IDC...Toronto Area

[jlb]

Hi, I'd like to do my Padi IDC in the TO area next summer. I don't want to do the weekend thing but would like the 10 days in a row course.

Any suggestions? I'm visiting my sister but have never dove in Canada before so am a bit clueless as to what's the word on the street for shops, etc.

Also, just for some fun diving. Anyone that meets up and goes right near TO on weeknights or whatever? Or does weekend trips further afield? I have all my own gear, except tanks and am a Padi divemaster.

[Norberto]

Hi Jib
Please open the link to our training page with information about IDC PADI Instructor Development Course (http://www.aquasubscuba.com/?doc=TRAINING_I)
My business partner co-owner of Aquasub is full time course director so it's easy to schedule the course at any time. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any further questions.
Best regards
Norbert Pietkiewicz
AquaSub Scuba Diving Centre (http://www.aquasubscuba.com)

[big.scuba.john]

I am writing to give everyone an update regarding the upcoming Toronto Spring 2010 PADI Instructor Development Course. The schedule for this upcoming IDC is out, and will commence on May 8th 2010 Saturday. Detail of the schedule is posted, please feel free to review it online at calendar (http://www.smeddivers.com/calendar/calendar.htm)
This upcoming IDC will follow the new PADI IDC curriculum, and it is a lot more excited compare with the old one. Due to the introduction of this new curriculum, I am preparing some attractive one-time promotion for this IDC.
I will be running two orientation sessions in the coming week:
March 31st 2010 Wednesday
6:30 pm to 8:30 pm
Aquaquest Diving
170 Reach Street Unit D Uxbridge Ontario
905-862-3608
and
April 1st 2010 Thursday
6:30pm to 8:30pm
My Dive Center
7300 Victoria Park Avenue Unit F Markham Ontario
905-707-5597

Please feel free to pass this information to your friends who might want to join us to become a PADI instructor. During these two sessions, I will brief everyone the cost of the IDC program; promotion details and what to expect during the IDC. I will also be available to answer any question you might have. Looking forward seeing you all at the orientation. For any question, please contact myself via email: edchan@smeddivers.com or I can be reached at 416-839-1839

[scubadiver888]

jlb,

I've met Norbert. I'd take the course from him. It is a good shop and he is a very knowledgeable guy. The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is fairly large. There isn't a lot inside Toronto. Norbert's shop is in Richmond Hill (north east of downtown Toronto).

I'm getting my DM right now through Happy Divers Den (http://www.happydivers.ca) out in Mississauga. They are pretty laid back and in no rush which I kind of like. If you are looking for something more structured and want to get it done in a short period of time (i.e. not part time for a year) then Norbert's shop is the route to go.

Darrell

[JessieCD]

Hi Jib,
I'm running an IDC in May at AquaSub Scuba Diving Centre in Richmond Hill (as mentioned above). I have both a multiple weekend format and a consecutive days format. The consecutive one runs May 19-23rd with the orientation before hand on the 6th. If you'd like to discuss your options and what you will be doing you can contact me directly at jessica.templin@gmail.com or call the shop at 905-883-3483

Cheers,
Jessica

[Kunundrum]

How can A full IDC be run in 4 days??

[elan]

Hi, I'd like to do my Padi IDC in the TO area next summer. I don't want to do the weekend thing but would like the 10 days in a row course.

Any suggestions? I'm visiting my sister but have never dove in Canada before so am a bit clueless as to what's the word on the street for shops, etc.

Also, just for some fun diving. Anyone that meets up and goes right near TO on weeknights or whatever? Or does weekend trips further afield? I have all my own gear, except tanks and am a Padi divemaster.

There is a bunch of divers diving Humber bay on the weekends now, but now as the Ice has gone in Toby and Kingston/Brockville area people tend to go there on weekends, but there will still be many diving and besides some will dive on weekdays. Do you have a dry-suit ? The temperature in the lake will still be in 40-50 range early summer

[JessieCD]

How can A full IDC be run in 4 days??
PADI released a new revised curriculum for the IDC just this past November at DEMA. With this new curriculum a large portion of the material that used to be covered via long classroom lectures is now done through elearning ahead of time. This has reduced the required days to 5 days. (May 19-23 is 5 days plus the orientation night) It's great since we get to spend more time focusing on the actual teaching process in the classroom, pool and open water.

[elan]

wow 4 days, impressive

[Diver Rick]

.....Detail of the schedule is posted, please feel free to review it online at calendar (http://www.smeddivers.com/calendar/calendar.htm)
This upcoming IDC will follow the new PADI IDC curriculum.....

Do yourself a big favour and get someone to proof read your website for you!

The grammar is terrible!!!

[NorthernPike]

Spell check your posts. Its grammAr.
:)

[Diver Rick]

Spell check your posts. Its grammAr.
:)


Touché, and fixed!

Its just that it amazes me how some web sites are, its clear when English may not be a person's first language, and that’s fine, but when you want to have a public presence on the Internet (or anywhere else) people should get someone to proof their text.

Just a pet peeve.

[ScubaSteve]

Touché, and fixed!

Its just that it amazes me how some web sites are, its clear when English may not be a person's first language, and that’s fine, but when you want to have a public presence on the Internet (or anywhere else) people should get someone to proof their text.

Just a pet peeve.



I was just called (not in so many words) insensitive for pointing out the errors of another :D......I told them to report my post :rofl3:. Sometimes the posts are so bad you just have to comment. Most of the time I let it slide.

[NorthernPike]

A pet peeve of mine too. Bad spelling and grammar tell me more about the writer than any text.

[jlb]

There is a bunch of divers diving Humber bay on the weekends now, but now as the Ice has gone in Toby and Kingston/Brockville area people tend to go there on weekends, but there will still be many diving and besides some will dive on weekdays. Do you have a dry-suit ? The temperature in the lake will still be in 40-50 range early summer

I don't have a drysuit...and I've never actually used one. Is it necessary for diving around TO, in August?

And, thanks for all the info everyone. I just found out from my sister that Aquarius dive shop is a 10 minute bike ride from her house, so it looks like I perhaps have my shop :)

[ScubaSteve]

I don't have a drysuit...and I've never actually used one. Is it necessary for diving around TO, in August?

Absolutely not. Some dives will still be cold for you in a 7mm wetsuit but I am still 2 weeks away from delivery of my first drysuit (thus all my cold water dives have been 7mm wet). Last year I dove Humber Bay in July and the water was 45° top to bottom......the week following my buddy did it and it was 61°. Georgian Bay in August is usually 60°. Temperature will vary but for the most part you will be very comfortable in a wetsuit in August.

[scubadiver888]

I don't have a drysuit...and I've never actually used one. Is it necessary for diving around TO, in August?

Whether you need a drysuit or not depends on your cold tolerance. A number of guys I dive with will dive dry in August but mostly because they are diving below the thermocline (temps can drop to 45F), e.g. 110+ feet, or because they dive dry year round and see no reason to switch back to wet when the water is warmer.

I, personally, still dive wet. I'll dive from April to October. August is the warmest time to dive in Ontario. The worst time to dive wet is when the November winds come early. Then the surface interval can get a little rough but that is late October.


And, thanks for all the info everyone. I just found out from my sister that Aquarius dive shop is a 10 minute bike ride from her house, so it looks like I perhaps have my shop :)

Aquarius is a good shop. There isn't must else if you are inside Toronto. Toronto, the 416 area code, is surrounded by a few cities, the 905 area code. Together they are known as the Greater Toronto Area or GTA. Out in the 905 area there are more dive shops. If Aquarius doesn't work for you, post something here and I'm sure a few people will recommend some good shops. I still think the drive to AquaSub (http://www.aquasubscuba.com/) might be worth it for you. They just opened in a new, larger location. You should at least check them out.

[elan]

I don't have a drysuit...and I've never actually used one. Is it necessary for diving around TO, in August?

And, thanks for all the info everyone. I just found out from my sister that Aquarius dive shop is a 10 minute bike ride from her house, so it looks like I perhaps have my shop :)

Yeah Aquarius is one of the biggest shops in Toronto area, I have 3 shops closer to me but I still go to AQ.

About the dry suit it all depends what kind of diving you do and how much of the diving you do. If you like staying in a water all year long and dive anywhere you want just do not waste your money on wet suits.

You can dive St. Lawrence and some ponds in wetsuit in summer and early fall. Niagara River is warm - around 70 in summer.
Georgian bay (that's Tobermory area) warms up to 50 or so on the top in August. Ontario is in 41-45 range at depth.

But if you dive a lot and addicted to diving just get a dry suit. I saw too many times people terminating dives in wet suits as they were cold during the first dive. It's a big difference. People will tell you about different cold tolerance but many wet suit divers I spoke to eventually plan to buy dry suits. Those who do never come back :)

[Graeme Tolton]

Any of the dives there are to be done in ontario can be done with a wetsuit... But you probably won't be comfortable. Tobermory, only the shallow dives EVER get above 50F. If you plan on ever using more than the gas available from an al80, even the shallow dives most places will make you cold. I dive year round here in a drysuit and will NEVER switch back to wet. It is a bit of a learning curve at first, but that doesn't last long.

That being said, there are always lots of divers diving all over ontario all the time. Humber bay is okay.. it can be very silty and doesn't go past 40'. Big bay Point in barrie, goes deeper, but is also very silty. If you want to go further away, georgian bay or st. lawrence CAN offer caribbean visibility with some great shipwrecks. Drop me a PM when you want to start diving, I go at least once a week.

[elan]

Any of the dives there are to be done in ontario can be done with a wetsuit... But you probably won't be comfortable. Tobermory, only the shallow dives EVER get above 50F. If you plan on ever using more than the gas available from an al80, even the shallow dives most places will make you cold. I dive year round here in a drysuit and will NEVER switch back to wet. It is a bit of a learning curve at first, but that doesn't last long.

That being said, there are always lots of divers diving all over ontario all the time. Humber bay is okay.. it can be very silty and doesn't go past 40'. Big bay Point in barrie, goes deeper, but is also very silty. If you want to go further away, georgian bay or st. lawrence CAN offer caribbean visibility with some great shipwrecks. Drop me a PM when you want to start diving, I go at least once a week.

-- hijack start
BTW we plan to go to BBP again this Saturday feel free to join us if you are available, have you got your tanks sorted out ?

--hijack end :)

[Graeme Tolton]

-- hijack start
BTW we plan to go to BBP again this Saturday feel free to join us if you are available, have you got your tanks sorted out ?

--hijack end :)

LOL. Should be ready to go by then. Will need to stop for fills before diving though. Maybe we can follow the same path and I could find the knife I lost. Might be a good time to anchor the new lines!

[elan]

LOL. Should be ready to go by then. Will need to stop for fills before diving though. Maybe we can follow the same path and I could find the knife I lost. Might be a good time to anchor the new lines!

I wonder if we can even find that same path lol... it was quite erratic :) But you see you at least got it compensated with the found mask :) We can create a new law of scuba diving that will describe the circulation of scuba gear in the nature.