Need a BPW friendly shop/instructor in GTA! Why is it so hard to find?

I have been contacted by a person who wants to get certified in the Greater Toronto Area. There are actually four of them in his group. Where he is running into an issue so far is finding a shop/instructor willing (or perhaps open minded and capable enough) to teach him in a BPW. He has decided that is the gear he wants to use and so would like to learn in it. He has sent me copies of emails from some shops/instructors he has contacted and I am quite astounded at the responses he has gotten. I know of one shop that offers it but it is a two hour drive one way for him and he'd kind of like to avoid that unless he really has to.

I don't know much at all about the area but I have to believe there is more than one option for him to do this. I personally will train someone who shows up with Uncle Bob's old Fenzy and double hose as long as they let me try it out in the pool first. If it works and is safe no problem. I'd also look at it as a golden opportunity to teach the rest of the class about it. I feel as an instructor I have a duty to meet the needs and wants of the students as long as those do not place them, myself, and others at risk.

So help me out here people. And by the way he is not buying the gear from me. He already has it so I have no skin in this other than to try and find him someone with an open mind and the educational skills to make this work.

If he can't find anyone here I would suggest that he take a peek at Ontario Diving. They're not the busiest forum - and there are a lot of GUE folks in there - but they might have an idea of someone he could talk to.

Contact gitterdun here on SB. Her husband is a GUE instructor. She'll know where he should go. Or contact her husband, Steve Blanchard, whose e-mail is steveb@gue.com.

Contact either Norbert or Jessica at Aquasub in Richmond Hill
Homepage - AquaSub Scuba Diving Centre
He sells and dives BP/W's
They are both great Instructors, Norbert is a Technical instructor and Jessica a Course Director.
My club is also a teaching club with a number of our divers using BP/W's. Our intro to diving is tonight and our course starts next Monday if that is not too short a notice. Check out the website for info or PM me.
Canadian Sub-Aqua Club

Edit: Losing track of the days here the into night is tomorrow (Monday) not tonight.

grf88:

Contact either Norbert or Jessica at Aquasub in Richmond Hill
Homepage - AquaSub Scuba Diving Centre
He sells and dives BP/W's
They are both great Instructors, Norbert is a Technical instructor and Jessica a Course Director.
My club is also a teaching club with a number of our divers using BP/W's. Our intro to diving is tonight and our course starts next Monday if that is not too short a notice. Check out the website for info or PM me.
Canadian Sub-Aqua Club

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Will pass that on. Thanks for the info and the phone call. Good talking to you.

I would also contact Matt at Dan's Dive Shop in St. Catherines. "Scuba Diving Courses in Ontario, Canada| Scuba Snorkeling Equipment | PADI Scuba Classes NAUI SDI TDI Courses | Technical Diving Courses NAUI, PADI, TDI | Scuba Repair & Equipment Maintenance Facility, Hydrostatic Testing

Did that as well.

Jim: Best option I know is Stepanie Benecasa in Oshawa... PM me for a phone and email... I know her instructor-trainer really well (LOL). She is very very squared away, and unlike one of the suggestions above, actually able to certify through the agencies she advertises to be a member of.

Oshawa's (Stephanie) not too far from the GTA, Jim. Depends where in the GTA the group is. Oshawa is about a 45 minute drive from central Toronto depending on traffic.

In the north end is AquaSub (Norbert and Jessica as mentioned above). They definitely sell and use bp's and wings. Both are tech divers and Jessica was a cave diver as well.

Some of the instructors at Dive Source in Oshawa are/were cave/tech divers and they sell/use bp/w's. Not sure which instructors are there now, but it's worth a try.

Ontario Diving is a great forum with like-minded divers and instructors: Ontario Diving You need to register for free to go on it.

Doppler:

Jim: Best option I know is Stepanie Benecasa in Oshawa... PM me for a phone and email... I know her instructor-trainer really well (LOL). She is very very squared away, and unlike one of the suggestions above, actually able to certify through the agencies she advertises to be a member of.

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Thanks Steve, PM on the way.