Looking for a Great Place to Get Certified

[ModernBeatnik]

Hello All,

My name is Doug and I live in St. Petersburg. I am looking to get my Open Water Certification, but have a bunch of questions and could use some help.

1. What are some good, reputable places in the Tampa/St. Pete area that I could get certified through? I am not looking for easiest or cheapest...the best and most reasonablly priced.

2. What is a good price for certification? What is the norm?

3. Which organization is better to get your certification through? (NAUI, PADI, ?)

Any help would be great, I am really wanting to get in the water and start diving. I will have some questions regarding fins and snorkel purchases soon.

Thank you for your help.

Doug-

 

[frogman_5]

I've heard good things about Bill Jackson's on 19, but have only been there to buy gear myself.

Course and books, ball park around $300. Most will have you buy or bring your own mask, snorkel and fins, figure $150 -200 for decent quality. Don't let them talk you into buying lots of equipment 'til you figure out if diving is really for you.

My preference, NAUI by far. They are less tied to the dive equipment industry, and I've yet to here of a NAUI instructor course that included a "how to sell gear" section.

 

[GulfCoastdiver]

Hello All,

My name is Doug and I live in St. Petersburg. I am looking to get my Open Water Certification, but have a bunch of questions and could use some help.

1. What are some good, reputable places in the Tampa/St. Pete area that I could get certified through? I am not looking for easiest or cheapest...the best and most reasonablly priced.

2. What is a good price for certification? What is the norm?

3. Which organization is better to get your certification through? (NAUI, PADI, ?)

Any help would be great, I am really wanting to get in the water and start diving. I will have some questions regarding fins and snorkel purchases soon.

Thank you for your help.

Doug-

My wife got her cert at Aquatic Obsessions in 1999 and my daughter just got hers there this month, I think they're great there, but don't go there because someone said they're good, talk to them and other shops in the area and ask them alot of questions then you pick the one you like. thats my 2cents...

I am going to do my AOW there very soon.
And as for Which organization is better, IMO it is the instructor not the organization that make it good or not (2 more cents)...

 

[ModernBeatnik]

Thank you both for the fast reply. I have heard good things about both locations so that should give me a place to start. I will get everyone in the loop on how things go with the certification and hopfully soon we can all dive together.

Thanks again.

 

[Tsalagi]

Not sure when you plan on starting, but I've recently talked a long time co-worker and friend into getting his certification and he had also narrowed it down to Bill Jackson's and Aquatic Obsessions.

He's going through Bill Jackson's mainly because it's a little more convienent to his home, but it's interesting he had narrowed down to the same two places in St Pete. I think he said OW class starts on July 10. Not sure who AO uses, but Bill Jackson's does NAUI, that's about the only info I have for either.

 

[BHB ScubaTroll]

Most recent certification I got through Bill Jackson's (Nitrox). Mike was our instructor... very knowledgeable and a good instructor.
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To get the most out of your experience, go to a few shops and ask some questions about their courses. It is best to go with a shop that gels with your personality.

I would hate to see a born-again Christian use my original instructor... lol ... Someone would have burned in hell during some of his courses (What is it... old salts never die... they just get saltier!)

 

[divermike1989]

I did OW, AOW, and EAN at Our Ocean Dreams in Clearwater and was very satisfied. Give em a call!

 

[ModernBeatnik]

Thank you for your help. I have decided to go with Bill Jackson's. Not the cheapest but from my research the most thorough. 4 weeks to get certified with lots of practice time. I will get you all posted to how it goes and my thoughts on the experience. Hopefully soon we can meet up and go for a dive.

Thanks again.

Doug-