Recommendations for OWcourse in Key Largo

[stagecoachco]

Hello,

New member here living in Northwestern Colorado. About 3 weeks ago husband and I were in Maui, and at the insistence of one of his co-workers, we did an Introductory Scuba Dive with a local shop. Of course we are now totally hooked and want to get our OW cert. We are starting to plan a trip to Florida to do just that. We have friends that live in the south Miami area (they say Key Largo is about 50 min drive) that we will stay with. Southwest flies direct from Denver for cheap, so it is all coming together. It looks like there are MANY shops that we could get our OW with. Does anyone have any recommendations? I did a search on the board, and saw that both Horizon and Rainbow Reef are mentioned favorably in several posts (although just for good dive trips, not necessarily for instruction.) Any others we should look at? We plan on staying four days, so depending on how long it takes to get the OW, we will want to do some dives after as well.

Also thinking about the first week in May. Is that an ok time for diving Key Largo?

Thanks in advance!

Tony

 

[Katch]

I did my AOW with Rainbow a couple years ago. I don't know if just nobody else happened to sign up the same time, but it was a one on one instructor to student class. No matter who you decide on, call ahead and set it up. They may include the books in the price and you'll want to do the online stuff ahead of time. This will give you more time in the water.

Some locals down there will give you better advice on the timing, but I think May would be a good time to go. You'd be at the end of the spring rush, and I hear that the summer months are less crowded.



Steve

 

[Busdiver]

PM sent

 

[WheelsUSN]

I did my AOW with Rainbow a couple years ago. I don't know if just nobody else happened to sign up the same time, but it was a one on one instructor to student class. No matter who you decide on, call ahead and set it up. They may include the books in the price and you'll want to do the online stuff ahead of time. This will give you more time in the water.

Some locals down there will give you better advice on the timing, but I think May would be a good time to go. You'd be at the end of the spring rush, and I hear that the summer months are less crowded.



Steve

Because of the number of instructors they have, small classes are the rule, not the exception. All of my experiences with Rainbow have been great.

 

[CajunDiva]

+1 for Dive Key Largo, Florida Keys with Rainbow Reef Dive Center;scuba diving:diving, Florida keys, florida diving We did our AOW with them in May of 2004. We've been diving with them since that time and would recommend them highly. Rainbow Reef runs a PADI Instructor Development Center...they train instructors! There are plenty of qualified instructors around to help you get started with your new hobby...soon to be an addiction