Hello from Toronto!

[CoopersTroopers]

Hello all!

My name is Patrick, and I'm from Toronto, ON, Canada. I'm new to scuba overall and not yet certified. I've gone on 3 dives total (the first while on a cruise vacation, 2 dives last week doing a Discover Scuba while in Kona), but now that the wife has tried it out and really enjoyed it, we're seriously looking at both getting our certifications within the year.

If only diving in Ontario weren't so cold... Spoiled by diving in the tropics?

 

[Sask Diver]

Hi and welcome to SB, you are going to find alot of great people here and a wealth of information. enjoy

 

[elan]

Hello all!

My name is Patrick, and I'm from Toronto, ON, Canada. I'm new to scuba overall and not yet certified. I've gone on 3 dives total (the first while on a cruise vacation, 2 dives last week doing a Discover Scuba while in Kona), but now that the wife has tried it out and really enjoyed it, we're seriously looking at both getting our certifications within the year.

If only diving in Ontario weren't so cold... Spoiled by diving in the tropics?

Welcome Patrick , Toronto has a great diving community that you can get a lot from. Many people dive Humber Bay all year around. If you are more into war water you can always dive the river which warms up to 70F in summer, But you will really appreciate all the beauty of the cold diving if you dive dry Although we do not have reefs here our waters have a great deal of beautiful wrecks, nice geological formations and a lot of fish to see. If you plan to keep diving all the time plan to acquire gear appropriate for cold water diving, including the dry suit, from the start just to save money not purchasing it twice. We are blessed with a great community doing different styles of diving, including DIR and re-breathers, so you can always find someone that will help you with the style of diving you choose.

 

[CoopersTroopers]

Thanks all! I look forward to getting back underwater and exploring the (hopefully not) murky deep)!

If you plan to keep diving all the time plan to acquire gear appropriate for cold water diving, including the dry suit, from the start just to save money not purchasing it twice. We are blessed with a great community doing different styles of diving, including DIR and re-breathers, so you can always find someone that will help you with the style of diving you choose.

Potentially the first of many dumb/newbie questions: what is DIR?

Any recommendations on dive centres to go through for certification either in the GTA, or the KW area? I work out there, even though I live in downtown TO (sucky commute, great place to work though), so if the wife is apprehensive I'd consider doing out that way as well.

 

[elan]

Thanks all! I look forward to getting back underwater and exploring the (hopefully not) murky deep)!


Potentially the first of many dumb/newbie questions: what is DIR?

Any recommendations on dive centres to go through for certification either in the GTA, or the KW area? I work out there, even though I live in downtown TO (sucky commute, great place to work though), so if the wife is apprehensive I'd consider doing out that way as well.

I'm sure I will not answer the question fully if I say that DIR is a style of diving promoted by agencies such as GUE, UTD, I believe NAUI as well. It fits well into our cold water diving.

I cannot recommend you any shop as I really did my certs with one shop and I'm not really happy with it. Although I can recommend you a couple of instructors who are very competent divers and they also teach. They are in TO, I do not know anyone who is teaching in Kitchener area though. Send me a PM if you are interested.

 

[floridanewbe]

welcome

 

[DCBC]

Welcome CT, it's always great to talk to someone from the GTA (my home town). Welcome to the SB Community! You have a lot of options in where to learn TO DIVE. Make sure that you consider learning at a diving club (there are many available in the city). PM me if you need more information.

Wayne