i was in the process of finishing my basic open water diving course. i completed one checkout dive last summer and was counting on finishing up this spring. i went by the shop the other day and the store is empty with a for rent sign on it. i was never notified of it's closing and i can't get a return call. the class was paid in full. it was a naui, btw.
any suggestions on what to do when this happens?
In my personal opinion, if you did one dive last summer and you were going to train again this Spring, that's a long time between dives. I'd have you repeat the first dive and probably make you do more than 5 checkout dives if you were my student. I'd do that not because I'd be trying to punish you, but because I'd care enough about you as my student to not throw you out into the cruel world of the diving industry unprepared. We'd probably make more than the minimum required dives.
Rather than look on this as a total loss, take it as an opportunity to seek perhaps even better instruction or run through a complete course within a tighter time frame of class, pool and open water. You already have a lot of knowledge and skills, but repeating everything could make you an even better diver than you'd be after the first go 'round.
I'm not a NAUI instructor, but I teach technical classes through Lehigh Valley Dive Center near Dutch Springs. You may have done your dive there since you're from New Jersey. LVDC is a committed NAUI facility and the owner, Steve Walker, was written about in the NAUI magazine for running good courses. I've seen Steve teach in the class and he's absolutely thorough. His recreational diving skills are great. I haven't watched him teach underwater, but the students of his I've seen diving or had in other courses look better than most at their level.
Brian, Jamie and Sue had me as an instructor for a rec to tech boot camp and are now NAUI instructors at Lehigh Valley Dive Center and they might be good choices for instructors if you are looking to dive off NJ. They have plenty of experience in those waters, at Dutch, in the islands & in the Cooper River.
I can't speak for how they may or may not handle your situation at the shop. They might just charge you for checkout dives. I don't think NAUI registers students like GUE, but if you have a prior training record, or maybe could pass a written exam, they could accomodate you.
This may or may not sound like something you'd want to pursue and I'm posting this less as an advertisement for the shop and more to give you direction for completing the NAUI cert. I don't know other dive centers doing NAUI other than Adventure Scuba near Conshocken, Norristown, or wherever they are now, in PA outside Philly. I haven't been to their new store. They are also VERY good for education for a new diver because they are experienced technical guys who will give you more bang for your buck than most shops.
If you don't care about NAUI, I'd SERIOUSLY VERY MOST HIGHLY recommend the Scuba Connection (PADI) in Belle Meade, NJ, or my girlfriend, Jen, (PDIC) who is unreal good, but new to teaching. She just passed her instructor exam in the Spring, but she can outdive (skill-wise) just about everyone mentioned. She spent many years as a divemaster in the tropics and became a GUE, TDI, NSS-CDS tekkie (basically I ruined her life and her dreams), but she believes in recreational diving for fun and teaches private courses.
You and another NAUI facility might be able to sort the best course of action for you out with NAUI headquarters.
If you're going to have to get another instructor, all of the above will give you your money's worth or make sure you can dive before signing your certification card.
