Inland Empire Instructor\school recommendation?

[koyote1111]

The Master Scuba Diver is a certification in and of itself. The process can begin after one's AOW certification. It's a kind of packaged certification that includes the 5 specialties, the rescue diver cert, and the diver must have 50 logged dives. Master Scuba Diver is the highest recreational certification offered by PADI.
I am thinking that most dive shops offer it at a rate that is less than taking the specialties and the rescue diver course separately. It also includes getting your Emergency First Responder trainining (and cert).

 

[Scot M]

Kevin at SC. I saw the Night dive in October but not the others.

Kevin's a great guy. Tell him I said hi!

We have a bunch of stuff coming up in October but, because life has hit me like a steamroller, the schedules haven't gotten put up yet. Email me at scuba@smathis.com if you want details.

I want to clarify one point. Master Scuba Diver is not a course itself, but many shops bundle the prerequisite courses into an MSD package. At SC, the MSD package consists of 5 specialties of your choice, but you have to take AOW and Rescue separately. When you sign up for the package, you pay for 4 specialties and you get the current specialty of the month free.

 

[on_two_wheels]

First, I'd say just find a good mentor and dive!! Personally, I think certs are a bit over-rated. However, if you must have them, just email Scot. I wrapped up my AOW with him quite some time ago (following a bad experience with another instructor). Ended up being a good time!! Well, except for carrying the other student's gear up the stairs at Shaw's AND both of us helping her up the stairs after. Ugh!!

I'll disagree that navigation on land. I taught land nav in the military and still had trouble with it in water initially. Similar, but certainly not the same. I'd also concur the wreck cert is a bit of a waste. If you really have interest in wreck diving, look into a real tech diving course. I'd also disagree that you should "work down to depth." When would you stop? 60 fsw? 100? 130? However, in addition to any deep dive training, find someone to teach you actual gas management (i.e. learn how much you actually need, not the rule of thirds). Other than navigation, everything else listed is taught in excruciating detail in most true tech diver courses. Not to start a war here but, if you pass GUE Fundies you'd probably have better buoyancy than many Peak Perf instructors. NOTE: I haven't taken fundies. I'm just often impressed with the skills those that have exhibit after only 30-40 dives.

 

[Scot M]

((scratches head, trying to figure out who on_two_wheels is))