Scuba Diving

Can someone please give me advise on the cheapest way to do a POW course in the UK !!

I believe the online course is available to you, but you’ll still have to go into a local PADI shop to do the in water parts of the course and the exam. That said…start shopping around. Start with the PADI online shop locator tool here:

http://www.padi.com/scuba/locate-a-padi-dive-shop/default.aspx

You’ll find that the course costs are pretty well standard. There isn’t much of a difference in what one shop charges over another one. Also..bear in mind that cheap doesn’t mean better. One shop may charge a little less simply because they have high volume. Do you want to train with a shop that’s like a puppy mill for divers? Or do you want to train with one that can afford to spend more one on one time with you that isn’t so busy and you feel comfortable with? Ultimately it’s up to you.

While you’re on the PADI site, check out if on line learning is the route you want to take. I for one, am more inclined with the personal approach, rather than an online course since you’re able to ask questions face to face until you understand the material. Personal preference again. Sometimes it’s quicker as well.

doing PADI Advanced Open Water Course, it is £199. you have to do 5 adventure dives.

are these the same as speciality dive courses?
are all five included in the cost or do you have pay extra per course?

The PADI ‘Adventures in Diving’ program, which includes the Specialty courses and the ‘Adventure Diver’ and Advanced OWD ratings, is intended to be a flexible means of allowing each diver to pursue his/her own interests, at his/her own pace. Completion of every Specialty is neither required nor expected to gain the AOWD rating.

‘Adventure Dives’ are single, instructor-led dives intended to give you a taster for a particular diving activity. They can be conducted as standalone dives, or as the first dive of the related Specialty course, or (as in your case, and as occurs most often) as one of the five dives for the AOWD rating, for which the Deep (i.e. >18 m, 60 ft) and Navigation Adventure Dives are mandatory.

If you particularly enjoy an Adventure Dive, and want to learn more, you can sign up for the Specialty course. These consist of 2-4 ‘experience’ dives which you conduct under an instructor’s guidance. The theory component is minimal (covered by the relevant chapter in the ‘Adventures in Diving’ manual), and there is no exam. Specialty course dives are non-overlapping between Specialties, i.e. a single instructor-led dive on a wreck at 25 m can count towards a Deep or a Wreck Specialty, but not both*.

BUT since the first dive of the Specialty course is the ‘Adventure Dive’ in that Specialty, it CAN count towards your AOWD rating, and vice versa, i.e. the dives you do on your AOWD course CAN count towards the relevant Specialty.

The AOWD course consists of ONLY these five dives, so no, you should not have to pay ‘extra’ per ‘course’–unless you choose to go for the Specialty rating as well, in which case you will have to pay for the remaining dives of the Specialty, plus a separate certification fee.

However, it is worth double-checking whether there are any ancillary costs to the AOWD course, e.g. equipment rental, or the certification fee, which aren’t included in the price. Some of the Adventure Dives require specialist equipment (e.g. U/W Photographer requires a camera, Night Dive requires a torch, DPV Dive requires a scooter, etc…) which might not be included in the ‘basic’ price (since not everyone will choose to do these dives). Can’t hurt to ask, and might save you a nasty surprise when you see the bill.

Hope this clarified things.

*The exception to these 2 rules is the Nitrox Specialty course, i.e. there is a separate manual and an exam for the Nitrox course, and if you take nitrox on e.g. your Deep Dive, the dive can count towards both Specialties. This is because diving with nitrox does not involve new ‘diving skills’ as such, but DOES involve significant new dive-planning theory.

Hi there,

I’m going on a trip to the Sharm-el-Sheikh in January and I’d love to experience the underwater wolrd of Red Sea.

However because my time to stay in Sharm-el-Sheihk is limited I won’t be able to do a PADI course there. (I never dived before) Is there any diving clubs that takes me to a beginer’s diving tour in just 1 or 2 days?

Cheers!

You might be able to get a "resort course". It will only be valid there. But its really a waste, because you spend so much time cramming in information. As a diver, personally, I think its also dangerous.

Why cant you take a course at home? Even if you dont live near the ocean, most work is done in a pool. Look on PADI or SSI’s site for local dive instructors. It takes about 2 weeks, mostly weekend and maybe 2 nights during the week. You could do all of your testing, except your open water check out. Your local dive instructor could put you in contact with an instructer at Sharm to do your open water.

Hi there, please can someone tell me if I can opt for the 300m snorkel instead of the swim test? I am aiming to go on a diving course in few weeks, but swimming unaided (without goggles and mask) is not my best skill…

The PADI standard is worldwide. Your instructor should give you the option to do either, but! Talk to them first. Ask them, so your guaranteed to get the right answer.

As mentioned it is only really the basics. You learn about the equipment, and some of the differences to help you pick out what to buy. You learn some snorkel skills, the basic kicks and dives, The pool skills are to get you to some level of comfort underwater on scuba. You will learn how to find your regulator if you should loose it from your mouth, learn how to remove and replace your weightbelt and BC (that’s the vest and tank) and learn how to remove and replace your mask and then clear the water out of it. (this is usually the toughest one to learn as it seems uncomfortable at first. – but becomes the easiest and the clearing part is used frequently.)

You do learn some theory, but it is designed around a set of rules… Basicly the book work is about the things you need to understand so that you don’t get hurt.

once i have completed all my junior padi courses do i still have to dive with a certified adult?
Hey, i was just asking people! I didn’t say i wouldn’t! of course i wouldn’t, i would be too scared to anyway! sheesh, i was just wondering!

For you own safety yes you should/must. You’ll have more fun that way too.

I’m looking for a 2 star PADI course – can anyone recommend a beautiful diving place with a safe course for a good price? (don’t want to pay much more than $450)
Looking more for Western European countries.

Not sure what you mean by a ’2 star PADI course’, since PADI ratings don’t have stars as such–I assume you mean the PADI course which has an equivalent CMAS ** rating…? The levels are not exactly equivalent–PADI ratings are as follows (NB CMAS equivalents are from memory, and may not reflect current standards):

Scuba Diver (SD)
Non-autonomous rating–may not dive without instructor/divemaster, max. depth 12 m, min. 2 logged dives) (approx. CMAS *)

Open Water Diver (OWD)
Completed entry-level training as an autonomous diver in familiar environments (or following orientation to a new environment/site by e.g. Divemaster), may dive with another OWD, max. depth 18 m, min. 4 logged dives (approx. CMAS *)

Advanced OWD
Experience beyond entry-level training, in a wider variety of depths/conditions, may dive with OWD or better, max. depth 30 m, min. 9 logged dives (approx. CMAS **, but lacking some rescue training requirements)

Rescue Diver
Trained in various diver rescue scenarios, or can assist Divemaster in a rescue situation, max. limits according to training/experience, requires first aid certification, min. 20 logged dives (exceeds CMAS ** requirements)

Divemaster (DM)
Qualified to lead groups of certified divers, within limits of their training and experience, or assist Instructors with training students (PADI SD to Rescue courses), min. 60 logged dives, min. age 18 years at course start (CMAS ***)

Without knowing what qualification you already hold, I cannot say whether PADI AOWD or PADI Rescue would be more appropriate for you–a dive centre will be better able to advise you on the current standards.

As far as availability goes, there are PADI schools all over Europe–try www.padi.com to find one in the area where you would like to take the course (I would recommend the Mediterranean in summer for ‘beautiful diving’), and check diving magazine classifieds and ads (DIVER magazine in the UK has very good dive centre listings, which you may also be able to find online at www.divernet.com).

I would strongly recommend you check out dive centre website FAQs, and email any prospective centres requesting information. Ask about price, what’s included, course requirements, dates/availability, how many students on the course (NB Rescue courses with only one student aren’t nearly as much fun–or as useful, IMHO–as with e.g. 3 or 4) and anything else which you might wish to know, based on your preferences.

EDIT: Might also be worth asking how fluent the centre’s Instructors are in English–unless you fancy doing the course in pidgin, or another language entirely.

A group email to multiple addresses should give you an initial idea of the level of customer service you can expect. Of the responses you get, perhaps send a second email to those which sound most helpful to fill in any missing information, e.g. diving conditions, what kind of suit/equipment you might require. I would recommend you make your final choice based on all factors, not just price (bearing in mind that those who pay peanuts, often get monkeys), and then all you have to do is make your travel/accommodation arrangements.

Good luck with it. Feel free to mail me via Answers if you’d like any further advice/opinion.

I am considering taking up scuba diving but want to know what the best course is to take?

This is something of a meaningless question these days, for the following reasons:

ALL entry level courses now have roughly the same structure, regardless of which agency is certifying you (BSAC,PADI, SSI, SDI, NAUI, etc.). You will learn basic dive skills with your instructor in a pool or pool-like environment, and cover basic dive theory by home study and/or classroom sessions/reviews. Finally you will do 4-5 ‘open water’ dives where you show the instructor that you know how to put these skills into practice.

How the course is timetabled depends on the individual dive shop’s policies. Dive training agencies specify only minimum course content and skill training order, NOT timetables. Nearly all agencies’ courses can be done as intensive 4-5 day courses (full days, 7-8 hours), or spread out over a longer period (e.g. 1-2 evenings per week for 1-2 months). Don’t let anyone tell you different.

Secondly, no one agency is ‘safer’ than any other. Very few diving accidents actually occur during basic training, and instructors/shops whose (in)actions result in death/injury to their students don’t tend to stay in business very long. Once certified, all divers are responsible for their own safety, so the ‘flavour’ of their certification really becomes immaterial after that point.

Regardless of which agency affiliation(s) they hold, ALL dive instructors working in the UK are required to follow the ‘Diving at Work’ Health & Safety guidelines, adhere to the course standards specified by the relevant training agency (PADI take remedial/disciplinary action when breaches of standards come to their attention), and to hold professional liability insurance.

Competence underwater is acquired with experience, so newly-qualified entry-level divers will generally come off their courses at approximately equal levels of (in)competence, regardless of the certifying agency. Any differences in ability between individual divers will be a function of both the student’s own natural aptitude/diligence, and the amount of care taken by their instructor to remedy any deficiencies. Thus, the most important factor affecting the ‘quality’ of a dive course is the instructor him/herself, not the certifying agency.

There are many very good instructors out there, but I have also met a few I wouldn’t trust to teach my least favourite person. Your best guide to the level of attention you can expect on your course is to visit all the dive shops in your area. Ask to speak to one of the instructors, if possible, and sign up with the one who inspires the most confidence. For me, this would be someone who seems most willing to take the time to talk to me, answers my questions honestly and in sufficient detail, and treats me as a person rather than a walking wallet.

Finally, DON’T pick a course based purely on price, for two reasons. (1) If you pay peanuts, you quite often get monkeys. (2) ‘Budget’ courses may have ‘hidden extras’ (e.g. gear rental, air fills, boat fees) which push the final price higher than an ‘all-inclusive’ quote–find out what’s included and what isn’t, before you sign up. NB With commercial agenices (i.e. not BSAC), you pay course fees to the shop, but certification fees to the agency, so an extra certification fee would not be unusual–but it shouldn’t be excessive.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to mail me through Y!A.

I am looking into doing my rescue course in the next month or so there are a few places around here offering them though my choice now lies between doing it with PADI or SSI, so far I have trained with PADI but they guy at the dive shop told me the SSI is more intense than with PADI. I am now at a loss as to if I should stick with PADI or change to SSI any advice anyone could give me would be a great help

Congratulations on making the step. I think it was by far the most valuable class that I have taken. First of all let me say that I have gone the NAUI route (mostly because that where I started) and am not speaking from first hand experience with either of the programs. But this also makes me unbiased. Are both classes being given from the same store? (the reason I ask, is because then you are choosing from curriculums not shops – and the answer changes) The courses are similar from a academics point of view. Containing:
Self-rescue and diver stress
dive first aid
swimming and non-swimming rescue techniques
emergency management and equipment
panicked diver response
underwater problems
missing diver procedures
surfacing the unconscious diver
in-water rescue breathing protocols
egress (exits)
first aid procedures for pressure related accidents
dive accident scenarios
And I am not sure if SSI requires AED and emergency oxygen delivery systems but PADI does.

So how could they be different? Padi’s method of teaching is a little more "prescribed". As an instructor you are asked to teach set drills in a certain manner. SSI allows a little more personalized instruction / the instructor can modify / tailor the course slightly to meet your needs as a student and the environment you dive in.

That being said, I’ll go back to the standby answer for any question that asks which is better… and that is yes while IMHO some organizations courses are setup better than others, it does very much depend on the instructor teaching it and the shop he’s teaching through. (if not an independent instructor) Speak with the instructors and get a feel for who you will work better with. Ask questions about how large the class is, how is it taught, what happens if you don’t get a skill right away, will the instructor work one on one if need be (and does it cost). Really there is a lot to gain by interviewing your instructor. What kind of diver are they? Did they hit instructor and stop? Are they learning new things/Taking classes etc?

How many times have they taught a Rescue class? – actually this is important. As an instructor you can teach anything up to instructor. Some have only taught open water over and over again after they made instructor. (They have to teach at least one advanced class to become an instructor) So they are relearning the academics one step ahead of you.

Get a good feel of what you will get out of the class. And lastly, don’t just price shop. Sometimes you get what you pay for… And this is one class where a few dollars may make the difference between an OK and a Great learning experience.

You will never look at diving the same again! — But it’s well worth it. Log on to scubaboard.com and look in the advanced divers section for stories about peoples classes. Helps you get an idea for what you’re in for. Good luck and Have fun!

Has anyone out there done these courses in the North and can recomend a dive school, which they feel they can recomend.

You’re best off to visit those shops yourself. It’s going to be completely up to you how you feel about them. One person’s fav dive shop could be someone else’s nightmare.
Here’s a link to the PADI dive shop directory.

http://www.padi.com/padi/common/dcnr_distance/default.aspx

Just type in Newcastle, UK. You’ll find a few listed there along with most of each dive shop’s web sites.