Looking for a dive shop close to Lake Travis that ...

[lmwb_1977]

I think its better to have a new instructor... although I learned from the BEST PADI instructor the best one for Naui is ChrisPete, even before he was certified, the man has a passion for the sport and for safety. Yes he just got the card saying he is a certified instructor but every dive with him as friends has brought me and Nathan more knowledge and more safety then I could ever imagine and thats just fun dives. It has nothing to do with time served, but the quality of that time and the respect for the sport. Training is everything, and its a personal choice on who trains you but it should not always be about time they have trained. Hell Ive learned more from Melissa then anyone else and she isnt an instructor (YET...HINT HINT)

 

[In10se]

Experience is what we are both talking about as the key element.

I know we're prolly of the same mind about what we would both want from a trainer lmwb_1977. I know we are both thinking the same way, and I'm not trying to debate your perspectives, but it's always best to express our perspectives so there's no room for confusion.

I meant to say a diver that earned his/her OW cert in '07 and just earned an instructor's card is not the person I want my SO to train with. I want the person that has had a lot of bottom time showing her the things learned from that experience. I'm more interested in learning from someone with solid tech experience. I prefer for both of us to study with a diver that has seen the bad things and had time to process the experiences, not someone who has only the book versions. The person with the '07 C-card and the '08 DM cert is not likely going to be the one to have these kinds of real world experiences.

Lets look at this from a different angle for clarity. There's a thread here about the diver under indictment over the tragic death of his wife while they were diving. After reading that thread, learning from what was posted and linked too, I find Gabe complicit for the very reason that he did not have a minimal level of expectations that he required his poor deceased wife Tina to meet before he took her into the deep end of the pool. She wasn't ready yet, plain and simple. Jez, I cold not imagine a how I could continue to live if I made those same poor choices that resulted in the death of my loved ones ... SO ... yeah. Newly certed trainers with little experience need not apply is what I meant to say in my OP ...

 

[Mack Diver]

I can certainly understand your position on experienced instructors. I think some of the agencies have done a great dis-service in lowering the entrance requirements for the professional ranks. I personally cannot see how someone with 25 dives under their belt can possibly be qualified to lead dive trips.

While Chris and I both have 08 NAUI instructor certs, I think Chris has in excess of 300 dives. I have a few more, but have also been in the sport for 20 years and my original instructor certs go back to 95. One of the key things to look for is VARIED experience. Can someone who has done most, if not all of their diving in fresh water truly convey what you might experience in Cozumel? I also know some instructors that have only done Caribbean diving, that don't have a clue about the rigors of diving in Lake Travis. I suggest anyone considering a class, especially beyond open water, really take a close look at the shop and the instructors. Ask if you can speak to the instructor directly. I personally don't have a problem with having my instructors return a call to a prospective student. If I'm the instructor for a given class, I'll try to answer any question you might have.

I'm going to open myself up to what I hope is not a sh*** storm, but here goes. There are alot of posts in other forums regarding training and the various agencies. However, if you have a question regarding any scuba class from OW - instructor, or if you have a question about the different agencies, feel free to PM me and I'll try to give an honest, un-biased answer. You can also send an email to me here. For the record, I'm certed as an instructor for NAUI, PADI and SDI / TDI. I do not know policy details regarding SSI, but I can tell you general information about what you might expect to learn in one of their classes. If I see allot of the same question coming through, I might decide to make a post about it.

 

[In10se]

I'm new and don't know so excuse me if it's a dumb question, but if I start with SSI (as I did) can take my next level from PADI, then from NAUI and so on? Am I only stuck with one agency?

 

[chrispete]

You may take any level from any agency and mix and match to your heart's desire.

 

[In10se]

Thanks Chris and everyone else for all your input. You've helped me get a grasp on my options and saved me a lot of wasted time and money. The hours I woulda spent wandering around in Austin traffic checking out shops I'll now be spending in the lake.

 

[lmwb_1977]

Experience is what we are both talking about as the key element.



I meant to say a diver that earned his/her OW cert in '07 and just earned an instructor's card is not the person I want my SO to train with. I want the person that has had a lot of bottom time showing her the things learned from that experience. I'm more interested in learning from someone with solid tech experience. I prefer for both of us to study with a diver that has seen the bad things and had time to process the experiences, not someone who has only the book versions. The person with the '07 C-card and the '08 DM cert is not likely going to be the one to have these kinds of real world experiences.

Lets look at this from a different angle for clarity. There's a thread here about the diver under indictment over the tragic death of his wife while they were diving. After reading that thread, learning from what was posted and linked too, I find Gabe complicit for the very reason that he did not have a minimal level of expectations that he required his poor deceased wife Tina to meet before he took her into the deep end of the pool. She wasn't ready yet, plain and simple. Jez, I cold not imagine a how I could continue to live if I made those same poor choices that resulted in the death of my loved ones ... SO ... yeah. Newly certed trainers with little experience need not apply is what I meant to say in my OP ...

On the first aspect yes in some way you may be correct...However I would not judge someone based soley on time in sport. I am a lucky newb in diving and have had the best of both sides new experienced and old experienced but in the skydiving world I had two choices, one aff instructor had 1500 jumps in 3 years and one had over 3 grand in 10, I picked the newer more current one ...

Your talking about your SO learning, and becoming a scuba diver, well to put it kinda frank this is a sport where yes we have buddies but what it boils down to it one has to take the responsibility for themselves and that should include THEM picking the instructor they are comfortable with. The only reason someone else should dictate such is when its talking about a child. I spent TWO years telling Nathan Id take SCUBA, I called shops EVERY austin shop for 2 years until I finally picked a shop that I felt comfortable with.

Basically Im saying let her pick her instructor based on things she feels she needs in order to be a safer Scuba diver, if someone isnt willing to take an active role in thier education then whats the point?

As far as the other point you made, well thats a bit different, murder and such has nothing to do with this topic in my opinion.

Stay tuned for my next installment of "Everything I learned about Scuba I learned from a newb"

 

[Diver Kat]

Looking for a dive shop close to Lake Travis that ...
... I can use as my LDS....

I'd say the new Scubaland shop should fit the bill of what you're looking for. John Lindsey, the current shop mgr at the North store, is slated to run the new shop at 620 & Anderson Mill/Volente Rd. Last I asked a few weeks back, I believe they plan to have the shop open this month. We've also previously done business with Tom's - great shop but not convenient most of the time for basic stuff. Dive World is fine for air fills, but on a recent shopping expedition for a new computer they actually talked us out of looking at what they had in stock. (Very weird!) John at SL has always been good at competing with (reputable) on-line prices and even went out of his way to check on a little advertised Oceanic discount program we'd found mention of on-line. Saved us over $400. If I want something not in the shop, he'll order it for me. And they do a 1 year airfill sticker for $75, so if you're diving every weekend, it quickly pays for itself. Although we do visit half the shops in Austin on & off, we've always been relly pleased with the service, staff & instuctors at SL.

 

[In10se]

On the first aspect yes in some way you may be correct...However I would not judge someone based soley on time in sport. I am a lucky newb in diving and have had the best of both sides new experienced and old experienced but in the skydiving world I had two choices, one aff instructor had 1500 jumps in 3 years and one had over 3 grand in 10, I picked the newer more current one ...

Your talking about your SO learning, and becoming a scuba diver, well to put it kinda frank this is a sport where yes we have buddies but what it boils down to it one has to take the responsibility for themselves and that should include THEM picking the instructor they are comfortable with. The only reason someone else should dictate such is when its talking about a child. I spent TWO years telling Nathan Id take SCUBA, I called shops EVERY austin shop for 2 years until I finally picked a shop that I felt comfortable with.

Basically Im saying let her pick her instructor based on things she feels she needs in order to be a safer Scuba diver, if someone isnt willing to take an active role in thier education then whats the point?

As far as the other point you made, well thats a bit different, murder and such has nothing to do with this topic in my opinion.

I agree that he may have killed her, but we still have to go with that innocent 'til proven guilty standard. It'll all come out in court in front of a jury of his peers, albeit peers with an Aussie accent. I'm just being conservative in my perspective and running with the inescapable facts that Tina was not ready and he should not have had her out there and that he is complicit in her death for these reasons alone ... again ... just my opinion. None the less, you are right ... that is a topic for a different thread so I'll shut up on that one.

Stay tuned for my next installment of "Everything I learned about Scuba I learned from a newb"

Concerning the other pieces of your post, yes mam, I'm agreeing with you completely. Btw, I also wanna get back into sky-diving. So if you know where I can get that done ... ... and no not a tandem jump on a video for a day. Solo classes with real jumps.

But yeah ... my SO would not want me to just get her someone. All I'm about at the moment is refining the options and doin' the leg work. She'll for sure make her own choices after I save her the hassle of going from shop to shop to shop. I'd add that our basic OW instructor, Becky, was great and my wife might elect to just stay with her. "If it aint broke don't fix it" and all. I'm gonna be the most needy person here. If I'm taking a specialty course and she wants in then great, but I am going to be a busy diver getting edumacated so as to go caving and other tech dive kinda stuff.

I'm just tryin' to be a good hubby by including her in my considerations as I work through this deal is all. Fact is, if I started trying to just tell her what ta do I'd be wearing my a$$ for a hat.

 

[lmwb_1977]

I agree that he may have killed her, but we still have to go with that innocent 'til proven guilty standard. It'll all come out in court in front of a jury of his peers, albeit peers with an Aussie accent. I'm just being conservative in my perspective and running with the inescapable facts that Tina was not ready and he should not have had her out there and that he is complicit in her death for these reasons alone ... again ... just my opinion. None the less, you are right ... that is a topic for a different thread so I'll shut up on that one.




Concerning the other pieces of your post, yes mam, I'm agreeing with you completely. Btw, I also wanna get back into sky-diving. So if you know where I can get that done ... ... and no not a tandem jump on a video for a day. Solo classes with real jumps.

But yeah ... my SO would not want me to just get her someone. All I'm about at the moment is refining the options and doin' the leg work. She'll for sure make her own choices after I save her the hassle of going from shop to shop to shop. I'd add that our basic OW instructor, Becky, was great and my wife might elect to just stay with her. "If it aint broke don't fix it" and all. I'm gonna be the most needy person here. If I'm taking a specialty course and she wants in then great, but I am going to be a busy diver getting edumacated so as to go caving and other tech dive kinda stuff.

I'm just tryin' to be a good hubby by including her in my considerations as I work through this deal is all. Fact is, if I started trying to just tell her what ta do I'd be wearing my a$$ for a hat.

Im not politically correct, I dont work in the legal industry and no lawyer would put me on a jury, I am a chick, therefore I always have an opinion and I dont believe innocent until proven guilty.

Capital Skydiving is the best in our region, but once again its a personal choice San Marcos is spewing with instructors. I prefer the laid back for the love of the sport and not tandem mills. If you havent had one jump you should do a tandem.