Mustard Dave
Contributor
Thank you everyone. I will look at it all. I'll let you know what I decide. I am in Tamworth. Staffs Mustard Dave.
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In that case, you have Dosthill (Clicky link) right on your doorstep. Dozzi is a flooded quarry used as a dive centre, with bogs, butty van etc. on site. Personally I would recommend learning to dive in the UK, then you can dive here as well as abroad, plus, a decent dive school will teach you in a drysuit from day one.
BSAC is worth a look. There are many clubs throughout the UK so you should be able to find a decent one nearby. With BSAC you join a club and your training is included in the membership. Many of them will loan kit free of charge for 'Ocean Diver' trainees (similar qualification to a PADI Open Water). With Dozzi so close, you there should be plenty of club members diving regularly, which may speed the training process up.
Tippytoes12 says it will take many months to train - this is true in many clubs, but it is not always the case. Some clubs run regular training events for new members, and some will even run crash courses for a fee.
Some BSAC clubs can be a little political, with certain members trying to throw their weight about. Again, this is not true of all clubs - many are excellent - but it is worth visiting a few local clubs to see what they are like.
There is a PADI school in Solihull called Aquasport I have heard good things about. It may be worth a trip to Dozzi - look for the Owner, Ian Forster. He is a really nice bloke and he will probably be able to recommend somewhere. I'm not sure about this, but I think he may run courses himself.
There is some really great diving in the UK and it isn't as cold as you would think. You can dive all year round in a drysuit, and at the moment, water temperatures are quite pleasant.