Open Water Certification

[icedtea_]

I am going on a 6day trip to Playa del Carmen in December and I plan to go scuba diving. I've done an intro dive once in the Philippines and loved it=). I'm am really considering diving as a hobby. Can I just sign up for an Open Water Certification course during my trip? Do you think it's a good idea? hanks!

 

[ScubaSteve]

To answer your questions, YES and YES. Yes you can simply do your open water certification on your trip however you need to know that this includes for several hours in clasrrom, te4sting, confined water dives and open water dives. If the dives ship will do it, it will consume a lot if not all of your 6 days. All you need to do is confirm ahead of time that a shop can get you in and out in that time (remeber that one full day must be left between your last dives and flying. And YES I think it is a good idea. Scuba is such an amazing sport I can never say no.

I would strongly suggest you post this in the Mexico forum so that dive shops have an opportunity to talk with you but also so you can ask questions of other SB members about who is good down there. Definitely ask question on here about who are good shops and who to stay away from. I am sure you will love it and it will be money and time well spent if you do it.

Another option is to do all of your classwork and confined water dives here, and get a referral to do your open water certification dives in Playa. Lots of people do that.

 

[oreocookie]

my suggestion is see about doing at least part of the course before you go. Depending on where you live, doing the whole course at home first might be an option, allowing you to just enjoy diving on your trip. Otherwise, you could do pool and classroom work before the trip and then get a referal to do your open water dives in Mexico. Either way, you waste less time of your trip doing training and more time enjoying the diving. Whatever you decide, have fun!

 

[anzac65]

Welcome to the board Icedtea.

I agree with the folks above. I would strongly recommend that you do your classwork and poolwork near home. This way you only have to do your four checkout dives while you're on holiday. I did mine this way. It took me a week of studying the manuals in my own time, and then I spent a weekend at a PADI dive centre completing the exams and all the pool work. You then take your referral certificate to the dive centre at your holiday destination. You'll enjoy your time much more with less pressure.

Good luck.

Nick.

 

[NudeDiver]

I would do the course at home, allowing you to just go diving in Mexico.

 

[Walter]

Can I just sign up for an Open Water Certification course during my trip?

Yes.

Do you think it's a good idea?

Not if taking a quality class is important to you. Good classes are few and far between and they take time. You're better off to search for a good class locally and complete it before you go off on vacation.

 

[Rhone Man]

All you need to know is that in a recent poll SB members voted that they would rather go diving than have sex. You are only going to get one reply here...

 

[icedtea_]

Thanks for the replies! I did see that option of taking all the classroom work and pool courses at home. Does it have to be a PADI school? The problem is I live in Boston and I did not find any sites around here. Any suggestion?

 

[Walter]

Does it have to be a PADI school?

Of course not.

Take your time to research and find the best instructor in your area. Next, take time to complete the course. A good course will last several weeks. Don't rush this, it's something you can spend the rest of your life enjoying.

How do I find an above average course and how will I know I've found it?

Interview potential instructors. Most people never ask any questions beyond price. As the old saying goes, "You get what you pay for." Excellent instructors will usually have a higher priced class for a number of reasons. The instructor is dedicated toward providing you all the time you need to master necessary knowledge and skills. Extra pool time can be expensive. Keep in mind; the instructor is trying to make a living. His time is valuable.

Consider alternatives. While many instructors teach through dive shops, some of the best are independent instructors or affiliated with colleges, universities or YMCA's.

Questions to ask the instructors:

How long have you been teaching? Most instructors improve over time. They learn new techniques and get ideas from other instructors and through experience to improve their classes.

Do you certify all your students? Only instructors who are in a hurry and care nothing about your safety will answer yes. You want an instructor who will require you to be safe and knowledgeable before issuing a c-card. An excellent instructor might tell you that he is willing to keep working with a student until the student either qualifies or gives up.

What skin diving skills will I learn? While there is some disagreement on this point, many professionals believe a solid foundation in skin diving will not only make you a better SCUBA diver, it will make learning SCUBA easier.

Will I learn confidence-building skills? There are some skills which have no direct application to a typical dive, but which do build your confidence as well as your abilities. This, combined with an understanding of the panic cycle, will make you much less likely to panic.

Do you teach the panic cycle? Panic is the most dangerous aspect of diving. Many instructors do not understand panic and believe there is no way to combat it. In actuality, panic is understood. It is though learning the panic cycle and by increasing skill levels that panic is avoided.

Do your students swim with their hands? This will let you know if the instructor pays attention to details. Good divers do not use their hands for swimming.

Do you work on trim? Divers should usually be horizontal in the water. Good instructors will see that students are striving towards good trim. Poor instructors often neglect it.

Do you overweight your students? Many instructors overweight students. It is not a good practice.

What method do you use to correctly weight your students? Any answer that does not involve actually getting in the water means you want to avoid that instructor.

How many people will be in my class? Small classes are better. You'll have more individual attention. Unless the instructor is using certified assistants, more than four students are difficult to watch.

How many certified assistants will you be using? Unless the class is relatively large (more than 4 students) this should not be an issue. An instructor should have a certified Divemaster or Assistant Instructor for every two students over four. There are times when divers working on their Divemaster or Assistant Instructor certifications assist with a class. This is normal and not an issue, but they do not count toward the assistants an instructor should have when working with larger classes.

Will I be learning skills kneeling on the pool bottom or mid-water? This question is not critical, but will let you know if you've found an instructor who has a great deal on the ball. The over whelming majority of instructors (even good instructors) teach skills kneeling on the bottom. Don't eliminate instructors who do. Some instructors have realized your mask will flood while you are swimming, not when you are sitting on the bottom. You need to learn skills in the manner in which you'll be using them.

Do you dive for fun or just when you are teaching? Instructors who've stopped diving for fun are burned out.

Questions to ask yourself:

Is the instructor patient? While talking with your potential instructor, you should be getting a feel for his personality. Patience is an important quality for an instructor. You want to avoid instructors with a drill sergeant demeanor.

Would I be happier learning from a man or a woman? Only you can answer that question, but in general it is not usually a serious consideration. There are excellent instructors and there are poor instructors. Men and women fall into both groups.

 

[sglake]

Very good questions and answers Walter !