Hi, everyone. Just wanted to let you know that I am now certified! I took the OW course in Eilat (Manta - Red Sea Sports Club) and it was amazing! There were only two of us in the English-speaking class, and our instructor (Sharon) was incredible! We dove to 18 meters twice, and saw a lot of incredible things (octopus, lion-fish, puffers/blowfish, rockfish, moray eels and more!). I am now back in Jerusalem but I cannot wait to dive again. My fins and boots were great (I bought them before I left) but I need to do some serious work to find a mask that fits properly. I went through 4 different ones during the course.
Anyway, thank you all for your input and help. See you around!