Beginner courses in Dublin during winter

Obscure

I'm planning on doing an Open water diving course sometime before next summer. I live in Killester and the nearest diving school to me is the National Diving School www.nds.ie

However, I emailed and phoned them and i'm not getting any response? Do diving schools normally only really open for beginners during the summer? Or would training happen all year round?

Also, i checked out the Oceantec website http://indigo.ie/~oceantec/ but they dont have much info there. If there is anyone from there could they tell me if beginner courses are run during this time of year?

tks
Ob.

vibe666

dunno about round here, sorry.

but if you are planning on a sunny holiday anywhere it's often easier to do your first dives somewhere a little more hospitable until you get to grips with it.

you can happily do the open water course on a 2 week holiday without missing out on anything, and often if it's somewhere nice, that spark of enthusiasm for breathing bottled air and forcing yourself into an evironment we just aren't welcome in

Pataman

Just finished my openwater course with www.oceandivers.ie They run all winter in Glenalbyn and in the National Aquatic Centre. Cant remember the phone number but it is on the website.

Obscure

Looks good! Thanks

What was the course like? Would you recommend it?

Ob

Peace

I've done training with the NDS and they were ok...however in recent times they have almost ceased all business...you can't get them to answer the phone or answer emails. IMO it would be a risk to try and do training with them now as they may swipe the CC and then you mightn't hear from them for 3/4months.

There are a couple of more active/stable schools in the dublin area. Flagship scuba and Great Out Doors do a lot of business and so far i've heard good things about them. However don't forget to check in the Useful links section .heresince there are about 6/7 schools listed there that give training.

One thing about diving in dublin folks and you'll get the jist in previous threads is that its very much pants!!! The best diving you'll have to travel for. Scubadivewest are very good for both beginner divers and experinced divers. They look after you (Phil will testify to this) and the have much better vis and therefore more enjoyable dives. They also provide training and their instruction is at a very high standard.

So whats it all about West v's East etc etc. Well my recomendation for anyone starting diving here in dublin would be to talk to various dive centres and see who will be willing to do the qualification dives int he west of ireland. The structure of the Open water cert is 4/5 calss room session followed by 4/5 closed water(swimming pool) session to pratice and learn the necessary skills. The classroom session + pool session happen usually the same evening so it take about 4/5 week to get the skills done.

The qualification takes a weekend. 4 Open water dives on which you'll need to demonstrate your skills. These are your first ever dives and therefore you're first diving experinces. So doing these dives in Dublin bay would (IMO) be crap.

Another thing is that you can be "refered" to another dive centre if the dive centre with whom you do you're inital training will not travel to do the open water dives. In this case you'd do all the closed water stuff and the exam here in dublin and then head off to another dive centre , say ScubadiveWest/whoever you like, and they will take you out to do the Open water dives.

Pataman posted the oceandivers link and i had a look at the web page. They look like a crowd who wouldn't have a problem toddling off to the west of ireland for a weekend. Also their prices seem reasonably standardised for Ireland. So give em a shout and see what they say....

Welcome to diving Obscure, i'm sure you'll have a good time!!

Pataman

What was the course like? Would you recommend it?

Yes i would recommend it. Just finished the pool section and 2 weeks going to Killary to do the open water stuff. Will miss the crack on a wednesday. They run a good course, not too serious, but get the necessary info across.They have enough instructors to split the class into different abilities, if necessary, so that some can have a one-2-one. Give them a shout, willie is the man to talk to. Give it a go, you could do a lot worse with €600, you will enjoy it.Good luck

ka

Obscure

Try the guys at http://www.firststagediving.com/ and speak to wither Kevin or Graham - tell them Diveology put you their way - they should be able to help you out.

Happy Diving:-)

secret_squirrel

When I was looking to do my open water I found most of the dublin based courses either too expensive or too difficult to get to.

Instead I went here for a long weekend (thurs-Sun) and learnt in the considerably warmer and more interesting waters around Kenmare. Paul the divemaster is a top bloke. Even with B&B and transport it still worked out cheaper than I could find it in dublin. Plus I had time to play tourist as well.

Peace

Originally posted by ka
Obscure

Try the guys at http://www.firststagediving.com/ and speak to wither Kevin or Graham - tell them Diveology put you their way - they should be able to help you out.

Happy Diving:-)

Firststage aren't a bad operation, i've spoken to both Kevin & Graham in the past. They seem like competant divers/instructors.

The only thing is its a pain in the ass to get to the shop, its in Co. Meath, about 15/20 miles past blanchardstown shopping centre.

I've stumbled across kenymarebay diving's website a couple of times but have never dived with them....they do technical training as well, but only as far as Advanced Nitrox ...(just though i'd stick that in there :rolleyes: )

Mick L

Originally posted by vibe666
an evironment we just aren't welcome in

I'm welcome, Peace on the other hand isn't, I know that the lobsters in Killary aren't too fond of him at all.

secret_squirrel, did you do all of the classroom/pool sessions over the weekend as well, or was the theory done beforehand?

secret_squirrel

it was the cd-rom based course so you were expected to know most of the stuff before you went and to have completed the exercises in the padi manual before ya got there. (In practice I read the book the week before and didnt touch the cd - not that I recommend you do that )

Review sessions were then carried out in the Pub (which doubles as the B&B and is both good and cheap although there is a mad american woman there) and which is on the harbour side during our lunch (between dives) and evening time with a test before our qualifying open water dives.

vibe666

yeah. i got to the point where i almost finished a divemaster internship, and my pert hate was the occasional urchin spine in the hand/knee.

my regular buddy said he actually heard me swearing and shouting one time. he was p!ssing himself laughing for ages over that.

Peace

Originally posted by Mick L
I'm welcome, Peace on the other hand isn't, I know that the lobsters in Killary aren't too fond of him at all.

secret_squirrel, did you do all of the classroom/pool sessions over the weekend as well, or was the theory done beforehand?

That lobster was looking for his pound of flesh that day i tells ya....i'm one lucky diver to have such a committed dive buddy to be laughin his ass off down there watching my near death experince..... big up mick

xzodia

try these guys


www.flagshipscuba.com