Total newbie in Seattle - cert here or Maui?

[PacNWdiver]

If you are not sure, as you say, if Scuba is for you or not and (like most of us) money is a limiting factor, you might not want to go for a whole Open Water Certification.

There are plenty of diving operations on Maui that can train you in one afternoon. They are called resort courses. After you can dive for a period of time, like 2 weeks and only under the supervision of a dive professional.

This might be a good compromise instead of having to go through the commitment and expense of an entire certification program. You will get the expirience of diving and then decide if you want to progress in your trianing and become an Open Water Diver or decide your initial feelings were correct, that diving is not for you.

John

 

[Seadiver5]

Tia:

I am a Scuba Instructor here in Seattle and I lead dive trips all over the world.

I have had experience with people who have done all 3 types of certifications and I would urge you if at all possible to complete your certification here in Seattle for several reasons.

1. It is somewhat more difficult to get certified here due to gear configurations. not that its hard but it is harder. the advantage to this is that you will be automatically a better warm water diver than if you simply certify there.

2. You won't waste any valuable vacation time in classes there and you will hit the water swimming.

3. You have the time to complete both a basic open water course and an advanced course here so you can dive much more confidently there and to the depths that you will most likely want to visit.

4. Often dive operators will ask divers questions about their certification and diving experience to "qualify" them before allowing them to dive. I can tell you from experience that "coldwater divers" are allowed much more slack than others due to their better diving skills in the warmer waters.

5. I can't tell you how many students have not really wanted to certify in colder waters but did only to become avid cold water divers.

6. Referral divers (class and pool in Seattle open water checkout dives in Hawaii) are often bad experiences due to the instructors style not being the same and often they don't have the patience to help you through the course.

7. Referral classes often end up costing twice as much.

The only time I would really recommend that someone do their classroom and pool work in Seattle and their checkout dives in a tropical location would be if you were able to do the entire thing with the same instructor. this is possible if you 1 can afford to take your instrucor along with you or 2 you were to go on a trip that your instructor is already going on.

I am leading a trip to Aruba this February where I will be doing that very thing for a student who simply doesent want to checkout here in the cold.

If you would like to discuss this over the phone let me know and I will get you my phone number. If you don't already have an instructor in mind I would be happy to offer my services.

Kevin Parkhurst
Scuba Instructor

 

[ColdH2Odvr]

Here’s another vote to cert here for all of the above reasons.

Either way, good luck and have a great trip.

 

[greasergrrl]

Thanks for all the replies! I am having breakfast with someone on Sunday who is going on the trip with me and is certified. I will get more of a lowdown from her and figure out if i really want to do this thing (i'm sure she'll convince me ) and then figure out whether to just to a resort course there or do full certification (which i think i'll just do here for all the reasons mentioned above).

I'll keep you posted and Kevin, I'll probably be contacting you soon.