New diver Certification suggestions

[Schone]

Sheeper -

Thank you for the information it is greatly appreciated. Seeing your pictures posted on the website makes me envious of your location.

 

[diversteve]

Diversteve, you are incorrect. PADI is the largest and best known agency BUT certifications from ANY of the major dive agencies are known and recognized worldwide.

Wait...What? You even agreed with me...

Mostly what that means is your c-card is more recognized everywhere.

Nice free promo for your business though...

Next time try doing it without including me.

 

[sheeper]

Wait...What? You even agreed with me...



Nice free promo for your business though...

Next time try doing it without including me.

no major agency is more recognized than any other major agency. Except PADI only recognizes themselves.

stop trying to make PADI the only answer. it is not. there are plenty of good agencies with plenty of good instructors. THAT is the important part of dive education. The agency is really very secondary to a good instructor.

i'm affiliated with SDI for 3 reasons. 1) i prefer their training materials and methods, 2) SDI makes better economic sense for THIS instructor. 3) my phenomenal instructor/trainers were SDI

 

[diversteve]

Except PADI only recognizes themselves.

LOL - I could make a joke about that but I won't.

stop trying to make PADI the only answer. it is not.

You're still not understanding my position. I'm about the last person you'll ever see here promoting PADI unless it makes sense - as it does in this case. New diver, no close dive buddies, PADI shop in the same town - what would you recommend instead? Besides a trip to Vero Beach.

Also I'm SSI(NASDS). So have no vested interest in promoting PADI.

I think you might get a funny look if you showed up on Maui with a BSAC card though. Some are more recognized than others. I've had a shop clerk look hard at my old NASDS card - new PADI DM trainee in the Caribbean. Asked his boss who waved it off.

A quick check of reasonable dive locations from Topeka - I'm thinking Florida, the Caribbean, Mexico etc. is going to show they're predominantly PADI affiliated operations. I can name all the SSI shops in the Caribbean on two hands with fingers left over.

While it's true it doesn't matter, it doesn't change the premise that PADI is the most widely known agency. Likely they have the most shops/resorts also worldwide. About the only time I could see that being an issue is if a c-card was forgotten, most PADI shops have the ability to check that online. Or your phone gets lost/stolen since many people carry their c-card that way now also.

Second, until the OP's later response, I wasn't aware that there was another shop in Topeka besides the PADI shop I linked to.

 

[Octopusprime]

Schone with the current padi open water program the instructor has the choice to teach using the tables, with the erdpml (dive calculator stays above water) or a computer course. It will often depend on their demographics and income area. If the dive shop people are driving luxury cars it isprobably no problem for them to buy a $300-1000 computer day one.

Personally I would want to know the how and the why even though I always dive on a computer.

 

[Schone]

Personally I would want to know the how and the why even though I always dive on a computer.

I agree; I see the certification process as much as a mental challenge as a physical. I do wish to learn the computer side but first I must master the manual side.

 

[Oldbear]

I found in the Denver area there is at least one large Open Water Diver factory and a several smaller stores. Both style have their advantages. Some, both large and small, stores seem to have their act together when it comes to logistics, e.g. going to a non-local dive site for the Open Water Dive exercises. And some do not. If you have time I would ask for student references. While this might not be the best barometer of a store since most newly Open Water Divers just have one store to gather their personal experience from it still is better than nothing. I would also ask these reference why and why not choose this store and what you did and did not like about the course/instructor/dive store.

Also ask what are the total costs. I have seen some store roll everything into one price and also seen stores nickel and dime you so your initial cost is fairly low but have to pay more at a later date(s) for the "missing" training componets.