Scuba Diving Certs!! Guys help me out!

[Michael_Lambert]

Alright,

So i want to get certifed.. Tired of stealing my buddies rigs Really only need it so that i can rent my own gear and go on the diving excursions with them.. right now they can rent me stuff and we do lake diving but really want to do the excursions..

I was looking at PADI as its world wide reconized, how ever here where i live its about $650 Canadian for the dam course! .. But there is a local shop that does the SSI ( Scuba School International ) for $150... Anyone konw if the SSI is well know eles where, i know ever where here in Ontario accepts it for rentals.. but i want to be able to dive when we go on vacations!..

What do you all have.. anyone have the SSI ?

Thanks
Michael

 

[LuckyInk]

$650??!!
I'm a NAUI guy myself and feel their training is pretty comprehensive for open water cert.

 

[Cougra]

Micheal, the $650 is about average for most of the places in Toronto. If you wait and find out when the next dive show is or if you go to the outdoor adventure show (usually in spring) you can get discounts on dive courses. Also check to see if the price includes all rentals as some of the clubs charge extra for them. You will need your own basic equipment such as mask snorkle fins and boots for most of the courses which add to the total cost of certification.

I got my certification through Waterline Sports and really enjoyed the course. The instructors are really good however they used swimming pools in local community centres and schools. Just north of the city there is a dive centre (Scuba2000 I think) that is said to have a dedicated pool for diving lessons and the price of the course is competative to the other places that I've seen.

Which clubs have you looked at to get certified?

PS when you do your openwater test, try to get out to Gorgian Bay! Wonderful diving there

 

[mikej11]

PADI is the most recognized cert you can get. With SSI and NAWI many dive shops will rent you gear and take you on dive tours. I work for a dive company here in Kauai (Hawaii). We do certs for $425 (single) and $375 (two of more). I think PADI is the way to go. The skills and concepts are very easy to understand and use.

If you have anymore questions, please ask.

Mike J.

 

[Michael_Lambert]

Which clubs have you looked at to get certified?

PS when you do your openwater test, try to get out to Gorgian Bay! Wonderful diving there

So far i have looked into a couple..

Aquarius , Who claim the full PADI Course is $250 everything inclided..
AquaSub, Who qouted me $650 for everthing included.
The Diveshop in newmarket, Who said i can get teh SSI course for $150 everything included.

 

[Cougra]

Hmmm Aquarius seems less expensive then anything I found when I was looking three years ago. I was quoted between $450 to $700 for the courses that included the pool time, instruction kit, and all equipment for the openwater dive. The ones that were less then that didn't include equipment for the openwater dive and/or charged additional pool fees. The "Everything" included the entire Scuba Manual, charts and inclass instruction. I would definately ask about the one being offered at Aquarius and the one for the SSI course again to see if that price includes equipment rentals for openwater tests.

 

[Michael_Lambert]

But in theroy, Wheather i get PADI or SSI.. There really is only one way to learn Scuba right?

 

[Cougra]

I really don't know much about SSI but I've been PADI certified and my mother was NAUI certified. I felt that she was taught a lot more with the NAUI certification then I was with the PADI certification. I think the difference in the types of certification is how much theory and practical lessons you learn in the classes.

The reason I felt that the NAUI course offered more is because they did more pooldives and openwater dives. Where PADI is seperated into Openwater and Advanced openwater (which allows you to go on deeper dives then the Openwater diver) NAUI only had one level equivalent to the Advanced openwater diver. Whereas I had to pay for two courses to get to the same level of certification. Since I've only been certified through PADI any conclusion I make about NAUI is from what I heard and browsing through the NAUI course material.

Although the basics are fundamentally the same, the amount of information imparted to you and the methods of teaching may be different. Find out how many and length of in pool lessons as well as how many dives you need to become certified for each of the different certs.

 

[sharks]

I am now going through NAUI certs. I read alot online and from what I gather PADI is the crash course that most hotels/dive destinations offer. In a few days you are diving. With one more dive to go the NAUI course teaches alot more then most PADI courses.
If you look at the dive forums this is a heated debate and many people don't like what PADI has created. From what I have gathered PADI offers quick certs but there are many more sub classes to continue your dive education.
Where NAUI has less classes and more focus on the diving basics.
But this is all new to me and only what I have gathered from online and what my friends have told me.
I was reading on one site where divers were saying that they would rather not buddy dive with PADI certified person vs. NAUI/SSI.
Please take your time and decide what is the best course for you.
I did debate back and forth and chose NAUI.
Then signed up for DAN insurance. http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/
All this and I have only done 1 ocean dive here in NJ.
JMHO HIH
S

 

[LuckyInk]

I read alot online and from what I gather PADI is the crash course that most hotels/dive destinations offer. In a few days you are diving. With one more dive to go the NAUI course teaches alot more then most PADI courses.

Good point. Read this article and this article to learn more about the dangers of resort classes.
And yes, DAN is a good program to participate in. Me and my dive family are all longtime members.

 

[Woodstock]

Very interesting thread. Good for you Michael!! I have wanted to get certified for a long time. My sister and brother-in-law dive frequently and have been encouraging me to join them. Hummm....