find one out of six that you can get along with then maybe the instructors aren't the problem. There have been alot of complaints about the exibited poor traits of new divers and an assumption that there are too many bad instructors. What do you expect for $150? Who's to blame when someone takes a cheap, quick class and then dives once a year on vacation? The whole quality of instruction thing gets blown way out of proportion. If things were as bad as some portray, the government would have stepped in to regulate things. Don't go into your OW training expecting to come out ready to cave dive or ready to blame your instructor when you can't. The trully skilled divers I've met-great bouyancy control, efficient movement thru the water, clear headed when a problem comes up-all got that way by diving alot.

 

[Wijbrandus]

That is not the issue. The issue is compatibility.

Any instructor certified to teach will be able to teach you scuba.

The issue is that you as a student may not like the instructor's personality or style. The best way to ascertain that is to speak with him/her. You will quickly be able to tell if the instructor seems impatient, uninterested, flippant, arrogant, inflexible, in too much of a hurry, disrespectful, or any of a number of individual qualities that may be incompatible with your own personality. You can also tell by the instructor's choice of words whether she/he is of the same social background and education as you are.

If you can get a chance to watch the instructor teach at a pool, that would be even better, but not necessary as critical as just a friendly discussion, about gear choices, or simple things like that.

This was my point exactly. You won't learn nearly as much from someone who comes off as an *** as you will from someone you genuinely like. I personally prefer to learn from someone who takes the course seriously and doesn't interject a lot of peanut gallery commentary into it. Other people have different views, and would look for other traits.

 

[Bibendum]

Thanks for all the great responses. I am going to go to some other shops this weekend and see if I can meet some of the instructors.

I have noticed that there really is no consistency in pricing - some include the gear rental in the cost others don't, some include the course materials in the cost others don't, some want you to buy more personal gear than others, and some include up to 8 certification dives. So, I'll go armed with the advice you all have given me, talk to the instructors and find one that is reasonably priced when you add everything up.

Anyone in the SF Bay Area have recommendations for shops in the East Bay or on the Peninsula? Thanks again!

 

[Hooked4Life]

After some experiences with local dive shops I have to agree that its the Instructor not the dive shop. Everyone has their own opinion but try to speak with other people in your area. I have just created a web site today to try to help people find reputable shops. The link is in my signature.