New Diver

[MelC]

My niece is at school in Edinburgh and, while my first choice would be for her to train at one of the dive shops I know here (Canada) or in the states, she is really keen on getting her credentials before a planned trip in June to Africa. Does anyone have suggestions of a dive shop they would recommend for PADI open water training there?

 

[Edward3c]

My niece is at school in Edinburgh and, while my first choice would be for her to train at one of the dive shops I know here (Canada) or in the states, she is really keen on getting her credentials before a planned trip in June to Africa. Does anyone have suggestions of a dive shop they would recommend for PADI open water training there?

Whilst there are PADI Schools in the area the sea temp is only 7-8'C and will not rise much before July. A fair number of UK schools do the pool work in the UK, then send their students to the Med, the Red Sea or the Canaries to complete the open water dives. However, hardy folk do complete their training in Scottish waters, where dry-suit diving is the norm.

 

[pbraid]

Hi I'm not sure if you found a Dive Centre or not?
If not I completed my PADI OW training at Dive Bunker in Burntisland in Fife.
They also as part of the course take you through your dry suit trying to completed your OW dives in the Firth of Forth.
Can really recommend


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[Gareth J]

My niece is at school in Edinburgh and, while my first choice would be for her to train at one of the dive shops I know here (Canada) or in the states, she is really keen on getting her credentials before a planned trip in June to Africa. Does anyone have suggestions of a dive shop they would recommend for PADI open water training there?

Mel

It might be worth her going along to "Fresher's Week", and looking for the Universities own student dive club.

Edinburgh University Sub-Aqua Club - About

The diving will be 'cheaper', she could put the money towards a drysuit. The university probably subsidises a lot of the trips/training.

It will mean she will qualify with the BSAC www.bsac.com.

The initial qualification, Ocean Diver is very similar to PADI OW. The big difference is in the second qualification, Sports Diver.
Sports Diver includes a lot or rescue stuff and is a full decompression diving qualification. The vast majority of British divers do compulsory decompression as part of their diving.

The other thing is that there is some truly world class diving around the Scottish coast. In addition, just up the road is Scapa Flow (in Orkney), just up the road is slightly over selling it, its off the top of Scotland.
Orkney is where the remains of the German First World War Fleet is. Scapa is the equivalent to Truc....but in cold water rather than tropical water .

If she can qualify as a sports diver, it might be worth you visiting her and doing some Scottish Diving, especially if you can do a trip to Scapa Flow.

Cheers

Gareth

NOTE - Sorry, just realised the date of the original post. Still, if she's still at Edinburgh it would be worth her going along to Fresher's Week and joining the University club, if she did qualify with PADI, she can cross over to BSAC and do the Sports Diver Qualification.