Hello from a newbie in Philly

[marrowmuse]

Hey all. I'm starting my very first SCUBA classes this evening! I must say I'm pretty excited. I've been lurking around here for a few days already, trying to get an idea of what to expect from the 5 weeks of classes, and also what to expect and where to go in Aruba, where my buddy and I have a trip planned in September. (He's doing the classes with me.) So far so good. It seems to me that there are quite a few well spoken people on this board. Thanks for the good reading!

I'm a veteran of reef aquarium boards, so I'm familiar with the benefits of discussing experiences and ideas in this medium. With this endeavor, however, I'm reading the boards FIRST!

:14:

 

[J75]

Hello from Pennsauken!

Expect to have a great time in your class. Whatever shop you're taking the class through will likely take you up to Dutch Springs in Bethlehem for your check out dives at the end of your 5 weeks. There's a lot of information and pictures of Dutch Springs to be found on here. Best of luck to you.

Hey all. I'm starting my very first SCUBA classes this evening! I must say I'm pretty excited. I've been lurking around here for a few days already, trying to get an idea of what to expect from the 5 weeks of classes, and also what to expect and where to go in Aruba, where my buddy and I have a trip planned in September. (He's doing the classes with me.) So far so good. It seems to me that there are quite a few well spoken people on this board. Thanks for the good reading!

I'm a veteran of reef aquarium boards, so I'm familiar with the benefits of discussing experiences and ideas in this medium. With this endeavor, however, I'm reading the boards FIRST!

:14:

 

[Finman08]

In terms of who to dive with in Aruba, the answer for me is easy and that's Pelican Divers (http://pelican-aruba.com/). SUPER group of people, professional, knowledgable, etc. I highly recommend them.

When are you going down there? I will be there in November for Thanksgiving...and will be at Dutch Springs the 11th of this month.

Good luck with the class - you'll love the sport!

Email me if you have questions about the class or Aruba - happy to help.

Chris

 

[marrowmuse]

Thanks for the warm welcome guys!

The classes we are doing are with Underwater World. We chose them because of the large number of sessions(10), with half of each session in the pool. Also, they did not require us to bring any gear whatsoever. That sounds like the quarry I've heard about... thanks! I'll check it out. We are planning on doing the check-out dives there in order to get as much experience as possible before we take our little trip.

We are going to be in Aruba from August 28 till September 5. We're staying at a house right on Arashi Beach. The plan is to go down there and relax the first day or so and do a bunch of snorkling from the shore so we can get used to the conditions a little. I have already heard that Red Sail is not the most personal of services, and that Pelican is a good choice. I was considering contacting DiveAruba, but I haven't really decided yet. I wanted to see what starts happening at the classes. I'm looking forward to doing some nice shallow recreational dives, complemented by unlimited snorkling from the shore.

:14:

 

[J75]

I was hoping you were going with Underwater World. They're the best in the area IMHO. Who is your instructor? Bob Burns and Rich Mampe are both excellent. I've met most of the other instructors in the shop, but haven't had them as teachers. I took my open water with them and am currently using them for the advanced class as well. I found that they had the best prices in the area for classes. Some of other local shops were charging just as much without including gear rental. They'll take you to the shop probably in your first few classes to get you set up with your equipment and you'll get familiar with their staff.

Since you're using UWW, you'll definitely be going to Dutch Springs. Check it out at www.dutchsprings.com

Good luck!

Thanks for the warm welcome guys!

The classes we are doing are with Underwater World. We chose them because of the large number of sessions(10), with half of each session in the pool. Also, they did not require us to bring any gear whatsoever. That sounds like the quarry I've heard about... thanks! I'll check it out. We are planning on doing the check-out dives there in order to get as much experience as possible before we take our little trip.

We are going to be in Aruba from August 28 till September 5. We're staying at a house right on Arashi Beach. The plan is to go down there and relax the first day or so and do a bunch of snorkling from the shore so we can get used to the conditions a little. I have already heard that Red Sail is not the most personal of services, and that Pelican is a good choice. I was considering contacting DiveAruba, but I haven't really decided yet. I wanted to see what starts happening at the classes. I'm looking forward to doing some nice shallow recreational dives, complemented by unlimited snorkling from the shore.

:14:

 

[DandyDon]

Howdy!

Welcome to SB!! :happywave Put us in your computer's favorites and check in often. This is a great place to learn, compare, argue Look around our various forums - everything from New-To-Scuba to Instructors-Only to Dive Medicine.

don

BTW - Did you set up your Profile? Some ideas for your Profle might be taken from looking at mine. Click on my Username to the upper left, then click on my Profile, and see what I've done. For your's, click the [CP] in the upper left of the screen, then click [Edit Profile]. If you need any more help, PM me direct.

 

[DMDC01]

Welcome aboard!! You will LOVE diving! There is no other sport like it...

 

[marrowmuse]

Thanks all!

J75, My instructor is Joseph Loftus, he seems like a really good guy. The first class was fun, but a bit of a tease, 'cause the pool was closed from the storms rolling through. Also, it seems we're only doing 8 classes now for some reason... Thanks for the Dutch Springs link.

DandyDon, you bet I've got SB in my favorites! Thanks for the tip on the profiles, I hadn't noticed them before. Now if I can just get around to filling it out!

 

[RIDIVER501]

welcome

 

[mobymark]

Welcome to the world of diving!!!