Open water cert

Umiq88

Going on holiday in september with a friend to florida and the diving is supposed to be good and something we'd both be interested in.

Thinking it would be better to learn here and then go over but not sure?

Is an open watercert what we need?

How long does this take and what will it cost?

Are there any advatages of doing it over there? We're going to the keys.

Borzoi

psittacosis wrote: »

Is an open watercert what we need?

How long does this take and what will it cost?

Are there any advatages of doing it over there? We're going to the keys.

1) Yes, generally, there are other options, but that's the easiest/most common start

2) Usually 5 days (3 day pool and training, 2 days open water training dives) no idea on cost in Florida

3) Much warmer in the keys, lots of sheltered waters, lots to see, loads of choice, cheaper equipment (if you want to buy)

Basicly the Keys are pretty much a divers paradise, do it!

denismc

The course takes 4-5 days and can be fairly intensive so it may be an idea to do it here and have 4-5 days of pleasure diving when you go to Florida.
Also you may find the diving here very enjoyable.
There are numerous places around the country that teach the course.
Away from the east coast conditions tend to be better
Theres a list of dive centres here http://scuba.ie/centres/index.htm
Denis

Umiq88

Ok can anyone give me an idea on cost.

Also my girlfriends uncle has his own rib and equipment and dives alot can we do it through him or any part of it dont fancy paying alot. Or is this really only an option for practice.

denismc

Have a look at the PADI website, www.padi.com all the info is on there.
Your uncle may have a boat and equipment but unless he has an instructor qualification from a recognized organisation any training he gives you will not be recognized by dive centres and you will not be able to dive.
Denis

Pawwed Rig

I'd do the course in Florida if I were you. A swimming pool v crystal clear tropical water??? The OW course isn't that intense and can usually be done over 3 days at a Padi centre. Check out centres online and call them to make sure they can accommodate. Did mine in Thailand. Was great. You're gonna love it.

green123

The first course you need to do is the padi open water course - in ireland it costs about 600 euro from most dive centres.
here is a link to a list of dive centres : http://www.mydivelocker.ie/dive-centers/

but that is only the first course you need to do because after doing it you will be limited to 18m dives.
you really need to continue on and also do an advanced open water course, which will cost about 400 euro. reputable dive centres will not take you deeper than 18m without the advanced card.

whether you do the course in ireland or florida really depends on your budget ( prob cheaper over there ) and it also depends on how much of your holiday you want to spend doing the course.
in ireland it is usually a 5 day course, full days with a good portion of time in a classroom watching videos and learning from the book. there is also an exam to do. and i think about 9 shallow practice dives.

if you can i would advise doing the open water here during the summer, and then doing the advanced course on your holiday.
that way you wont waste too much of your holiday on the first open water course.
the advanced course is not actually advanced at all - it is just 5 nice supervised dives really

edit to say that maybe 18m is enough for some nice diving in florida, but i still think you should do the open water here first

loctite

green123 wrote: »

The first course you need to do is the padi open water course - in ireland it costs about 600 euro from most dive centres.
here is a link to a list of dive centres : http://www.mydivelocker.ie/dive-centers/

but that is only the first course you need to do because after doing it you will be limited to 18m dives.
you really need to continue on and also do an advanced open water course, which will cost about 400 euro.

Firstly, there are numerous diver training bodies around the world. The "Open Water" certification is the PADI method, which granted is the worlds largest training organisation. But....

1. You don't have to do an open water course to be certified. You can also do a "Scuba Diver" certification which will mean that you are certified to dive with a PADI professional (i.e. Instructor or Divemaster). This will cost less and takes less time to complete.

Openwater courses range from about 450-650 euro depending on location. I have found rates in Dive Centre in Kilkee (www.oceanlife.ie) to be best value. Cost 495 euro.

2. Nobody HAS to complete any course once obtaining a certification, whilst the PADI system encourages further education, it is optional. (Costs of Advanced courses according to Oceanlife - 295 euro)

3. In my personal opinion and from experience in training divers, those that learn to dive in Ireland become better at dealing with cold water conditions verses those that have trained in warmer climes. What I mean by this is, if you learn in Florida, the conditioons are akin to diving in a pool. Very pleasent,far easier and less stressful. In Ireland by virtue of the water temperature, we need thicker wet suits, more weights etc, and it can be more stressful for beginners. If you think that this may be a hobby you may be interested in getting into in Ireland, I would recommend doing the course here. If it is going to be a purely holiday activity, do it abroad.