questions from newby

[Tuss]

I've been wanting to get my SCUBA certification for ages, but now i'm actually looking into it seriously.  HOwever, here in Calgary you can only do the classroom portion of the course and then they give you a letter until you complete the rest.  I want to do this, and then go on a trip south and complete the course and go on a few dives.  My questions:  first, has anyone done their certification this way?  I"m worried that the classroom training here won't be accepted and then my trip will be ruined.  Second, any recommendations for a good place to go for a fun trip where i can get my certification and do some nice diving?  I heard Honduras was nice.  I was in Belize last year, so don't want to go back there.  Any other suggestions?  ONly have a week, so i cna't go too far from here.  Thanks guys

[mojitomiss_cuba]

Tuss, in a word COZUMEL 

I did the classroom/pool portion of the course here in Toronto a couple of weeks before our trip to Coz and did the referral at the Allegro, no problems at all. I just took the dive log and medical info that was signed off by my instructor in Toronto saying I had completed all of the requirements needed to do the O/W portion of the course.
I had to do 4 dives for the O/W portion (one shore and 3 boats, actually it's supposed to be 2 shore/2 boat, but my dive instructor "bent" the rules a little for me. Hint: get in good with your dive instructor)

GO FOR IT GIRL!!

[flopnfly]

Tuss,

Like Momiss just said, Do It!!!

I did my full certification course in Curacao last year.  I wouldn't recommend that if you're only going for one week, it's a lot of work doing the studying at night when you're supposed to be on vacation.

I just did my advanced certification in Cozumel this year, and again I had homework to do. 


Do what Wendy did, and do the classroom and pool work at home.  That way when you get to the resort all you have to do is go out on 4 dives and you're certified!!!

[JohnnyCastaway]

To echo Mojitomiss and Flopnfly, Just do it!!  

if you do your course in Calgary with a PADI authorized dive training centler, and then when booking your trip, make sure that there is a Padi Dive Center either on the resort, or close by, you should have not problems at all with a referral from your training shop.  Best thing to do is find a place you'd like to go to, research what the dive shop there is like and if they are PADI, then contact them, and find out if they will accept the referral.  Try to arrange completing your pool and classroom work to coincide as close as possible to the trip (with in a couple of weeks at most) so that it's all fresh in your mind when you go down south, and you'll just breeze right through it.

You might also want to look at doing your open water in BC, although most spots are a little cooler (Than down south), there are some good warm areas too that may just work for you.

Hope that helps.
Good Luck.

[JohnnyCastaway]

Sites:
Honduras - reports nice diving, haven't dove there, but it's on the list. more specifically, Roatan or Antilla
Cozumel - mainly drift diving, lots of fun, lots to see, lots of PADI shops
Curacao - some of the best diving that I've done yet!!
Bonaire - better than Curacao from what we've heard...  also on the list to go to
Grenada - haven't done it, but I have a friend who goes down there alot and loves it
Bahamas - great diving, lots of shops there, used to be my benchmark for diving before Curacao
Florida -haven't been there, but all reports say it's worth diving there also lots of Dive shops
DR - Not so great diving,  lots of PADI shops there
Jamaica - OK diving, some cool things to see there, lots of PADI shops.
Cuba - NO PADI!!!  Ok diving
Caymans - haven't been, but I've heard it's worth going to

[Gambitt]

And the 4th Member of the "7 Days in Paradise Dive Team" says....  Just Do it!!!

And, while PADI is the Most recognised dive Certifier, You CANNOT complete a PADI Cert. in Cuba.  (the whole embargo thing)

Both NAUI and SSI are also accepted world wide, and offer similar courses, so if Cuba is your choice, you can use either of these!

See ya Under the Surf!!!

[Tuss]

Thanks guys - i'm glad to hear that i can do the classroom/pool portion of the course here and then go somewhere fun for the open water stuff.  My new BF is an experienced diver so we wanted to go somewhere together; he can do some advanced dives while i do my certification dives and then we can dive together!  That's the plan at least.  We were hoping to go "off the beaten path" and not do the AI resort thing.  I'll look into Curacoa, Bonaire and Honduras as i don't know much about those places.

[flopnfly]

Tuss,

Curacao only has one AI resort on the island and that is Superclubs Breezes.

If you don't want to do the AI, then check out Lions Dive Resort.  It's a nice little resort, but it is also where the main dive shop is for Ocean Encounters.
Big Boats, great dive masters, good equipment and you can do shore dives from there as well. 

There are lots of dive ops on Curacao, and you can also rent a car and a couple of tanks and just drive around and do shore dives.  The areas are clearly marked.

I did my OW course and John did some diving while I was doing that and then we went diving together.

The diving is fantastic in Curacao, and I highly recommend it.  It's not drift diving.

[mojitomiss_cuba]

Tuss it's too bad you hadn't done the scuba course before your trip to Belize last year. Now there's another place that is on my list of places I want to dive (I'm actually surprised that's not on JC's list) 

But like John mentioned, try to do the course as close to your planned vacation as possible, while it's still pretty fresh in your mind. Then you only have to do 2 dives a day for 2 days for your certification and then you are free to dive as much (or little) as you please with the new BF.

again I repeat: GO FOR IT 

[FredTracie]

Tuss
  There is also some good diving to be had just outside of Banff, I dove in the lake in the 70's and I remember there was a town site that was flooded and an underwater phonebooth.. just add air ..take your mask off and talk..breath etc. at about 60 feet... I believe it was maintained by a dive club in Calgary? I remember there was a dam and visibility was quite good..... Not recommended, but I have also dove Lake Louise, 3 days after the ice went out (around May 24) ..visibility was awesome .. a week later you could not see your hand in front of your face.. (run off) recovered some awesome bottles and there are tons of shoes on the bottom, a ritual from the summer staff!
 
      Good Luck and enjoy your adventure.

                  F&T       (just remembered, Lake Minnewanka)