Help With Organising A Diving Course Holiday

[julieO]

I am hoping to book a holiday this summer (I know I have probably left it far too late, but am still hopeful),
I have 2 teenager/adults (16 and 18) who have wanted to learn to dive for a couple of years but have not had the opportunity. They have had 2 mini dives in france 5 years ago. I myself dived a number of times many many years ago. My husband is not a water lover but understands our kids passion.
Have you any advice on booking courses this summer. I have read that Gozo and the Azores are good destinations. (Australia would obviously be ideal but too far for too short a time)
I have gone through various websites but they look as though they're good but are usually designed to sell holidays and not safe diving holidays.
Any hints and information would be very much appreciated.
Julie

 

[2steaks]

We just got back from doing our PADI OW cert in Mauritius. Key thing is to do the elearning on an iPad beforehand. That way, you just need to do the pool and OW dives when you're on the holiday rather than sitting in a classroom for 3 days.

 

[julieO]

Thats great thanks. Will look into it.

 

[oly5050user]

You can complete all academic and confined water ,pool, requirements here locally. Then take referral form on vacation to complete the 4 training dives for certification. We do this in Westchester NY almost every day of the week here .

 

[julieO]

Thats great thanks, We're not from America but have not booked flights yet. Would you recommend anywhere in the Florida Keys if I could get availability at this late stage

 

[oly5050user]

Try rainbow reef or ocean divers

 

[julieO]

Many thanks.

 

[Divebooker.com]

Hi,
you still have plenty of time to book a course, no worries. As soon as you mentioned Gozo here are diving centers in Malta and Gozo which offer OWD courses along with try-diving activities. If we knew which country you are going to travel this summer, we would make more accurate suggestions to choose among!

 

[outofofficebrb]

Solid advice given above. Do all your confined water and your classroom work/studying here, get a referral, and just do your open water when you get to where you're going (hopefully somewhere warm!).

 

[drrich2]

Your profile lists your location as Jersey, presumably New Jersey. If you're not from America, where are you from? Might guide the answers.

My main piece of advice is to provide for more days diving than you think you'll need. Let's say someone gets bad nasal congestion or sinusitis and can't clear ears or maybe sinuses, or bad bronchitis, and misses a could days. Or someone has more trouble with buoyancy or tolerating being maskless underwater during training, and needs an extra day or two of instruction?

Find out if you guys can get certified locally. Then when you go on a great trip with warm water, excellent viz. & beautiful reef and tropical fish, you've already got your OW cards, can the pressure is off. Dive, have fun, look around...

Richard.