Besides researching scuba schools, definitely call and talk to owners at several shops and see what kind of vibe you get, ask questions, and make sure you are comfortable with the answers you're getting. The attitude the owner projects filters down to all the instructors, and dive shop personality can change quickly due to turnover, so make sure you've got current data. Find out how the class is run, so you get a sense of how organized they are, and how effectively they will spend your time
Some dive shops will quote a single price, and others quote various options, so what's quoted as one price up front can change a lot. When someone quotes a price, make sure you know what is included and what is not, so you can compare apples to apples. Around here, a lot of local dive shops treat open water classes as a loss leader in the hope of getting new divers into the sport and continuing; others think they are somehow above everyone else and charge a premium for essentially the same (and sometimes worse) instruction.
You didn't say how far away you are looking, but you want to check what is included as far as transportation, accommodations (and how many nights), what rental charges you're going to be on the hook for, and what other incidentals there might be (e.g., parking). Also, compare what conditions you're learning in (boat, beach dive, dive park, etc) and find out about what upgrades you can piggyback to make you a better diver out of the starting gate, such as nitrox and peak performance buoyancy for a modest cost increase since you're already doing your open water certification dives the same weekend
Get some idea of minimum and maximum class size, and how often classes are run. New open water classes every week give you more options to schedule to your benefit, and bigger classes don't necessarily mean less personalized attention; sometimes bigger classes give you a better opportunity to adjust schedules if someone needs to reschedule, and you have a bigger peer group to interact with. Consistently bigger classes also mean the dive shop is doing something right if they're continually filling big classes every week. Besides class size, find out how many instructors are teaching. 20 students from 4 instructors get more attention than 1 instructor with 6 students, and if some instructors finish up sooner than others, they can help with more personalized training on specific issues for students at the end of the day
The dive shop I spend most of my time at only expects you to buy mask and snorkel, they provide all the rest of the gear for the pool and open water, accommodations, and on top of the quoted price (which is very competitive) you're only paying for one weekend parking and the open water certification air fills (plus your meals, obviously). They also deeply discount other gear (hood, gloves, fins, etc) for students, and treat you like part of the family during and after your class
Around here, $300 isn't unusual for a top quality certification, including gear, ferry and a weekend in Catalina, with the option to schedule the classroom/pool weekend and open water certification weekend independently to fit your schedule
Since you're a pilot, definitely don't plan to fly out somewhere, do your training, and then immediately hop back in your plane to head home. That's a big no-no!
---------- Post added July 28th, 2015 at 06:46 PM ----------
Buying recreational scuba gear without getting ripped off!!! That may be quite a challenge.
Search prices online. Search prices on ebay. Good Luck.
Yes, there are some local dive shop owners that have figured out it's better to make a sale at a very fair price (actually, many many sales) than high prices and hope to rip one or a few unsuspecting or uninformed saps off. You just have to find the right shop. If customers are treated fairly, they buy more and tell all their friends
