Scuba instruction in southern Maine?

[wgw04024]

Greetings,

Can anyone offer locations or experiences from any places offering open water certification in the southern Maine area? I found one location in waterville, and another in portland. One is much closer, the other is much more cost effective. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Bill w.

 

[Sue J]

I'd go with the Portland shop even if it costs more. Driving over an hour each way to get to Waterville would be a total pain. If you get to know the folks at your local LDS you're likely to do more diving later. Those "meet you at the pier" weekend dives organized by many LDSs are especially good for new divers. You'll learn a lot from the more experienced divers. It's nice to work with someone local because it can be an advantage later. Our LDS gives us a lot of free advice and minor repair help.

All this assumes that the quality of instruction at each shop is equal. If not, go for the shop that will give you better instruction and will be patient with you as you learn. If you're getting a vibe that the Portland outfit is simply in it for the money (as opposed to being people who love to dive and teach others to do so) you may want to go to Waterville.

 

[wgw04024]

If you're getting a vibe that the Portland outfit is simply in it for the money (as opposed to being people who love to dive and teach others to do so) you may want to go to Waterville.

Yes, this was exactly the reason for my inquiry. Thanks!

 

[Dockmaster]

Do you live right in Portland or outside of town? If you do, there are several shops right in town to choose from; some good and some not so good. Outside of Portland there are a few shops scattered around southern and central Maine which offer classes as well. I make the rounds of most southern Maine shops and I would be glad to offer suggestions. In the end though, you'll need to choose the shop that fits your needs. PM me if you have any questions.

 

[cabish101]

Don't know if you solved the dilema yet, but you have many options in the Portland area. Aqua Diving Academy offers SSI courses. I personally was certified by Paul Rollins through the YMCA in Portland. Of course there is a PADI shop down on Cove St. that you probably already have the info for.

 

[jridg]

I worked with Johnson's for a few years - good instruction, nice people.

 

[spectrum]

Greetings,

Can anyone offer locations or experiences from any places offering open water certification in the southern Maine area? I found one location in waterville, and another in portland. One is much closer, the other is much more cost effective. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Bill w.

Portland has 3 shops as well as some private instructors such as Paul Rollins mentioned above.

You can find some links to the shops on my links page.


As mentioned your training venue is a great chance to begin to build a core group group of dive buddies. Going near where you will be available to dive does have that advantage.

If you want to meet up with a bunch of divers and get some input you're welcome to visit the monthly meeting of our dive club on the 14th of May.

Pete