Good place for checkout dives near Boston?

[Jill from Boston]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for a good place for a friend of mine to do his SSI certification dives within an hour's drive of Boston, ideally a place with good visibility, some things to see, and no big challenges with current. Any recommendations for sites or shops?

Thanks,
Jill

 

[crlavoie]

United Divers in Somerville is an SSI shop and they run tons of classes so scheduling shouldn't be a problem.

Generally speaking, the checkout dive sites are chosen by the instructors. That said, I think just about everyone in the entire world does their's at Back Beach in Rockport. It's not very scenic but it's ideal in terms of access and is pretty well protected from currents. It also has a nice sandy bottom to do your skills. Depending on the class size, you might be able to convince the instructor to do something like Old Garden Beach or Folly Cove but they are a little less conducive to large groups.

You might inquire to see if he can do his cert's through PADI. If that's the case, I would do it with Boston Harbor Diving off of their boat.

 

[MSilvia]

I'll second that advice. It's pretty much exactly what I'd say.

 

[Rainer]

You might inquire to see if he can do his cert's through PADI. If that's the case, I would do it with Boston Harbor Diving off of their boat.

What my girlfriend did. This, and the rest of his advice, is spot on.

 

[Jill from Boston]

Thanks, everyone! Much appreciated.