Cheapest OW Certs Possible, FL, Kids, Ideas?

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@rob.mwpropane

Where will you be in Florida? Winter has the least reliable dive conditions and coolest water temps. Your youngest would have to be 10. The OW dives would take 2 days.

I would consider having all 4 do eLearning for the academics. PADI appears to cost $195 per student. I would find a good instructor to do the confined training and OW dives. SB members might be able to assist you in finding an instructor if your location in Florida was narrowed down. Perhaps the instructor would offer a discount for 4 students, that would be a nice size class. I would do it in the ocean if that is the type of diving you expect to do.

Good luck
 
For your own kids??? WOW!

Did you read his whole post? I can absolutely relate to where he's coming from. I make EVERY effort (moreso than most instructors, I daresay) to ensure my kid is as prepared as possible. I am acutely aware of my daughter's strengths and weaknesses and we have very open and judgement free discussions about improving our skill sets together. So long as one stays in their wheelhouse and doesn't venture into "I don't know what I don't know" territory, I applaud his approach.

What I can't imagine is having FOUR kids diving, holy crap. I've got 2 kids, only one of which is interested in diving. (Yes, she's certified.) Just buying equipment for her is painful enough - but FOUR kids?!!??

And I, too, have had some of the best conversations with her after a dive floating around my local quarry. I don't think there's a better salve for a father-teenage daughter relationship. I wouldn't trade those times for the world.
 
I would think the cheapest option would be book a group (imagine 4 would get a discount), shoulder season, mid week OK. Booking somewhere that doesn't have the expense of a boat also guna be cheaper.

Cheaper rout doesn't have to mean lesser training. (I'm just a entry level fun diver, no real opinion on the age thing)
 
And I thought I had it bad with just two kids diving. As others have said 9 is two young. Waiting a year or getting them into something like Scuba Rangers might be the way to go. Most shops here in Florida charge about $200 and up per diver. You may find a independent instructor (PADI) to give you a group deal. Our LDS, which is a SSI shop, does the course in two weekends after you have done the online learning. That is a very full four days. The upside to being in Fl is we can train year round by being in the springs. Good luck
 
Sorry guys, horrible service where I'm at. The youngest is actually 11....not sure why I wrote 9...pre coffee maybe. I'll change it when I get to a PC.

I completely agree @The Chairman would be the way to go if the kids were a little older and money was no object.

As it stands I have enough gear to take 1 kid with me when I dive, although the 22 yr old has set aside money to get his own gear.

And as someone had posted, I know their strengths and weaknesses. I have 2 that are amazing at it, and 2 that have issues equalizing...so those dives end up being just going up and down the line to 10-15', and if there's any discomfort we stop. If they want to end the dive, we end the dive.

So yes, I am 100% prepared to take full responsibility for my children. I've managed this far without too much damage. Most recreational divers that I meet don't know 1/2 the stuff I talk with my kids about that pertains to scuba.
 
@rob.mwpropane

Where will you be in Florida? Winter has the least reliable dive conditions and coolest water temps. Your youngest would have to be 10. The OW dives would take 2 days.

I would consider having all 4 do eLearning for the academics. PADI appears to cost $195 per student. I would find a good instructor to do the confined training and OW dives. SB members might be able to assist you in finding an instructor if your location in Florida was narrowed down. Perhaps the instructor would offer a discount for 4 students, that would be a nice size class. I would do it in the ocean if that is the type of diving you expect to do.

Good luck

On the East side somewhere between Ft Lauderdale and Ft. Pierce.

To me that sounds like nothing more than rationalization of bad choices.

:rofl3::rofl3::rofl3: I'm sure you have kids.

Let's talk about what "most" divers coming out of OW look like. No confidence, no real buoyancy skills, and they're left with the job (if they're so inclined) to learn a LOT of stuff on their own. So they have 2 choices. Take up diving locally and actually start to learn about it, or just be a vacation diver that muddles through the water on vaca every other year at some fancy location. Neither is "wrong". Dive and let dive......but thanks a ton for passing judgement, lol. It did make me laugh:)

This is basically where my kids are now. I just need a few (cheap) cards so we can go rent a private charter and take them out to see some shallow reefs or something. I'm not looking to take them to see the Andrea Doria anytime soon...

Most think that there's a fine line between certified and non certified divers....there really isn't. All my kids have done "try it scuba", they've all been in the pool, and some of them have even been in the quarry. I'd say my 14 year old looks better than most fresh OW students, lol. My 22 year old is a bull in a china shop....but he's getting better.
 
That is usually a given, and goes without saying......

Have you ever been to Baltimore, MD? Not true at all....
 
but thanks a ton for passing judgement, lol. It did make me laugh:).

I'm concerned that you're laughing at my opinion that taking your kids scuba diving without formal training and looking for the cheapest way to get a C-card isn't very responsible.

You seem to think that none of it matters, and it's not just your own life you're risking.

There are scuba diving instructors and certification agencies for a reason. Saying "most certified divers don't have a clue" or however you put it, is irrelevant.
 

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