SSI instruction recommendation for checkout dive referral

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baggins_69

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Messages
53
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Location
new hampshire
# of dives
100 - 199
My wife is getting ready to take her OW cert course from an SSI shop up here in NH (aquatic specialties)

for a number of reasons, I think she will be happier to do her checkout dives in warm clear water, so I am looking for recommendations for an SSI shop in roatan.

desirable attributes would include a shop focused on instruction rather than resort diving, woman friendly (female instructor would be good, but not required), a larger boat with "stairs" or at least a very sturdy/large ladder instead of a small boat with a temporary ladder (I don't want her to get intimidated by the climbing in and out of the boat aspect)

Thanks!
 
Must it be SSI for some reason? You’re limiting your choices pretty dramatically.

In the physical character described for your desired “larger boats with substantial ladders”, this by their cost and required capacity will be found at older, more established and better financed shops, that in and of itself is NOT a descriptor of the majority of Roatan’s day dive ops. Bigger operations are predictably not SSI, on a Roatan, they’re PADI. Mox nix?

I think I’d put “full overhead Sun coverage” way higher on my list, but I’m a formerly blonde green eye Sun sponge.

They are also going to be found at AI operations. Your comment in regards to shop focus being on instruction versus resort diving? That’s strictly a factor of your internalized perception. In the destination environment, all sorts of divers show up, professionals are offering instruction and dive master dive leading, whatever it takes on any day.

Proponents of specific operations will wax poetic here in regards to their perfect certification experience. This is similar to kids gossiping about what a good kisser they are. We know what we know, now lump that in with SSI (or whatever) fans exhorting a specific shop for that reason alone.

All dive ops do training. Period. Full stop. There is simply NOT one that is better or more attuned to it by the (small or large) volume they do. Some dive ops are too small to legitimately offer BOTH recreational diving and training on the same day- due to inadequate staff (Instructors are the new minimum to work as a DM Guide) or lack of boat space. If I’m told that rec diving and OW training are going to be simultaneously offered on a 28’ open boat, I’ll sit back and enjoy the circus, most likely from shore.

By your boat requirements, if I were to give you the “best boats” by those standards, from the top: CCV (also the lead instructor of 30 years is a female); AKR (deep vee fleet of ProDives); FIBR (unfortunately a hot-mess of a resort); SUBWAY (which services several resorts) tied with BFK... Again, these are all AI Resorts with deep pockets.

They may likely have a staff member who is currently paid up with SSI, but an OW Cert, is after all, an OW Cert. (iNcOmInG!!)

If you really want what is instead offered by “West End” day dive ops? This is where you’d be better suited to do 10-12 dives in a week, near access to varied dining and booze, music and late night. Here you will find many dive ops.

I think your intentions are admirable, but it shows a misperception of not only the adequate quality available on a West End, but also the local conditions. It gets fuggly in W/N zones during Caribbean Storm Season (Aug > Feb), but otherwise it’s calm enough that she (and you, too) should be learning to use boats with temporary wooden ladders and slightly less upscale. It’s a big dive world out there.

The West End day dive ops offer boats that are more than adequate for local conditions, and by design and execution compare very well on a Caribbean (and surpass most International) standards.

If you want to boost your and her dive count by 27 in that dive vacation week, go to one of the AIs that I listed. If you want a vacation with simply her getting certified, give a West End day dive op consideration.

Remember a few things: You and your buddy are NOT going to be together during that Certification Time frame. Go away. Shouldn’t likely be on the same boat. You are going to be her dive buddy immediately after that. (We can only look at your stated “dive count”... are you ready to be her next new best instructor?). if she’s needing it, maybe hire a private DM? On Roatan, it’s inexpensive- but avoid any op that says “she’ll be okay in the DMs group“, they’re dodging their inability to provide this sometimes very desirable service.

Pure heresy here on the nets- but my take: a boat’s a boat, an OW Check Out is a C Card. There are very few failures in either category.

Decide the quantity of diving you really want, make that serious evaluation, chose from there.
 
Doc, Thanks for the feedback. haven't updated my dive count lately (just spent a week at Reef House in October) and no, I do not think I am in any way qualified to teach her anything, just to be an attentive buddy once she gets certified.

the reason for SSI is that our LDS is dual SSI/PADI (I was PADI trained at a now defunct dive shop) but the SSI curriculum is a bit more flexible for people who have difficulty learning technical tasks or have confidence issues whereas PADI is more rote A->B->C

I am perfectly comfortable on the typical skinny boat with a wood ladder (as they were using at Reef house) but I am interested in making my Wife's first diving vacation as stress free and easy as possible so as to encourage her to do more of them.
 
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I just looked on divessi.com for shops on Roatan and there appears to be a number of affiliated stores. Maybe look at the store links to see if any fit your wishes.
 
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@Scott - that’s a good lead.

SSI is a grand Agency, but their website nav is not user friendly.

Here’s a screenshot for starters....

C1442E59-F473-4B5D-B238-6B7658741C1D.jpeg


I took a quick look at the listed ops and didn’t see much (other than FI) that would meet your requirements for boat minimums.

Your past experience at RHR puts you in good stead for knowing what’s to see UW on Roatan! I like the place and DMs very much, but indeed their boats are marginal (and I’m being kind). Their boats are a long step below most of the other offerings of West End, the largest concentration of SSI shops.

Go to each of the listed Roatan’s SSI shop websites. (SSI does not hot link). Go to the “album” or pictures. Look specifically for pictures of the boats. If no pix, move along, they should be showing what they’re proud of. If no pictures, that’s a firm clue. Same If no actual owned website. Look hard.
 
They seem to be intent on making it harder, but it's still possible for now to issue a paper referral that a student can take to an instructor of another agency, if desired, to get checkouts done. It includes a detailed checklist of the skills that need to be checked off. I just did one of these with a student (kid getting certified, other members of family divers). Presumably they went to the operator that they had booked for the rest of the week's diving. The PADI instructor did the checkout, which was enough for them to keep diving the rest of the trip, and when they got back they brought the completed paperwork back and I issued an SSI C-card (after verifying that the PADI instructor was in good standing).

Worth calling/talking to the shops directly as well - it was discussed here recently that PADI doesn't let their 5-star resorts advertise other agencies, so while they may very well have SSI or other active instructors, it's not advertised.

tl;dr: Do the SSI class at home if that's what you prefer, get a referral issued, and find the best overall option at your destination for checkout.
 
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