Instructor Recommendations - Ft. Lauderdale / Pompano Area?

[VsubT]

After a bunch of trips to dive to the Keys and West Palm areas, we ended up getting a place in Pompano Beach. The weather wasn’t too cooperative in December/January, but we got a few fun dives off Pompano on the calm days. Hoping to get some name recommendations (not just store/operator) from folks who know the local scene for 2 types of instruction:

1 - We have a good friend who’s interested in starting to dive, so we’re looking to hook him up with a solid OW instructor in the Lauderdale area. We have a fallback option in Key Largo, but he’s hoping to train locally (~20 mile radius) if possible. He seems interested in PADI, but I don’t think agency is a deal breaker.

2 - I’m personally interested in Intro to Tech or similar, with goals of doubles familiarity, improving my trim / fin techniques for photography, and eventually doing some deeper dives safely. Ideally, I’m seeking a tech instructor who can do all of this, but not opposed to multiple instructors to see different philosophies in action. I’m a commercial pilot and skydive instructor/vidiot among other things, so fairly comfortable managing risk in real time. GUE Fundamentals looks interesting, and might be a good first step with the right instructor. Pretty open to options & agencies at this point.

Any recommendations for either would be really appreciated. PM’s are welcome if that’s more comfortable than posting names / info publicly.

Thanks,

Lance

 

[Jcp2]

AQUI Water Sports | AQUI Sports Home Page

 

[seeker242]

GUE Fundamentals looks interesting, and might be a good first step with the right instructor. Pretty open to options & agencies at this point.

Joaquin Jimenez Krijgsman. Recently moved to Miami so he covers all of South FL. Experienced fundamentals instructor, very knowledgeable and a nice guy.

 

[tbone1004]

AQUI Water Sports | AQUI Sports Home Page

seconded, @LandonL is quite good.

If you decide to do the fundies thing, do it as a group with your normal dive buddies, but that doesn't mean you have to go the GUE route from day 1.

 

[LandonL]

@VsubT

Thank you to both @Jcp2 and @tbone1004 for the recommendations. Ryan and myself greatly appreciate them.

Ryan and myself work hard at providing great training for the divers who come to work with us.

To answer each question individually:

1.) I would recommend scheduling time with Ryan for your friend to begin his OW training. We typically provide 3-4x the amount of in water time of a typical OW certification course. On average divers doing an OW course with us get anywhere from 10-16 hours of total water time over 4-5 days. We believe this is fundamental to instill confidence, skill, and proper techniques for new divers so they have a strong foundation to build on as their diving progresses. We emphasize proper buoyancy, body position, trim, and propulsion techniques from the start of the course.

2.) If you are interested in traveling down the path of technical diving, Intro to Tech is a great way to get started. You will learn about the key elements you have listed above, as well as begin to explore options for moving forward to more advanced technical diving and specialties. I typically focus on technical training myself, and offer courses ranging from Intro to Tech, all the way up to Trimix and CCR. Intro to Tech is one of the most important foundational technical courses, because it helps develop the fundamental abilities and skills that will be required in subsequent training.

If photography is a serious interest, I would suggest having a look at the work of Ryan Custureri, my partner in Aquí Watersports. He is an excellent resource for underwater photography and video editing guidance.

I believe it is important to look at the quality of training being provided before committing to any particular instructor. If you would like photos, videos, or references please let us know.

You can learn more about us by checking out the website at AQUI Water Sports | AQUI Sports Home Page, as well as our youtube channel where you may find videos on various topics.

My personal website www.landonlasseter.com has some of my background information, as well as available course listings, however I am in the process of moving that over to the Aquí website.

Cheers,
Landon Lasseter MD, MS, MBA
Partner - Aquí Watersports / Partner - Deep 6 Gear

 

[VsubT]

@LandonL - Thanks for the information! I’m traveling today, will get in touch with you via PM soon.

Lance

 

[saxman242]

2.) If you are interested in traveling down the path of technical diving, Intro to Tech is a great way to get started

Doing intro to tech with you guys is on my short list of classes to do

 

[LandonL]

Doing intro to tech with you guys is on my short list of classes to do

It would be our pleasure.

We always appreciate the opportunity to work together with a diver focused on advancing and achieving their goals.

 

[decompression]

Am I too late to recommend Aqui water sports? Lol

 

[saxman242]

It would be our pleasure.

We always appreciate the opportunity to work together with a diver focused on advancing and achieving their goals.

I'm more than likely moving to Florida later this year, so would be on my radar after that.