(NEW) Should I take the PADI class in foreign country? How does it work?

[FinnMom]

I would greatly prefer to do theory and pool in advance. I would not want to spend time in Hawaii reading textbooks and practising how-much-gas-required calculations. Get the theory really down pat, pool sessions all done and theory & pool tests passed. Where you do open water sessions can be decided as others have suggested, or in Hawaii for sure if the trip is before Montreal even has any open (i.e. not-frozen) water.

 

[caydiver]

Yes. Do the e-learning on line at Padi.com. You will have so much time to go over anything you don’t understand at your own pace. It was many years ago for me and the thing that sticks out in my mind was the tables. I don’t think they even do that they teach them anymore but may be wrong. I would have to say my overall impression is that it was not difficult!!! Back then we did a referral where we did the class work and skills in a pool in NY and the dives on holiday. We did NAUI which was 2X a week for 10 weeks with each session split between classroom and pool. Would have been awesome to take a holiday for all of that but the elves weren’t around to pay the bills.

 

[mac66]

I did my classroom/pool work in the north last Jan then did my referral dives on two diffferent Caribbean islands in Feb. Basically it was two morning dives per day for two days. PADI sent my temp cert in 3 days and my ID card within a week.

 

[NAUI Wowie]

Hello guys,

I'm totally new in this world and I had some questions. I'm planning to do some dives in Hawaii (Honolulu) in August and I am not certified.
1-If I take my license there, do I get a temporary certification card allowing me to do dives in other diving locations in Honolulu? Or will I be limited to the one I'm taking the class from since I won't be receiving my official certification in hand.
2-Should I take the PADI class in Hawaii? Or am I better off taking classes where I live in a pool (Montreal) and then be able to go wherever I want freely. Some people tell me that taking a class where you really dive is better for the whole experience, that it's faster and more fun.
3-How long does a class take? I'm going for like a week in Honolulu, mixing hike days and diving days. I just wanna make sure I'm not too tight with time but in my head if I do 3 days diving (class included), it should be enough. I've read that you can study online before...?
4-How is a day of dive? Can I do it early in the morning and then go for a hike in the afternoon elsewhere? How do they usually go for a dive afternoon, etc? I want to plan my trip.
(BONUS) 5-Any diving locations suggested in Honolulu?

Thank you guys! Can't wait for this trip I just wanna make sure I take the best decisions.

Make sure you have your instructor fill out your log book for your 4 certification dives. and take pictures of your passed test. In case it takes a couple days to process your license or E license I mean.

But you should get it electronically right away. Is that correct folks? Im not sure on that part regarding the temp E card.

either way you should be good with log book and passed test for a couple of dives the day after or so.

 

[Livin the dream]

I agree with everyone else that doing your open water dives in Hawaii will be very different from diving at home. I was in the same position as being from wisconsin. I ended up getting padi open water certified in Mexico and then the following year I did my advanced open water certification back in wisconsin to work closely with the instructors and learn cold water with limited visibility. So so different on the diving and I am glad I had courses in both. No matter how you do it enjoy and be safe. You can always take more classes or work with a dive master until you are comfortable planning your own dives.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

@Kevin Nguyen,

Personally, vacation time is uber valuable and I would advise reserving that time for fun diving.

If you are considering diving in your local area, I would recommend taking your open water certification course locally. I would also recommend taking the course in a dry suit, as too many students suffer in thick wetsuits in their courses. Some people who have a tolerance for cold will disagree, but when I taught at a shop that primarily taught in wetsuits in the Puget Sound, most students were miserable after the first dive (and comfort management was a high priority). You don't need a dry suit certification, just an orientation.

But if the idea of getting into the cold water horrifies you, then do so in the tropics. Diving is supposed to be fun and that includes courses.

Of course, the most important thing is to find a good instructor that matches you, as teaching styles vary, and what works for you doesn't necessarily work for other students. I'd highly recommend reading Jim Lapenta's book that can be found here: SCUBA: A Practical Guide for the New Diver: James A Lapenta: 9781494900250: Amazon.com: Books to help you interview prospective instructors.

In addition, I'd recommend finding an instructor who is adamant about proper weighting and buoyancy. Some of the notes I have written here: Thavmas Scuba may be useful to you. If you read the 2016 DAN report (https://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/report/AnnualDivingReport-2016Edition.pdf) on page 5 you'll see:

Ten Most Wanted Improvements in Scuba
Correct Weighting
Greater Buoyancy Control
More Attention to Gas Planning
Better Ascent Rate Control
Increased Use of Checklists
Fewer Equalizing Injuries
Improved Cardiovascular Health in Divers
Diving More Often (or more pre-trip Refresher Training)
Greater Attention to Diving Within Limits
Fewer Equipment Issues / Improved Maintenance

All of these should be covered thoroughly in your open water course. Talk to prospective instructors about this list and how they address it. This came out 3 years ago, so good instructors will have adapted by now if needed.

For the third one, I've attached my dive planning doc that I use in teaching in my local area. The topic of gas planning may be useful for you.

Whatever you decide, good luck!

 

[kelemvor]

That would be two days of vacation time you paid for spent (mostly) doing skills in the ocean -- showing the instructor you can do them as well as you did in the pool.

This.

Unless someone lives in the desert, I can't imagine wasting vacation time in a scuba class. Do the class at home and enjoy diving while on vacation. Nobody wants to sit in the musty back room of a dive shop taking a class and listening to the instructor tell you how good they are... not when you could be enjoying your destination instead.

 

[60plus]

I would do the learning online and do pool practice. If you can find a local pool with a 3m or deeper part you can make sure you can do everything competently before you do your cert on holiday. What you do not want to happen is to start your diving on holiday only to find you can't equalize, struggle with mask clearing or panic on the out of air exercise or BCD removal. Get 100% confident doing these in the pool before you go on holiday.

 

[Rechno]

From my personal point of view I strongly agree with the opinion, that it is better to do as much as you can at home and save vacation time for fun dives.

However, I know several people who just dont enjoy diving locally (cold/ poor viz) and if they would have had to do their course in these conditions might not have picked up (vacation-) diving as a hobby at all. I also talked to others who had so much fun during their course in a vacation destination, that it never occured to them that they might have "wasted" their time.

At the end it all depends on you and what you think is best for you.

 

[Diving Dubai]

listening to the instructor tell you how good they are

Is that really what you think we do? Wow!

3-How long does a class take? I'm going for like a week in Honolulu, mixing hike days and diving days. I just wanna make sure I'm not too tight with time but in my head if I do 3 days diving (class included), it should be enough. I've read that you can study online before...?

IF you take your theory and pool before you dive (it's called a referral) then, yes in theory 3 full days will be sufficient

Please remember that the instructor who's going to be taking you into Open water will need to take you to a pool first and review/check your skills. If you can do them great, if not they will re-teach them until you reach the standard. I'v encountered referral students who get into a huff because they've got to review the skills, and even more so if I feel they're not up to scratch (generally because they've forgotten rather than not being taught) Skills are not a one time thing and should be practiced regularly

4-How is a day of dive? Can I do it early in the morning and then go for a hike in the afternoon elsewhere? How do they usually go for a dive afternoon, etc? I want to plan my trip.

Your 2 tank dive (depending on the op) will finish at lunch time. But please, please don't' put yourself under pressure. Dedicat full days to the actual diving - you're there to learn rather than just attend. Diving is so much more fun when you've mastered buoyancy etc. This forum is full of stories of student feeling they not learnt anything or are ill prepared when in fact they've dedicated too little time to the course. You're paying for an instructor to teach you, make best use of their and your time.

Given yoru short time I would dedicate the vacation to either hiking OR diving, if you do your cert then dedicate your time to make a few more dives afterwards and get more practice/enjoyment. Or just go hiking and enjoy what that offers Trying to do both will in my opinion leave you dissatisfied