Finding time for classes?

[CuriousRambler]

I'm having a bit of an issue. I have my AOW from PADI, and I'm looking to get several specialties, including EANx, drysuit, and pick up my Rescue at some point. I say at some point because it's nearly impossible to find time or set solid dates for classes for me.

I'm in the Marines and I'm stationed about two hours East of San Diego, so classes during the week are out of the question for me. Simple enough - plan for Saturdays and Sundays, right? Well, I can't dive Sundays because I have to drive back to roughly 3,400ft to get back to base before Monday mornings. Even if I could dive Sundays, we work weekends fairly often and without much more than a day or two warning, at very best, we'll know a week in advance that we're not getting our weekend; so setting up or scheduling classes in advance is all but impossible. I understand many shops will work with a schedule, but shops in San Diego are so used to seeing Marines and Navy that they really couldn't care less and won't usually extend any gratuities to military beyond any other customers as you may find in a less military-populated area of the nation.

Does anyone have any bits of advice on how to work around this issue? I'm tight for money, so paying for private classes is a last resort, unfortunately it's the only option that's still realistic in my mind.

 

[japan-diver]

Ask to be sent to Okinawa- great diving and we work with that kind of schedule all the time. As it is I would concentrate on getting some dives under my belt and not worry to much about the classes right now. Dive a bunch and you may find an instructor that can work with you. Also make sure the classes you are paying for are worth it - actually teach you something- and not just cards to stick in your divelog.

 

[CuriousRambler]

Haha, I WISH I could get to Oki...I'm infantry, so the only places I'm going to be seeing are Iraq and Afghanistan for a long time. I enlisted under the mindset "Well, I'll be east coast, west coast, hawaii or Okinawa. Diving's good anywhere!" Naturally I went to the one base that's not near the ocean and I hang out in the desert all day.

 

[don Francisco]

Try to reach out through the dive community to find an independent instructor. You might be able to work out an arrangement whereby you'll do the classes on short notice, if both of you are available.

The altitude issue shouldn't be an obstacle, since most of the classes you need are taught at faitly shallow depths, and you can simply treat them as altitude dives, or wait sufficiently long in San Diego - hang out, do errands and have dinner before driving back up the hill later in the evening. Good luck.

 

[--tom--]

Several of the classes you should be able to accomplish without altitude obligation. EANx doesn't require dives. Rescue is typically handled in <30' of water, I think we hit 20'. The time however.....