Instructors in the Boston area?

[bostonian]

Hi

I'm a diver-to-be, and am looking at dive schools in the area. Do people have suggestions for instructors they've had good experiences with (or ones to stay away from)? I have access to a car, so anywhere in the Boston area is accessible for me.

I have one recommendation from a friend - Rick Tejeiro of Boston Scuba Academy- has anyone else taken a course from him?

Thanks all!

 

[NAVY21]

If you don't mind going a little north of Boston, I would recommend Undersea Divers in Beverly, MA. Most likely your OW instructor would be Don Morse, hes a real good guy. They are pretty flexable with schedules and their prices are the best I've seen so far. Hope it helps. www.underseadivers.com


Drew

 

[Rafael]

I did my certification with Jim Sullivan from the Boston Harbor Diving Co.
He is Located in Winthrop, MA. He is very good, very professional, the class was fun, i'm planning to do my OWA with him as soon as he place his boat in the water.

Here is his Phone # (617) 846 5151.

Give him a call, he is very nice he'll answer all your questions.

Good luck and welcome.

 

[Narcosis67]

hi,

I know Rick Tejeiro of Boston Scuba Academy he is an excellent instructor and is very professional. Also check out PGDIVE from Newton, Mass.
Instructors like Jane Wilkinson, Marc Gaskin and Genevieve Stewart are dedicated professional that love their work and have a lot to offer students. I got my O/W Certification by Jane Wilkinson and continue my diving certs through PGdive. Classes at pgdive are small, fun and safe. Check out there website www.pgdive.com. Hope this helps

 

[LUBOLD8431]

ANother recommendation for PGDive. Paul and Genevieve are great instructors and they also run a nice shop. Give them a call.

 

[MSilvia]

PM sent, with a third endorsement of PG Dive and recommendation for South Shore Divers in Weymouth.

 

[matt_unique]

I have had excellent experience with Northeast Scuba in Chelmsford. I had Paul Indeligatto for my Rescue class and he was very good. The owner Tom Huff does mostly technical courses and he is also excellent.

Brandon Smith or Bill Sage at Mass Diving in Natick are also good.

--Matt

 

[divermatt]

I've been instruced in several places around the world, by far the best experience I had was with PG Dive in Newton. These are people who teach and dive because they want to share their passion for diving. Marc Gaskin is excellent, and although I've never taken a class from Genevieve, she certainly knew my name and helped me with any issues. Honestly, I cannot say enough good things about these people.

Matt

 

[JohnL]

PM sent, with a third endorsement of PG Dive and recommendation for South Shore Divers in Weymouth.

I'll second the recomendation for South Shore Divers. Great group of people and instructors.

 

[PeaceDog]

Although I know this is a bit of a Democrat answer and probably not the one you're looking for, but:

speaking from experience both as a student and an instructor, it's very possible to go with the most highly recommended shop in your area and get paired up with an instructor you just don't click with, or you can go to the shop that disenfranchised customers (or past employees) voice their hatred for on message boards and find an instructor that ends up being your lifelong scuba mentor.

bottom line is this: you need to find the store/business that meets your individual needs.

Think about how big a class you're going to be comfortable in. Is it worth it to you to pay more for more individual instruction or at least a smaller student-to-teacher ratio, or do you think there's less pressure in a large class?

What's your free time like? some shops will only run classes on a specific schedule, others are more flexible, and some instructors will actually come to your house or office to do the academics. Is time of the essence, or are you just taking the class to take it?

Do you want a full-service dive facility or just an independent instructor who can make endorsements? A good, well-maintained dive shop can set you up with the gear you need, which is a real advantage if a piece of equipment you bought there goes screwy during class or otherwise. At a good dive shop, the instructors on staff should be well-versed in those brands and be able to do simple repairs on the spot, saving you a hell of a lot of headache and pre-dive stress. On the other hand, an independent instructor probably has no vested interest in the gear you purchase, so you'll be much more trusting outright of someone unaffiliated with any retail when they make brand/model recommendations.


What are you willing to spend in fees? Is it worth it to drive a bit farther for a cheaper class? Actually, the answer to that one is no, because as spread out as the shops are up here, if you're driving to one not close to you then you're really driving. What's worth a longer drive is an instructor you trust and respect who you enjoy working with. End of story.


Some food for thought. The good news is, as I run through the mental Rolodex I just can't think of a single shop that doesn't have both pros and cons, but all of them are reliable and dependable training facilities.