any good dive shops for OW certification?

[agnies03]

Hi,

I'm a newbie here (and brand new to diving, with some snorkeling experience) and hope to get some info on something I've been searching through various posts and never really found an answer. Hope you experienced guys can help me !

I'll be in Cozumel in 3 weeks and want to do the OW certification in a good dive shop. Among the ones recommended, I found such dive shops as Sea Urchin which consistently got great reviews.
However, I didn't find it listed on padi.com as a PADI dive center, meaning it isn't an official PADI facility, meaning I shouldn't do my cert. there (not recognized, not safe) ??

Which dive shops would you suggest to do the OW cert for a starter like me? There are so many in Cozumel I dunno which one to pick..:huh:
I'm considering Deep Blue, Sea Urchin, Black Shark, Blue Angel, Scuba Du.

Thanks!

 

[akbpilot]

We used Blue Angel for an OW referal a couple of months ago, and had no problems, great experience with regards to the training. That said, we had done all of our pool work and classroom, and had hashed out out all our personal gear problems before we went to Coz. I think trying to do all that in Coz while on vacation would be a major PITA. Just my 2 cents

 

[MMM]

I didn't do my OW cert with a PADI centre. As the instructor told me, use the analogy of a university. There are lots of universities out there that grant degrees in any particular discipline. There are many certifying agencies (PADI, NAUI, SSI, PDAC etc.) all of which grant certifications. PADI just tends to have the North American market cornered.

The course content may vary slightly but all will equip you to dive in open water. Just as there is wide variation from university to university, there can be wide variation from one PADI dive shop to another.

Your question of who to do your cert with - well, there are a thousand posts on this board on that topic and just as many opinions.

However, I didn't find it listed on padi.com as a PADI dive center, meaning it isn't an official PADI facility, meaning I shouldn't do my cert. there (not recognized, not safe) ??

Thanks!

 

[H20Bubbles]

We have used Scuba Du and Blue XT Sea Diving for OW referrals in the past two months and were happy with both.

On a note, the OW dives with Blue XT Sea were done from the boat and were therefore more enjoyable w/ more things to see than diving from Playa Las Casitas was.

 

[agnies03]

Thanks guys for your comments and suggestions so far.

My concern though about some dive shops that were not found on padi.com (non-PADI dive centers) was that they say that their open water courses will get you the PADI certification specifically...

...which would be suggesting that you don't have to be a PADI registered center to be able to certify people with PADI certification ?

 

[scubawife]

Thanks guys for your comments and suggestions so far.

My concern though about some dive shops that were not found on padi.com (non-PADI dive centers) was that they say that their open water courses will get you the PADI certification specifically...

...which would be suggesting that you don't have to be a PADI registered center to be able to certify people with PADI certification ?

There are many great dive operations in Cozumel and elsewhere who have PADI instructors right up to the level that they can train dive masters and instructors and the shop is not a "PADI Dive Center" or "Dive Resort." Not every shop wants to spend the money to be endorsed as a dive center or resort. It doesn't mean they aren't a reputable and quality operation.

All you need to do the certification is a PADI instructor in good standing with PADI (or NAUI, SSI, etc., depends on which one you want to do). If you like what you read about Sea Urchin, then just ask them for their instructors names and PADI numbers. Check them out to make sure they are registered with PADI and you're set.

 

[Diver Kat]

Alison of 'Scuba with Alison' also does PADI certifications. She lists all her qualifications & background on her website ..... and she has a great reputation on the boards. We dive with her whenever we can!!

http://www.scubawithalison.com/index.html

 

[ggunn]

Hi,

I'm a newbie here (and brand new to diving, with some snorkeling experience) and hope to get some info on something I've been searching through various posts and never really found an answer. Hope you experienced guys can help me !

I'll be in Cozumel in 3 weeks and want to do the OW certification in a good dive shop. Among the ones recommended, I found such dive shops as Sea Urchin which consistently got great reviews.
However, I didn't find it listed on padi.com as a PADI dive center, meaning it isn't an official PADI facility, meaning I shouldn't do my cert. there (not recognized, not safe) ??

Which dive shops would you suggest to do the OW cert for a starter like me? There are so many in Cozumel I dunno which one to pick..:huh:
I'm considering Deep Blue, Sea Urchin, Black Shark, Blue Angel, Scuba Du.

Thanks!

I'll give my stock answer to this question: If you can do your cert dives elsewhere, that's what I'd advise. It's not that diving conditions are bad at Cozumel; in fact, it's precisely because conditions there are usually so idyllic that I advise not doing your cert dives there. Your comfort zone should be larger than your typical dive setting, and if you are checked out in less ideal conditions, then diving Coz will be within it rather than at its limits.

Additionally, if you are only staying on the island for a few days, then you'll be spending all your dive time doing "baby" dives. Better to have a few dives under your weight belt when you get there so that you can get out to see the really neat stuff before you have to leave.

Of course, if you are going there for a month, then never mind... ;^)

 

[agnies03]

I'll give my stock answer to this question: If you can do your cert dives elsewhere, that's what I'd advise. It's not that diving conditions are bad at Cozumel; in fact, it's precisely because conditions there are usually so idyllic that I advise not doing your cert dives there. Your comfort zone should be larger than your typical dive setting, and if you are checked out in less ideal conditions, then diving Coz will be within it rather than at its limits.

Additionally, if you are only staying on the island for a few days, then you'll be spending all your dive time doing "baby" dives. Better to have a few dives under your weight belt when you get there so that you can get out to see the really neat stuff before you have to leave.

Of course, if you are going there for a month, then never mind... ;^)

I'm considering to do the OW there because I'd like to be able to do some recreational dives once in a while when I'll go in the Caribbean during holidays;

I'm not especially up for dives in cold water or specialized diving for now...is Cozumel 'too easy' compared to Cuba, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica etc ?

 

[ggunn]

I'm considering to do the OW there because I'd like to be able to do some recreational dives once in a while when I'll go in the Caribbean during holidays;

I'm not especially up for dives in cold water or specialized diving for now...is Cozumel 'too easy' compared to Cuba, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica etc ?

I got that, and I am only giving you free advice, which is worth every penny you pay for it. ;^)

I believe that one should be trained under more challenging conditions than one is likely to encounter in normal diving; that way, you are diving within your comfort zone rather than at the edge of it. I am a WWW (warm water wimp) myself, but since I was trained in Lake Travis (fairly cold and moderately poor viz), when I was given the opportunity to dive Monterrey Bay and Hawaii, I felt I could handle it.

As to the diving around Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Costa Rica, I don't know firsthand, but I do know that Cozumel diving is some of the easiest in the world.