Which organization did you obtain your first certification?

[SparticleBrane]

NAUI, but I had to click "other" because I got my OW and nitrox together. Never got an OW card, just a Nitrox card.

 

[Rick Inman]

Another NASDS, 1971, age 13. First breath underwater was on a Voit Dbl Hose.

Sheesh, I'm old...

 

[liuk3]

How about the one from which many of the others (NAUI, PADI) began... Los Angeles County? They still run some of the finest cert classes around.

Certified Los Angeles County Basic.

 

[nereas]

NAUI, but I had to click "other" because I got my OW and nitrox together. Never got an OW card, just a Nitrox card.

Sparticle Brain !!!

 

[somewhereinla]

How about the one from which many of the others (NAUI, PADI) began... Los Angeles County? They still run some of the finest cert classes around.

L.A County doesn't offer an OW program like they do with ADP or UICC. They do have an openwater cert. and an intermediate cert. but you have to find an L.A county instructor willing to certify you. There are some, but it takes a litle bit of work to find out about them. However if you are luck enough to live in L.A it is well worth the extra work to get it.

 

[alphonsis]

PADI OW for me.

 

[fisheyeview]

PADI - Basic Scuba (1977). It was basically the same class as the current open water (but the instructors were alowed to hastle you by ripping your fins and mask of to "toughen you up"). You only had to do 2 dives for the cert. If you wanted an Open Water cert you did 2 more dives with an instructor. (Some destinations would not accept a Basic Scuba cert without making you do check out dives, so most people went on to get their Open Water.)

 

[liuk3]

L.A County doesn't offer an OW program like they do with ADP or UICC. They do have an openwater cert. and an intermediate cert. but you have to find an L.A county instructor willing to certify you. There are some, but it takes a litle bit of work to find out about them. However if you are luck enough to live in L.A it is well worth the extra work to get it.

I wouldn't necessarily say LA County doesn't offer an OW program because it does. It's just that you need to find an instructor who certifies through that program. This isn't really any different than any other agency where you need to find an instructor who will certify you through PADI, NAUI, SSI, XYZ, ABC, etc. It's just that the LA County Basic certification is probably more locally found in southern California and less ubiquitous than the other agencies. You are correct though in that you might have to do a little more legwork to find an instructor who will certify you through the program. I do have to say that it was my instructor versus the agency who made the program so positively beneficial to myself and my wife.

 

[scstjohn]

I was first certified in Northern California by NAUI, YMCA, and NASDS (now part of SSI) in 1968. PADI was in its infancy and not offered to my knowledge in the SF Bay Area.

 

[The Mighty Thor]

PADI. Won it in an auction.