Uncertified but going to Australia in 2 1/2 mos

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jpcrecom

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I keep meaning to get certified, but kept putting it off because there was no impending trip to make it needed.

Found out I'm going to Australia in the end of March, and now definitely need to get certified.

However, since I'm in New York, I obviously can't do the certification here because of the weather. So I have to split it up, and do the class/pool work in New York and then fly down south for the certification before I go to Austrlia.

So, the questions:
1. How long do the open water dives take? I know they can be done over two days, so I'm thinking Saturday and Sunday, and then fly out on Monday (18-24 hours later)
2. How far south do I need to go? I'm basically just going to look for the cheapest flight/hotel arrangement to do the open water dive, since that's the only reason I'll be going anywhere.
3. I was told by a company here in New York, that I need to get the Open Water certification instead of the SCUBA certification because it would mean that I would have severely limited (and costly) dive options in Australia unless I had the Open Water certification. I'm assuming when I get out there, I'll be diving in a group of 5-10 with a professional, if I only got the SCUBA certification, would I have to pay someone just for each of us (I'll be there with a friend who also isn't certified yet)
4. There seem to be many options, but can I assume that PADI is the one I should choose to ensure my certification would be valid whereever I dive in the world?

Any other help would be appreciated.
 
Definitely get the Open Water designation which allows you to dive to 18m in conditions similar to or better than those you trained in.

The Scuba Diver rating is a PADI designation that limits you to 12m and will often knock out diving opportunities here in Australia.

You can also set aside some days during your trip and simply do your training here in Australia - if you have to travel from where you are anyway, it might be an option.
 
Definitely get the Open Water designation which allows you to dive to 18m in conditions similar to or better than those you trained in.

The Scuba Diver rating is a PADI designation that limits you to 12m and will often knock out diving opportunities here in Australia.

You can also set aside some days during your trip and simply do your training here in Australia - if you have to travel from where you are anyway, it might be an option.

That was part of my question regarding how long the open water dives take. If it's merely a couple hours, then I can do my "certification" dives in Sydney before I go to Cairns, but if it's going to be two full days worth of dives, I don't want to spend two full days in Sydney doing certification dives (since I assume they are quite boring - extremely useful, but not really true "dives")
 
It's not a couple of hours with any reputable training agency that I know of.

Our training dives are not boring here as part of every training dive is not only a revision of your skills but a "tour for pleasure". You'll have to ask the shops you are interested in what they offer, each is different, most likely.

Our training dives meet at 0730, we head out for two dives on the reef (each is 40-60 minutes long, usually) and return to shore around 1330 ish. Paperwork and debriefing take another hour or so depending on the class size, interest, camaraderie etc

There's more to learning to dive than ticking the boxes, so it will stand you in good stead to take advantage of good training, whether at "home" or while on holidays. If you do it on holidays, you might get to visit some areas you might otherwise simply not dive in otherwise!
 
"a couple of hours" :huh:

the average padi course usually takes 4 days. 2 days in confined water (ie, swimming pool or pool like conditions) and 2 days open water, doing 2 dives per day, which means they are not looonggg days. eg is my hubby, on the weekend he had his students at the dive site by 7.30am and they were back at the shop getting fills ect by noon/1pm and then home.

plus theory work that can be done either online or beforehand depending on who you dive with and watching a dvd - again, depending on who you dive with

and no, sydney diving isnt boring ;)

cheers
 
What an opportunity! If it were me I would go ahead and do your class/pool time in NY then do the OW dives down there. You will probably get so hooked you just want to stay underwater there and only come up for food. I would.
 
Try these guys- Ocean Divers DIVE KEY LARGO WITH OCEAN DIVERS - SCUBA diving, snorkeling, PADI diver training, IDC & CDC - Instructor & Career Development Center
Give them a call and tell them what you would like to do and then they can tell you what you will need before you go down there and how long everything else will take. After you're certified you can schedule a boat dive or two so you'll have a few dives under your belt before you go. You can get a pretty reasonable dive/hotel package thru them and the hotel is right next to the Dive OP. Have fun, you lucky dog. :)


I keep meaning to get certified, but kept putting it off because there was no impending trip to make it needed.

Found out I'm going to Australia in the end of March, and now definitely need to get certified.

However, since I'm in New York, I obviously can't do the certification here because of the weather. So I have to split it up, and do the class/pool work in New York and then fly down south for the certification before I go to Austrlia.

So, the questions:
1. How long do the open water dives take? I know they can be done over two days, so I'm thinking Saturday and Sunday, and then fly out on Monday (18-24 hours later)
2. How far south do I need to go? I'm basically just going to look for the cheapest flight/hotel arrangement to do the open water dive, since that's the only reason I'll be going anywhere.
3. I was told by a company here in New York, that I need to get the Open Water certification instead of the SCUBA certification because it would mean that I would have severely limited (and costly) dive options in Australia unless I had the Open Water certification. I'm assuming when I get out there, I'll be diving in a group of 5-10 with a professional, if I only got the SCUBA certification, would I have to pay someone just for each of us (I'll be there with a friend who also isn't certified yet)
4. There seem to be many options, but can I assume that PADI is the one I should choose to ensure my certification would be valid whereever I dive in the world?

Any other help would be appreciated.
 
I keep meaning to get certified, but kept putting it off because there was no impending trip to make it needed.

Found out I'm going to Australia in the end of March, and now definitely need to get certified.

<snip>

4. There seem to be many options, but can I assume that PADI is the one I should choose to ensure my certification would be valid whereever I dive in the world?

Any other help would be appreciated.

I did the referral route to certification, doing my class/pool work in Ohio and my check-out dives in Australia out of Cairns (with ProDive - on a live-aboard). Much better than diving a quarry in Ohio!

One thing you need to know - you will need to have a medical exam in Australia before you will be allowed to do your referral dives. (Dive Medical Fitness Assessment For Divers - Australian Standard AS4005.1 ) Make sure you review the rules - they are stricter than US rules. If you have any condition that is an automatic bar (or even a heavily discouraged condition) in Australia, you may want to be fully certified before you go. I was told (although I have not verified it recently) that once you are certified you do not have to prove you meet Australian standards in order to dive in Australia.

As far as which sponsor in the US - most major dive training agencies train to an agreed upon set of referral standards. (They meet or exceed a list of skills/training that other agencies in the group will accept as sufficient pre-checkout dive training.) Just make sure to ask the agency you select if they can give you a Universal Referral letter. Both PADI and YMCA do - and I expect any other name you would recognize does, as well. That means you can YMCA train here, and do your check-out dives under the supervision of PADI in Australia, for example.

Have fun!
 
What's the problem with the weather that you can't certify in New York in the winter.

Its called a dry suit!
 
That was part of my question regarding how long the open water dives take. If it's merely a couple hours, then I can do my "certification" dives in Sydney before I go to Cairns, but if it's going to be two full days worth of dives, I don't want to spend two full days in Sydney doing certification dives (since I assume they are quite boring - extremely useful, but not really true "dives")

If you're going to Cairns, why do you want to dive out of Sydney? <g> Don't forget, Australia is in the Southern hemisphere: going north gets you to warmer water.

I did my open water course in Cairns. The dives were part of a three-day liveaboard: three-hour ride out to the reef, followed by two dives on the first day; two more dives the second day, certification, and two more dives as a certified diver. Three dives the third day, and that same three-hour ride back to the harbor.
 

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