Thinking of learning Scuba.

[Locut0s]

Thinking of getting into Scuba. After snorkeling in Hawaii and Belize the last two years I'm devloping something of a yerning for diving. The local dive shop offers a full PADI course for $595. Kind of expensive but it looks really comprehensive, indoor class time followed by pool diving and several ocean trips plus all your rental gear. Anyone familiar with Scuba here?

Oh right and I'm in Vancouver here so it would be cold water, not freezing, diving.

 

[Schadenfroh]

Your local university should offer a scuba certification class. It is a good way to get college elective credit and learn / achieve certification for a useful skill.

 

[MedicBob]

SCUBA rocks...

Have fun and remeber to seek out local places and always bring a buddy.

 

[Locut0s]

Your local university should offer a scuba certification class. It is a good way to get college elective credit and learn / achieve certification for a useful skill.

I suppose. Never thought of that. Not looking for it as a skill though, or credit, just as a hobby.

 

[Farang]

$600 sounds too expensive. I've heard of people here getting it for $250, overseas mine was $300 and I thought it was a lot more enjoyable to learn in the tropical sea than an indoor pool

 

[Jeeebus]

Are you guys for scuba?

 

[Locut0s]

$600 sounds too expensive. I've heard of people here getting it for $250, overseas mine was $300 and I thought it was a lot more enjoyable to learn in the tropical sea than an indoor pool

The indoor pool is only for the first few lessons and it's for safety. Later in the course it's all ocean dives.

 

[olds]

Do they make enough dive weights to keep your head under water?

 

[Farang]

The indoor pool is only for the first few lessons and it's for safety. Later in the course it's all ocean dives.

There is nothing unsafe about doing your first few lessons in the sea. As long as you are with instructors competent enough to pick a good location.

How many dives total? Mine (and from what I've seen this is pretty standard) was the course + 2 dives for $300. Guided dives, including all equipment, ran about $25-$40 per dive.

 

[txrandom]

Got certified in two days and never went in a pool. It was fun, but I'm not sure how often I'll go scubaing.

 

[Crusty]

I got my PADI Open Water Cert for $175 including all gear rentals and check out dives. The class was 5 nights of classroom work and pool diving, then over the weekend I did a series of 5 dives in Lake Travis for my checkout dives. I only needed to do 3 I think, but it was definitely worth the extra time with my instructor.

 

[Fayd]

Thinking of getting into Scuba. After snorkeling in Hawaii and Belize the last two years I'm devloping something of a yerning for diving. The local dive shop offers a full PADI course for $595. Kind of expensive but it looks really comprehensive, indoor class time followed by pool diving and several ocean trips plus all your rental gear. Anyone familiar with Scuba here?

Oh right and I'm in Vancouver here so it would be cold water, not freezing, diving.

buying gear is fucking expensive.

if you're the type that freaks out underwater, please do everyone a favor and don't. that also goes for if you have any other phobias that might end up causing a panic attack underwater.

one of the people in my pool class dropped out quick because of this. couldn't even take it in the pool, let alone the ocean.

 

[Locut0s]

I got my PADI Open Water Cert for $175 including all gear rentals and check out dives. The class was 5 nights of classroom work and pool diving, then over the weekend I did a series of 5 dives in Lake Travis for my checkout dives. I only needed to do 3 I think, but it was definitely worth the extra time with my instructor.

Wow. I should really shop around then. Sounds like I could be getting a much better price!

 

[Fayd]

I got my PADI Open Water Cert for $175 including all gear rentals and check out dives. The class was 5 nights of classroom work and pool diving, then over the weekend I did a series of 5 dives in Lake Travis for my checkout dives. I only needed to do 3 I think, but it was definitely worth the extra time with my instructor.

dives in a lake, lol. must have sucked.

(though i suppose la jolla shores had about the same 5-8' of visibility...)

 

[Locut0s]

buying gear is fucking expensive.

if you're the type that freaks out underwater, please do everyone a favor and don't. that also goes for if you have any other phobias that might end up causing a panic attack underwater.

one of the people in my pool class dropped out quick because of this. couldn't even take it in the pool, let alone the ocean.

No I have emotional problems as most here know but not this kind of phobia.

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Some of the resorts here can get you in the water with a 1 day pool class. Then they take you out and run you through four open water dives. You're diving on vacation while you're earning your certificate.

I'm not sure what they charge but I'm pretty sure the class + the dives is less than taking a class at home then trying four dives on vacation.

It's a thought. It's kind of a learn-as-you-go thing.

Edit: http://www.mauidiveshop.com/Maui-Dive-Courses/PDF/intro.pdf

Here ya go... With pricing.

 

[Crusty]

dives in a lake, lol. must have sucked.

(though i suppose la jolla shores had about the same 5-8' of visibility...)

Certainly did, but it was nice having checkout dives with no vis IMO. To this day I haven't seen conditions nearly as bad as my checkout dives.

 

[Locut0s]

No I have emotional problems as most here know but not this kind of phobia.

But that's also another reason for the first few pool dives, to weed out those who have problems. My father for example is EXTREMELY claustrophobic and probably couldn't do it.

 

[DrPizza]

Mine was $450, or something like that. Tip: you NEED a friend to dive with. You don't dive alone. I would have loved to go diving in a few locations I was at last week, but lacking another certified diver, it was no go. I thought the price was well worth the amount of time we spent in the pool, before our open-water dives. We certainly spent a lot more time in the pool than would even be possible in 2 days of diving at resorts, let alone the open water dives. So much time was spent on emergency situations, that all that training still seems 2nd nature.

As far as purchasing your own equipment, goggles are #1, then your own flippers and wetsuit (shorty, farmer john, or whatever suits the type of water where you'll do most of your diving.) Regulator, BCD, etc.: rent.

 

[slayer202]

Do they make enough dive weights to keep your head under water?

 

[Locut0s]

Mine was $450, or something like that. Tip: you NEED a friend to dive with. You don't dive alone. I would have loved to go diving in a few locations I was at last week, but lacking another certified diver, it was no go. I thought the price was well worth the amount of time we spent in the pool, before our open-water dives. We certainly spent a lot more time in the pool than would even be possible in 2 days of diving at resorts, let alone the open water dives. So much time was spent on emergency situations, that all that training still seems 2nd nature.

As far as purchasing your own equipment, goggles are #1, then your own flippers and wetsuit (shorty, farmer john, or whatever suits the type of water where you'll do most of your diving.) Regulator, BCD, etc.: rent.

Yes this would very much be one of these in-depth type courses. As for equipment I already have a good quality mask, snorkel and flippers. I think the rest I would rent at the beginning.

 

[Texashiker]

Anyone familiar with Scuba here?

I am NAUI certified in open water I. My buddy and I took the class together back in July of 1993.

If your thinking of getting certified, get a buddy to take the class with you. There are things that you are going to need a buddy for - like rescuing a diver in distress, buddy breathing, checking each others gear,,,,,.

The buddy breathing is something where it helps if you know the other person.

My class consisted of something like 3 weekends. We did a weekend of classroom, weekend in a swimming pool, weekend at a local lake.

The lake test was interesting. There was a submerged platform maybe 8 feet square and about 15 - 20 feet deep. The students sat around the outside, the instructor in the middle. We had to take our mask off, take the regulator our of our mouth, then put the mask back on, then put mouth piece back in and clear the mask. A couple of people stated gagging when they put their mask back on and water went up their nose. But they were able to resist shooting to the surface. On top of that, the fish would swim by and check us out.

If you want to get certified, just do it. Get a buddy and take the class together.

 

[iGas]

$275 for 4 days course quite a few years ago in Mexico.

$350 is the current price in Bali, and the surrounding area.

And it is much more fun taking the course in coral reefs than in swimming pool.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

I scuba dive a lot. Let me know if you have any questions.

$600 is a lot. I got mine for about $200. Both pool and ocean dives. I live in San Jose, an hour and a half from Monterey. Cold water. This was with PADI and I didn't know any better.

PADI is synonymous with Put Another Dollar In. The class will cover the most basic of skills but will not make you a good diver by any stretch. I recommend a more rigorous class such as those offered by UTD or GUE. These are the *serious* diving organizations and have classes all the way from absolute beginner to advanced technical diving like ice diving, decompression diving, trimix, heliox, rebreather, etc. Their classes and standards are more rigorous but you come out being a much better and safer diver.

It's either the UTD/GUE classes and practice under instructor supervision and come out with solid diving skills, or do PADI and come out with not so solid skills that you later have to refine on your own time or with additional classes.

I'm not knocking the PADI instructors or information. They are good instructors and provide good information, but I think the standards are just too low. I'm constantly on edge whenever I'm diving with someone recently out of PADI - their buoyancy sucks, they are bobbing all over the place, blowing through their gas, moving their extremities all over the place, and don't have a good understanding of many scuba principles. Same with guys just out of Advanced Open Water, which is just the second level of PADI after Open Water. "Advanced" is a huge misnomer in my book.

But PADI or SSI might be the only thing available in your area, so go for it.

 

[Locut0s]

I scuba dive a lot. Let me know if you have any questions.

$600 is a lot. I got mine for about $200. Both pool and ocean dives. I live in San Jose, an hour and a half from Monterey. Cold water. This was with PADI and I didn't know any better.

PADI is synonymous with Put Another Dollar In. The class will cover the most basic of skills but will not make you a good diver by any stretch. I recommend a more rigorous class such as those offered by UTD or GUE. These are the *serious* diving organizations and have classes all the way from absolute beginner to advanced technical diving like ice diving, decompression diving, trimix, heliox, rebreather, etc. Their classes and standards are more rigorous but you come out being a much better and safer diver.

It's either the UTD/GUE classes and practice under instructor supervision and come out with solid diving skills, or do PADI and come out with not so solid skills that you later have to refine on your own time or with additional classes.

I'm not knocking the PADI instructors or information. They are good instructors and provide good information, but I think the standards are just too low. I'm constantly on edge whenever I'm diving with someone recently out of PADI - their buoyancy sucks, they are bobbing all over the place, blowing through their gas, moving their extremities all over the place, and don't have a good understanding of many scuba principles. Same with guys just out of Advanced Open Water, which is just the second level of PADI after Open Water. "Advanced" is a huge misnomer in my book.

But PADI or SSI might be the only thing available in your area, so go for it.

Wow thanks! I might just take you up on the offer to ask you more questions! I'll definitely look into if there are UTD or GUE classes around here. Vancouver isn't the diving mecca of the world but we have lots of divers here so I would be surprised if there weren't such courses here.