Ok so I have called all the shops I previously listed and these are my findings.
Sink or Swim, my instructor would be Brent Clevenger (according to a very limited website). I have tried for several days to contact by phone, each time receiving a message that said we are operating under a limited schedule. No other information could be obtained.
Aquatic Pleasures Dive Center, my instructor would be Calving Shaw (according to website). I have tried once again several times to contact them by phone, but keep getting a message of limited hours. I have spoke with a few others and they stated that Aquatic Pleasures require you to buy mask, fins, snorkels, wetsuit, and mouth pieces. On the website, it stated online courses are available (not sure how this works). It also showed multiple classes (PADI, SSI, PSDA) unsure which one I would be taking. Cost was $379.00. I assume other equipment would be provided, it did not state on the website.
Scuba Adventures, my instructor would be Mike Manneth. Spoke with Mike on the phone and he stated that the class starts around $399.00. I would first need to go online and take the PADI online course and once it was completed, then I would come into to do class room with him. He also stated that I would need to purchase my own mask, fins, and snorkel. He said that equipment was provided during the pool work, but I would need to have my own for the certification part. I can rent or buy from him for a discounted rate. He said my certification would be in a lake or I could pay more and go to a quarry.
Lake Hickory Scuba, I would have several instructors to choose from, the owners Tim and Bryan Stafford, Mark Barringer, or Dan Carpenter. After speaking with Bryan on the phone, I was told that I could choose between several classes (PADI, PDIC, SEI, or CMAS). Not sure why there are so many different classes. According to Bryan, I would have to have my own Mask, Fins, and Snorkel, but all other equipment would be provided throughout my certification. He also said that he would recommend me not buying any equipment until I was certified, that I will get to use several types during the course. The cost would be $350.00 as long as I did my certification in the lake. It would be higher if I chose another location like a quarry or Florida. All class room would be done on my schedule, but pool training is only available on Saturdays. He did mention something about confined open water throughout the week, but the water may not work due to the temperature.
The Dive Shop, my instructor would be Mickey Hollar. I would do my training on Mondays and Wednesdays, and the pool part on the same days. Cost would be $300.00 and then $100.00 for the certification part, which will be done in a quarry. According to the owner, they supply everything that I will need, I wouldn’t have to buy anything. I would be taking a PADI course and that it would all be in a classroom, not online. Not sure why some are online and why others are not.
I also looked all the shops up on google, and Aquatic Pleasures, Scuba Adventures, and Lake Hickory Scuba had the best looking websites. The Dive Shop and Sink or Swim did not have that much information. Sink or Swim, Aquatic Pleasures, Scuba Adventures, and Lake Hickory Scuba all had FaceBook pages. Lake Hickory Scuba also had a YouTube link and they had a lot of videos showing demos of the training. I think I have narrowed it down to Aquatic Pleasures, Lake Hickory Scuba, or Scuba Adventures based off my findings.
Out of all of these which one would you choose? My parents said they would pay for the training but they wanted me to pick which shop. Also what should I buy before taking the class, or should I use what the shops offer me to use.
