Why PADI dive shop was trying to convince me to do PADI eLearning thru them?

[oly5050user]

Sorry, I didnt get that. Why cant I register on PADI.com website for eLearning myself you say?
How is that related to "You do not bring brake pads to a mechanic and ask them to install it for you" - it's just a theory online course.
What does it have to do with a specific dive shop?

mechanic pays for new brake pads at a wholesale rate and sells it to you at retail along with the labor charges and bases their fees on that.Bring your own and he makes less money.Some may accept your bringing brake pads,but then will not offer and warrenty on them at all being you purchased elsewhere.Can end up costing you more in the end.

 

[monstro]

Thanks Wookie. The thought is that I don't know any of them They all look the same to me (I mean the instructors). Since I am no expert, how could I possible know which one is better? And if I was an expert, I wouldn't need an instructor. And really It's just for a weekend learning, especially that the Theory I learn myself, I need instructor only for the confined water course. And when I go to the South later - OW dives, there it will be someone else of course.

 

[monstro]

oly5050, yes, thanks, I got it
So , you guys suggest that I register for eLEarning with the LDS I choose, do the eLearning and the Confined water course with them, and the OWD 4 dives I can do on my vacation somewhere in Caribbean when I go there by myself (not via the dive shop)? I want to plan my own vacation time, not related to the LDS, and during my travel, I can do the OWD dives and get the certificate ?

And since you are experienced in all that - is there a true reason to choose one system vs the other - I mean PADI vs SSI vs ... I see most of the post are related to PADI being the biggest agency. But on your personal opinion - what agency would you choose? The important factor besides the quality of training for me is the recognition of the certificate around the world. Thank you.

 

[oly5050user]

oly5050, yes, thanks, I got it
So , you guys suggest that I register for eLEarning with the LDS I choose, do the eLearning and the Confined water course with them, and the OWD 4 dives I can do on my vacation somewhere in Caribbean when I go there by myself (not via the dive shop)? I want to plan my own vacation time, not related to the LDS, and during my travel, I can do the OWD dives and get the certificate ?

And since you are experienced in all that - is there a true reason to choose one system vs the other - I mean PADI vs SSI vs ... I see most of the post are related to PADI being the biggest agency. But on your personal opinion - what agency would you choose? The important factor besides the quality of training for me is the recognition of the certificate around the world. Thank you.

Training wise it does not matter..All comes down to how good the instructor is in presenting material and demonstrating skills. From a consumer viewpoint PADI would be a choice as if you complete the required training dives elsewhere on vacation it is easier to find PADI instr's than any other agency instr because there are simply more of them.You cannot throw a margarita over your shoulder without hitting one on most islands

 

[hilld]

If you are doing a classroom/online and pool at your LDS, I would start to call the dive shops of your tropical destination and see what agencies they are affiliated and then choose your local LDS. PADI, NAUI, SSI, etc, will all teach you the same skills to become an OW diver, they might do it in a different sequence, etc. I cannot comment on that as I have only experienced PADI, but many people I have talked to have confirmed my comment.

Personally, if I were you, I would try to do all my OW related coursework at home, including the 4 or 5 checkout dives, that way you have more time on your vacation to dive rather than get certified. You are probably spending a lot of money to get to the warm waters, you might as well spend them diving the places you want to go, plus you will have more experience under more stressful situations such as a thicker wetsuit and more weight, it will make warm water diving seem like a piece of cake.

 

[monstro]

Thanks a lot for your suggestions! Since I live in Canada, OW dives could be problem (winter ).
So, for now I was thinking about doing it in Roatan, near Honduras, since it's the closest location to me and famous diving spot as well.
Besides I plan to do some backpacking in Central America for a few weeks. I also plan to have laser eye surgery done, to get rid of glasses in March, some rest/recovery period and April-May I could go for a OW dives. One question though - I travel light, so, if I take my mask only, since I believe it's the only "personal" SCUBA equipment that is absolutely necessary, the rest can be rented. So my next question is about rent prices, in average - what does it include, the equipment of course, and the "instructor" that takes you on a bout to a dive spot, how long is the dive usually for which you pay, 1 tank dive, 2 tanks dive... Could you guys elaborate in more details how the diving is done on these locations if I have only mask as my personal gear. And the prices for all that. Thanks a bunch.

 

[oreocookie]

If I'm reading this right, you're thinking of doing your certification dives in April/May? Depending on the LDS, they may be already doing certification dives in that time frame, yes, even in Canada. fyi, Roatan isn't just near Honduras, it's part of Honduras. If you're backpacking, you may want to consider Utila (the next island over from Roatan) as well, there if you decide you don't like one shop, the next one is right next door.

 

[TSandM]

Monstro, in the open water class, there is a certain body of information you have to learn, and a set of skills you have to master.

The academic portion of the class can be done on-line, which has benefits, like immediate feedback and flexible scheduling. At least with PADI, before beginning the confined water dives, you will have a review quiz that is proctored by the instructor (so it's not open-book). If you do not do the on-line learning, you will have classroom time as part of your course through the LDS. You will have concepts reviewed by an instructor, and you will complete and submit Knowledge Reviews, and do quizzes and a final exam. So you would not be learning entirely "on your own", even though you have the materials.

At least with the shops I know here (both PADI and NAUI) you would also work with the same instructor (as well as perhaps additional staff) to do the confined water dives. If you choose not to do the open water dives at home, you would then get a referral to the PADI dive shop of your choice in the tropics.

There are a lot of advantages to doing your OW dives at home, if the weather permits it. There is a lot more flexibility in scheduling when you are at home -- should a cold, or ear trauma cause you to have to miss a day, it can be made up -- this can be difficult if you're trying to get your dives done during a limited vacation period. In addition, if you have any problems with any of the skills and need some additional time, this is not time out of your vacation.

But I can understand the issues with OW dives up where you are, and if your vacation time is already set, you may need to do a referral. People do them all the time.

I will second the statement that price should NOT be your primary selecting factor for an OW class. Try to find one that has a lot of pool time, and if possible, pool time spread over a number of days, so you have time to integrate your experiences. High staff ratios are also good. I think there's a sticky in the New Divers subforum on choosing an instructor -- it has a lot of good information in it.

I hope this has clarified things a little bit for you. Have fun -- diving is a wonderful sport!

 

[akscubainst]

What Lynn Said! ^^^^

And commission aside, the instructor needs to be able to track your progress on the Learning website. They need to see that you are passing the modules, they need to receive the final report and you have to take a paper quiz with the instructor before you are all signed off. So there is a need for you to link to them.

If you refer out, they will provide you with documents saying that you have completed the Elearning and pool work so that your receiving instructor knows what you have done. If you stay at home, they will have all the documents that they need to certify you.

 

[Wookie]

...I also plan to have laser eye surgery done, to get rid of glasses in March, some rest/recovery period and April-May I could go for a OW dives.... Thanks a bunch.

I would be darn sure I spoke to my surgeon before I made those plans. I was out of the water for 6 months, although I'm sure my laser surgery was different than yours. I had PRK, which is far more invasive than lasik.