OW cert in MN? Before April???

[whyzitsokold]

BRRRRRRRRRR . . . . .

Is the 4 dives mandatory? We are going to Puerto Rico in April. I already have my cert . . somewhere . . from 10 years ago. My wife needs hers. Any advice?

 

[diveman7683]

Yes the dives are mandatory for cert. If you don't want to do it here ask for a universal referral to whatever resort you're going to. Looking at your profile, you might want to look at doing a refresher youself before you go.

 

[Wolfie2012]

Yeah, might be a bit cold in MN to do the checkout dives there. Might want to do the bookwork and pool sessions in MN and get a referral to do the 4 dives in Puerto Rico

 

[whyzitsokold]

can you do your dives in a pool?

 

[whyzitsokold]

Yes the dives are mandatory for cert. If you don't want to do it here ask for a universal referral to whatever resort you're going to. Looking at your profile, you might want to look at doing a refresher youself before you go.

we just want to see come coral 10 or 20 below the surface, but yeah that would be a good idea if we ever had the urge to do long or deep dives.

 

[RonFrank]

can you do your dives in a pool?

No, they must be done in Open Water. Referrals are very common, and if you don't want to brave the cold water to do CO dives in MN, you can certainly find an OP where you will be going that can finish the certification process for both you and your wife. I would suggest using PADI just because they large, and you will not have an issue finding a DiveOp that can do CO dives with PADI most anywhere in the world.

Another option would be to do a weekend trip to FL, and checkout someplace like the Keys.

Have you attempted to see if the agency you originally certified with still has you on the books? If PADI has records of your certification getting a new card is a $25 or so fee. I would agree that a refresher course would be a good idea. If you can get your card, you can also audit the OW class with your wife, and it may save you a few bucks vs. taking the cert over.

Good luck, and welcome back to the world of diving.

 

[DivingCRNA]

I did my check out dives in Minnesota in the first week of JUNE in 20 feet of water in a 7 mm wetsuit with hood and gloves and froze my *** off in square lake.

I would go for the referal....

 

[whyzitsokold]

Thanks for the advice. One only thinks what's the definition of an open water dive? Can any lake due? Is there a list of approved open water locations?

Could it be a man made lake or does it have to be a natural one?

I'll just go to my neighbors heated outdoor pool. That's an open body of water. ha!

 

[DivingCRNA]

Thanks for the advice. One only thinks what's the definition of an open water dive? Can any lake due? Is there a list of approved open water locations?

Could it be a man made lake or does it have to be a natural one?

I'll just go to my neighbors heated outdoor pool. That's an open body of water. ha!

It has to be a lake, river, ocean, pond, quarry, etc... I think it has to be at least 20 feet deep and each dive has to be 20 minutes. But I am not an instructor, so I may have it wrong.

Where are you in Minnesota? Most check out dives in the Twin Cities happen at Square Lake in Stillwater. It is a pretty lake and has a max depth of around 40 feet. STAY OFF OF THE BOTTOM of Square Lake. It is covered in deep muck in a lot of places and your vis will drop to zero if you stir up the "loon poop".

There is a heated lake here in MO. A power plant uses the lake as a source of water for cooling. I have not dove it, but I hear the depth is 20 feet or so, the vis is 1 to 4 feet, but the temp can be 75-80 degrees in January if the plant is running. That warm body of water counts.

Have fun.

 

[spectrum]

Thanks for the advice. One only thinks what's the definition of an open water dive? Can any lake due? Is there a list of approved open water locations?

Could it be a man made lake or does it have to be a natural one?

I'll just go to my neighbors heated outdoor pool. That's an open body of water. ha!

I think you need to seriously consider your commitment to diving. Taking the open water referral to a tropical location is a nice easy solution to get into the type of diving you think you are seeking. You won't be burning vacation time on academics and the check-out dives are mainly dives with a few stops to demonstrate already practiced skills.

The specific requirements vary by agency and instructors adherence at least in terms of maximum depth. Quarries are OK, any open body with the required depth and access works. Other considerations are proximity to emergency services and the instructors familiarity with the site.

A swimming pool is where you learn the skills. Open water is where you demonstrate that you can perform the skills and dive.

Pete