open water check out dives?

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Skurzdiver

Registered
Messages
22
Reaction score
8
Location
Nebraska
# of dives
25 - 49
Hi All. After many years of "thinking" we finally booked a trip to Turks & Caicos, and my daughter is set on diving with me. We are heading down in early April, but now I need to get her certified prior to leaving. The hard part is finding a local place to complete the open water checkout dives, as most local spots are closed down until summer. Anybody know of some dive shops / local dive locations in the Midwest? I'm in Omaha, but willing to drive several hours to get her certification completed. The last option would be doing referral dives in Turks, but everybody has quoted me over $1000 just for referral dives.
Any help would be appreciated.
 
@Skurzdiver, part of the problem up there for her is going to be dealing with the equipment involved with true cold water diving, mainly wicked thick gloves and hoods. It's not impossible obviously, but it will be a very different game. Best thing you can do IMO is try to get to Florida where while the diving will be colder, it will be much more analogous to what you'll see in the Turks. Someone like @LandonL may be able to help you out if you can get down there.
If you are OK going to Chicago, I'd contact James Mott who can probably help sort you out. His style of diving is very different than most resorts, but he's a spot-on instructor and would be my first recommendation out there.
James@thegreatdivepodcast.com
 
Is your daughter young and/or small? My daughter had planned on getting completely junior open water certified here in Michigan prior to a trip with warm water diving but found that the combination of thick gloves and small hands (making the XS glove still a bit too bit for her) prevented her from completing the underwater LP inflator hose removal and attachment as well as the underwater and surface BC don and doff skills successfully on confined water pool sessions because of a lack of dexterity, grip, and strength. She had no problems without the gloves, but the problem with the open water dives was that they were done in a dark cold quarry, so we skipped the misery of that and traded it for tropical warm open water referral dives. It was a much more positive experience for her, and she'll likely not be wanting to dive anywhere where she would need 3 mm gloves. The prices you have been quoted seem a bit high for group classes. Are they for private one on one instruction?
 
Thanks for the contacts tbone1004. And yes Jcp2, she is 10. I found out that the Bonne Terre mines in southern Missouri offer year round training, as water temps don't fluctuate.
 
Thanks for the contacts tbone1004. And yes Jcp2, she is 10. I found out that the Bonne Terre mines in southern Missouri offer year round training, as water temps don't fluctuate.
She's still going to need a 7 mil at least (50 some degrees water temps), I wouldn't even consider diving it wet, drysuit only, and the mine is not cheap to dive. The dive operation was also being sued for non-payment of rent.
 
I wouldn't have her get certified in Missouri in the winter, not if her reason for wanting to dive is so she can join you in Turks & Caicos. I went diving last weekend here in SoCal with 60 degree water and air temperatures, and I feel like I'll never know warmth again. I'm getting a drysuit next month, and skipping off to T&C in the meantime. You're not just talking about cold water, but really cold air. Unless this is the kind of diving she really wants to do, don't torture her.
 
Blue Water Divers on Grand Turk list open water referral as $450, from 10 years old and up. They look like they are the cheapest, unfortunately everyone else adds a $250 or more premium because she is under 12.
 
Good point on diving in cold water, she'd hate that. I will likely just have to pony up and pay down there. LostDiver71, I think that dive shop is quite the journey from where we are staying (puddle jumper or long ferry), but worth checking.
 
Would be a drive, but you could also see about doing the checkout dives at Swepco Lake in NW Arkansas. Temps are supposed to be around 80 degrees if the weather has been cold. I haven't been there, so all second hand info.

DW
 
Blue Water Divers on Grand Turk list open water referral as $450, from 10 years old and up. They look like they are the cheapest, unfortunately everyone else adds a $250 or more premium because she is under 12.
Good point on the under 12 premium.

To the OP; Padi standards dictate that maximum student ratios are reduced to no more than 4 if any of the students are 10 or 11 years old. Some schools may see this as restricting their potential course revenue.
 

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