PADI referral letter in jamaica

[aklinz]

My wife is getting her courses here in Edmonton, Alberta. We are planning to have her do her open-water dives while on vacation in Jamaica. But all I see in the on-line dive center ads are "Resort Certification" packages for $300 (!) Yikes ! Is that the going rate for 4 open-water cert dives, or am I looking at the wrong package ?
Andrew Klinzmann

 

[Linedog]

My wife got her OW cert in Jamiaca, yes expensive but the warm water was worth it. From what I can tell the resorts get most of the 300 from the hotel certs. The PADI instructors appear to get the bulk of the difference between the hotel cert and the OW cert. Already having my OW cert I was pressured a bit to get my AOW. The instructor was cutting me a hellva deal as he said he gets to keep all the cash and just has the paperwork to do. I would wait until you get there as you might get a better price if you have cash and not put it on your room bill.

 

[oly5050user]

My wife is getting her courses here in Edmonton, Alberta. We are planning to have her do her open-water dives while on vacation in Jamaica. But all I see in the on-line dive center ads are "Resort Certification" packages for $300 (!) Yikes ! Is that the going rate for 4 open-water cert dives, or am I looking at the wrong package ?
Andrew Klinzmann

"resort certification packages" may not be what you want..You need ow referral training dives. The price can be $300. or more.Most include rental gear and boat fees
for the 4 training dives. It is not unrealistic to pay that for the 4 dives.
Figure rental fee can be $40.-$60. per day for regulator/bcd/wetsuit ,so for the 2 required days thats a high of $120.right there.
Boat fee can be $65.-$100. per day of diving, then certification card fees,actually paying the instructor for his/her time...$300. is a very realistic,actually low end fee for the 4 training dives.

 

[Brian Sharpe]

Where are you going in Jamaica?

If you're going to be in the Montego Bay / Falmouth or Runaway Bay contact Christian Rance at Jamaica SCUBA Divers - A PADI Gold Palm Diving Center with three locations from Negril to Montego Bay to Ocho Rios. - I dealt with him when we we in Mo Bay in 2009 & was very happy with the service I got.

 

[aklinz]

Actually, my wife and I are going to Hedonism II in Negril, Jamaica for 10 days !!
Andrew Klinzmann

 

[Aaron528]

Actually, my wife and I are going to Hedonism II in Negril, Jamaica for 10 days !!
Andrew Klinzmann

Check out Negril Scuba Centre $250 for PADI open water with referral, $350 for complete course. David is a very nice guy, with many years of experience.

Negril Scuba Dive Courses / Prices

 

[Twiddles]

Your in cold water country and your getting a warm water cert. I made this mistake myself, better to get certified in the cold with all the associated gear and then enjoy a nice warm water swim. You get certified in warm but typically dive cold you have a lot more to learn.....obviously if you never plan on diving where you live then forget what I said and I paid $450 years ago so yes $300 is a good deal.