LDS Experience

[fmw625]

My son wants to learn to SCUBA. The closest LDS to Vicksburg, MS is Deep South Scuba in Ridgland, MS. Has any one had experiance with them? Good or bad, perfer good.

 

[meigs3]

I did live in the Jackson area and am familiar with Deep South. I would ask about the instructor-Besides the certifying agencies age requirement what does he think a youth needs to be successful in the class, how much experience has he had teaching youths, when was the last time he taught a class with a youth in it, how willing is he to spend one on one time with them in basic skills. My daughter got certified at age 12 in Jackson by a predicessor shop to DSS and she still dives. In fact it has led her into career/Masters degree involving the ocean. I wasn't too happy with her instructor but I guess he did a good job.

Short and sweet version, it's the instructor that is important not the dive shop.

 

[fmw625]

My son is 21. What kind of instructors do they use.

 

[Quarrior]

Something else to check out is the local community college. A lot of them offer SCUBA diving classes. They may not be PADI, but others are just as good.

 

[fmw625]

Deep South Scuba is SSI. I have no problem with any agency just want to know the quality of training my son will get.

 

[Lt.Warner]

I would highly recommend Deep South Scuba. They are a quality dive shop with good attentive instructors. I use them a lot and have had nothing but good experiences with them.

 

[garyfotodiver]

They may not be PADI, but others are just as good.

Why would you make a statement like this?

What evidence do you have to support it, other than PADI is the largest?

Frankly, my experience with most PADI instructors is very poor. All they and their dive shops are interested in is the $$.

 

[Quarrior]

Why would you make a statement like this?

What evidence do you have to support it, other than PADI is the largest?

Frankly, my experience with most PADI instructors is very poor. All they and their dive shops are interested in is the $$.

You completely misunderstood my point. Most people think of PADI automatically because it is so big. Other agencies don't come to mind.

Point I was making is that those other agencies are good.

 

[garyfotodiver]

You completely misunderstood my point. Most people think of PADI automatically because it is so big. Other agencies don't come to mind.

Point I was making is that those other agencies are good.

Most people think of PADI because of their marketing.

The manner in which you expressed yourself was not good. I reread your post and it still reads as a big negatory to agencies other than PADI.

 

[fmw625]

Thanks Lt. Warner for the recomendation. Guys all agencies have good and bad points. The quality of the instructors does make a big diffrence though. SSI, PADI, NAUI etc. bad instructors make bad divers, good instructors make good divers. Wasn't trying to start an agency war. I have no allegency to an agency, my allengcy is to the instructor.