Question from newbie... Getting Certified in Winter where it's COLD!

[NukeHed]

I received a trip to New Zealand from my DW for Christmas. We are going in Feb 09. We have talked about scuba diving and taking lessons...but as always there were more important things to do.

The local dive shops can't do open water cert dives, seeing as it's winter and everything is frozen. Although I can do classroom and pool instruction.

Questions...
#1 Can I do classroom and pool stuff here and get cert dives in New Zealand?

#2 Is it even worth the trouble to try and push this through with so liitle time before the trip?

#3 I have moderate asthma, but work out regularly, will the asthma be a hinderance to getting a medical clearance?

Thanks in advance for any info or opinions

 

[Jorgy]

PADI (others?) offers a referral process that works great.

My wife and I did our classroom and pool sessions in Shanghai and did out check out dives in Saipan, no issues at all.

That was back in 2001, now with the internet you can locate dive shops around the world and make this happen, quite easily.

I would do some surfing, send some e-mails and if the responses are positive go for it.

I think NZ would be once-in-a-lifetime dive trip©å.

Mike

 

[Phil_218]

NukeHed,

First of all, welcome to ScubaBoard. As for your questions:

#1. I'm not sure with other certifying agencies on this one, but PADI does allow a referral. You can do the classroom and pool sessions at your Local Dive Shop (LDS) and then do checkout dives in New Zealand. You will need to ask for a referral from your LDS to give the NZ shop. Be sure to set this up prior to leaving for your vacation to ensure its available while you are there.

#2. Yes, its worth it. No doubt about it.

#3. You will be required to get a physical by your family doctor prior to beginning the Open Water training and he will be able to answer this question for you. However, if you take care of yourself physically and follow your doctors recommended maintenance treatment for your athsma, I don't see it as being a problem. (just my humble opinion).

Again, welcome aboard, and best of luck on your vacation.

 

[Lead_carrier]

I received a trip to New Zealand from my DW for Christmas. We are going in Feb 09. We have talked about scuba diving and taking lessons...but as always there were more important things to do.

The local dive shops can't do open water cert dives, seeing as it's winter and everything is frozen. Although I can do classroom and pool instruction.

Questions...
#1 Can I do classroom and pool stuff here and get cert dives in New Zealand?

#2 Is it even worth the trouble to try and push this through with so liitle time before the trip?

#3 I have moderate asthma, but work out regularly, will the asthma be a hinderance to getting a medical clearance?

Thanks in advance for any info or opinions

If you do try and push it through before the trip, it will be some work to get it done, according to when in Feb.

Check to see if NZ falls under the Austrailian dive rules. I have gone over their medical evaluation and from what I've heard, they're pretty strick about it. Check it out before hand just to make sure.

 

[seaducer]

Questions...
#1 Can I do classroom and pool stuff here and get cert dives in New Zealand?

Yes, it is called a refferal. Just contact a dive shop in the area you will be staying to make sure they have instructors of the same agency as the pool/classroom you are doing at home, and schedule your checkouts for the beginning of your trip to make the most of your time.

#2 Is it even worth the trouble to try and push this through with so liitle time before the trip?

I'd as soon cut my eyeballs out with a rusty spoon as give up diving. This to me is a silly question, of course it is totally worth it!

However, make sure you recieve some quality instruction, pay attention in class, study at home, and enjoy yourself. Remember that your education actually starts with your c-card, it does not end when you get it. There are many threads about how to choose an agency and instructor here to read through.

#3 I have moderate asthma, but work out regularly, will the asthma be a hinderance to getting a medical clearance?

You will need to be examined by a doctor and have him/her sign you off as medically cleared to dive. I would think the dry clean air in your tank would help rather than aggravate your asthma. When I was a child I had asthma also, now no worries. But do see your doctor and listen to their advice.

Have fun, and be advised, diving can easily become the dominant theme of all your vacations from here on out...

 

[NukeHed]

The classes at the LDS are listed as SDI and PADI...so I would have to find someone in NZ who is either SDI or PADI?? IS that correct?

 

[rstofer]

Sure, but PADI is EVERYWHERE! Go to PADI. The Way The World Learns to Dive and play around.

I don't know if NZ will accept a doctor's release from the US but it would be worth the attempt. There is also a medical questionnaire that needs to be filled out. Your local LDS will have it.

When I took the NAUI program in Singapore ('88) I had to go to a doctor specializing in diving medicine for a chest X-ray and checkup. It was no big deal.

Richard

 

[Nismo]

If your asthma is controlled well, you shouldn't have much trouble. Really dry air can be a trigger for some people, so make sure you take your rescue inhaler with you on all dives and definitely speak to your doctor about wanting to dive. I dont know what you take if anything for your asthma. Discuss the use of a steroid on dive days. Could help prevent swelling and irritation when diving. You may not even need a steroid. If you exercise regularly all year, and don't have trouble in the winter when air is typically much drier, you'll probably be fine.

 

[zfrye]

The classes at the LDS are listed as SDI and PADI...so I would have to find someone in NZ who is either SDI or PADI?? IS that correct?

NukeHed:

SDI allows an instructor from any agency to conduct certification dives with the appropriate referral from your instructor. SDI also requires the use of a dive computer with it's training, so you'll need to have/rent one for your certification dives. Their course does not teach dive tables, although some LDSs teach those in addition to the required curriculum. They also do not require that skills be performed in open water if you've done them satisfactorily in the confined water portion of your training.

PADI does require certification by a PADI instructor, but as someone else said, PADI is everywhere, so it probably wouldn't be difficult to find a PADI instructor where you're going.

 

[NukeHed]

Update:

I wish to thank all for their input and information, it was very helpful. I also want to thank the following: my LDS and Dan, Chris @ SDI, and the dive shop in NZ, Splash Gordon. After some emails went sent and questions asked it was confirmed that I could do the cert dives in NZ on a global referral.

However, my doctor was less helpful with my medical cert (required in NZ) regarding my asthma, he wanted me to come in for a chest xray and spirometry.

Time is very short (trip is Feb 1) and with changes to the itinerary, we were only going to have 3 full days in NZ, one day inaccessible to diving due to flying out the next day. We would have HAD to do cert dives each of our two free days....at approx 6 hours total time...this was too much for the wife and I, so we pulled the plug on the diving and have selected some nice things to do, see NZ and RELAX!

I was impressed and blown away by all the work and emails done to get my questions ansered and the SDI/PADI referral thing cleared up. You all have some great people in your dive community and you should be proud.

We will prolly do the dive classes when there is less time pressure....of course my in-laws live near Grenoble, France and we're planning a winter trip...I might have to learn to ski also!!

Thanks again, I'll return if I have any more questions.