looking for reasonably priced SCUBA instruction

[aSharkfish]

hello,
I'm in the Navy and I want to get PADI certified, but do not know where to go. I am currently living in SC, born and raised in sunny CA (want to get certified so that I can dive whenever I go home for a few days). Any thoughts?

 

[andrea31419]

Check out www.prscuba.com instructor is Shannon McAteer. Tell him Andrea said "hello"

 

[RonFrank]

I can not help you with LDS's in SC that offer certification. However one option is a drive down to FL, and get certified there.

You can purchase the OW crew-pak on ebay, or from any online DS. Make sure you get a current version, copyright 2000 or newer. The Book is about 260 pages, and I would suggest you take a few weeks to read, study, learn, and watch the video's. I purchased my materials about a month out from my OW class, and that gave me the time to REALLY learn the materials.

The OW classroom, tests, pool sessions, and OW dives can be done in four days. The cost varies, but in FL it's less expensive then where I did my stuff (CO/NM). Expect to pay from $200-$400 for a non-private class.

Good luck, and hope this helps!

Ron

hello,
I'm in the Navy and I want to get PADI certified, but do not know where to go. I am currently living in SC, born and raised in sunny CA (want to get certified so that I can dive whenever I go home for a few days). Any thoughts?

 

[MikeFerrara]

If you want to enjoy your diving and stand a better than average chance of not being one of the dead divers we read about and talk about every week then get yourself a good instructor, pay him/her what they want and consider yourself lucky that you could find a good one at any price because there aren't that many. Save for awhile if you need to.

 

[Walter]

Mike is 100% correct. Don't limit yourself by price, you often get what you pay for and don't limit yourself to PADI. Interview every instructor in your area, hire the one who'll teach the best class.

 

[diversteve]

hello,
I'm in the Navy and I want to get PADI certified, but do not know where to go. I am currently living in SC, born and raised in sunny CA (want to get certified so that I can dive whenever I go home for a few days). Any thoughts?

Where in SC? We visited a pretty professionally run outfit in Charleston, I can lookup the name if you're interested. We also dove with an outfit out of Litchfield Beach, they were more casual but still worth considering.

 

[diversteve]

Where in SC? We visited a pretty professionally run outfit in Charleston, I can lookup the name if you're interested. We also dove with an outfit out of Litchfield Beach, they were more casual but still worth considering.

Found these looking through my log today:

Charleston Scuba: http://www.charlestonscuba.com/

Express Watersports: http://www.expresswatersports.com/scuba/index.htm

 

[chuck41]

Now is the OFF season for Dixie scuba operators. The local guy here in Hot Springs, AR (Scuba & Archery Center) offers special deals for certification and where you are located you can probably find the same. For prepaid classes here it saves you about 20% if you book before the first of the year. He does the classroom and pool sessions in Feb and March and then finishes the classes with open water dives in the lake in May/June when the water warms up. Don't remember exact cost but think it is around $250 and you provide your own mask, snorkle, fins. Class provides scuba gear.

Find someone that is recommended as reliable and as close to home as possible. You can also do the class / pool sessions locally and complete the open water requirements in one of those beautiful vacation spots in the Carribean, Gulf, South Florida, or even sunny California. Don't worry about whether it is PADI / SSI / etc. as these are pretty much interchangable anyway. Have fun and be safe.

 

[mack50md]

You may want to check your local Navy MWR (Morale Welfare & Recreation). They may have a discount deal for you. I work at the Naval Academy in Annapolis and they have an arrangement for the mids through a local LDS. There may even be a dive club on a local base.

 

[Quetzal]

Try http://www.scubadownunder.com/ he is only charging $199.00 right now. Good guy to, Brian. He is in Greenville SC.