Getting Certified- Baton Rouge or Pensacola

[nferra2]

I live in Baton Rouge Lousiana, and I have been wanting to get certified for a while now. I found out today that I am going to be able to get a beach front condo for a week in Pensacola for free in September. I was wondering if someone could recomend a dive shop for certification. I was interested in doing the classroom work in Baton Rouge and the OW dives in Pensacola, but it seems to cost a lot more money to do it that way. I was also interested in the Padi online bookwork, and then doing the OW dives in Pensacola, but I am not sure how the online course stacks up against the classroom courses.

Thanks

Nick

 

[seadoggirl]

There are several good shops in Pensacola. I recommend MBT. You can check out their website. Josh is excellent over there. By the way...welcome to the board. Come dive with us panhanders and south alabama rednecks

 

[seadoggirl]

www.mbtdivers.com

 

[nferra2]

Thanks, I saw mbt's website, but there schedule doesn't seem very flexible for someone who is only going to be in the area for a few days. Do you know if they offer different or custom schedules?

 

[Halftime]

I got my daughter certified there and they started on Wednesday and finished Sunday. We did have to go to the springs to do her dives though but call and ask I think you may be surprised at the flexibility.

 

[Daisy D.]

You can try Pensacola Divers. This is two top notch Instuctors that are affiliated with Dive Pros. They will work around your schedule. They do all of there class work and pool work at Dive Pros. There web site is http://pensacoladivers.com

 

[wjefferis]

You can also try Gary Toms with Dive Pros he was my instructor and I know he will work around a crazy schedule. My work schedule is weird and he was able to work me around any difficulties without a problem. Dive Pros also offers both NAUI and PADI certifications. If you want to go PADI at Dive Pros just ask for Joel.

MBT is also another option, If you plan on getting certified in Pensacola stay with either Dive Pros or MBT.

 

[bottomfeeder22]

my buddy got certified not too long ago, and started with a dive shop in Baton rouge. He told them he was doing a referral dive to key largo and they treated him like crap after that, making snide comments like, "If something happens, you're not my student anymore so it's not our responsibility". Basically their whole attitude changed when they found out they weren't getting him for the complete certification. They also let him train when he had several "yes's" on his medical questionaire. They should not have let him dive without a doctor's excuse, but they did, and he almost didn't get to dive in key largo when he got referred b/c the instructor there saw his med questionaire and his eyes got to the size of dinner plates. Name of the shop starts with s, consider yourself warned.

 

[nferra2]

Well, I went to the scuba shops in BR and there prices are way higher than anyone in Pensacola. For one it would cost me $200 (Class) + $80 (books) + $50 (referel fee) and nearly $300 for the fins/snorkel/boots/mask. It would be another $350 plus cost of hotel to do the check out dives. Now I need to multiply that by two for my wife to join me (2K). I talked to Josh today at MBT divers and he was nice, and he can get us certified with gear, cheaper for the both of us than it would cost one of us to do it at our LDS, and that would include our own Hyperflex (lower line henderson) 3m wetsuits. I was considering Gulfdivers.net due to many recomendations, but it will just be so much more convienient to go to Mbt since we will be staying in Pensacola (and they can work with our schedule). I am looking forward to getting under the water!!! I am just waiting on the owner of the condo to confirm our dates so I can get everything lined up.

 

[bottomfeeder22]

good call... let us know how it works out, never dove with MBT but i've heard good things.