Looking for special San Diego area instruction

[boulderjohn]

Hi,

Two old and dear friends living in San Diego are looking to get certified prior to taking a dive trip with my wife and me. I promised them I would get the best possible recommendation for their instruction. I have special requirements for such a recommendation.

A few years ago I was on a dive trip and met a woman who had gotten certified near that area, and she was having so much trouble that the dive operator gave her special attention to get her to a reasonable level of diving skill, and when I later talked to her about it, she told me a story that I considered a true horror that I want to avoid with my friends. She was taught in a large chain operation that will remain nameless here. This 100 pound, slightly built young woman was given 20 pounds of lead for her pool sessions. She said she could barely move off of the bottom. When I told her I could not see how she could do skills like the fin pivot or the hover with that much weight, she said she couldn't, and no one else in the class could, either. The instructor said that those skills are really, really hard, and students can never do them. He therefore didn't care that no one in her class could do them.

Anyone who knows me from other threads knows that I advocate instructing students while properly weighted, neutrally buoyant, and in horizontal trim. I would appreciate it if my friends could come as close as possible to that sort of thing, and I appreciate it if I could get good advice.

 

[Bopper]

Well I imagine the people at Unified Team Diving are going to be a little more careful w. students considering the things they advocate. They are Headquartered here.

There's also Bill Powers, who is the head of California's largest dive club known as Powerscuba. I've heard good recommendations from his former students.

Unfortunately I can't give you first hand experience as I got all my certifications by one of those "large chain operations".

 

[Chiapet]

I can second the recommendation for Bill Powers. He has a meetup website called Power Scuba Lessons which is separate from the Power Scuba club site. Bill routinely emphasizes safety before club dives and he has years of experience teaching.

SD Expeditions would be another great option. The company is run by Nick and Kyle. Both guys are smart, patient and just fun to be around. They teach and guide dives full time so scheduling with them may be easier.

Your friends should try to get certified within the next couple of months. Local diving conditions are best from August to October. The water is at its warmest and the visibility at its best. By November conditions get more unpredictable and the surf may be bigger.


Hope you all have a great trip!

 

[AAdiver69]

When is your dive trip? My wife and I are moving to SoCal in late October and we both are Instructors (as a side job). She's a Physician's Assistant in the US Coast Guard and I fly for American Airlines... We teach as a side business. We never take more than a couple students at a time...especially for Open Water training. I believe in one-on-one attention for all beginner skills. Buoyancy control is paramount. We don't do it in mass because it's NOT ABOUT THE MONEY. It's all about our love for diving and desire to bring people into the sport. Let me know if this fits your time frame and maybe we can make it happen.

 

[diversteve]

Divebums - San Diego Independent Instructors

no recommendation.

 

[Power Scuba]

I can second the recommendation for Bill Powers. He has a meetup website called Power Scuba Lessons which is separate from the Power Scuba club site. Bill routinely emphasizes safety before club dives and he has years of experience teaching.

A quick correction to Chiapet's kind recommendation: My lessons site (hosted by Meetup) is called "Bill Powers Scuba Lessons". Completely separate from the group/club "Power Scuba".

Thanks!

Bill

 

[boulderjohn]

After long discussion, my friends decided to fly to Boulder, Colorado to get their initial work done with me. We then flew to Mexico to do the OW dives on a fun vacation. Although we did not use the fine advice we got here, it is appreciated. Your responses were not in vain. The Sand Diego area now has two new enthusiastic divers, and they will be looking at this thread as they consider options for local diving.

 

[Power Scuba]

If you'll allow a gentle observation, John: Your friends didn't do themselves any favors by getting certified in warm water, great vis conditions, if their intention is to become active San Diego divers. Most certifying agencies have some sort of caveat in their open water curriculum which states (para), "Student is certified to dive in same (or similar) conditions in which they were trained."

We see far too many divers, down San Diego way, who come to the area having only done warm water dives... thinking they are fit to jump right into local waters. This, of course, is all too often not the truth at all.

Cheers,

Bill

 

[boulderjohn]

I fully understand that.

My friends originally planned to do nothing but warm water diving. That is one of the reasons they did not want to be certified in San Diego. Their purpose was to prepare for a joint trip to Australia this spring, and they figured those will be the coldest waters they would ever experience.

This trip changed their minds because they had so much fun. They are now thinking of giving the local diving a shot. They understand that things will be different, and they will make appropriate decisions.

 

[tracydr]

There's a GUE instructor who seems really nice in SD. I think he's a recent transplant from Hawaii. His name is Joakim Hjelm. I've been talking to him about a possible Fundies class. I wonder if they'd be interested in a Primer to help them get used to colder water. His prices seemed reasonable and he really seems like a nice guy.