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Unclebob, the price seems high to me, but without knowing the breakdown between education/accomodation and food, I can't really say. After all is said and done, you will have an aow card, a rescue card and a DM card. You will also have a good THEORETICAL knowledge of Divemastering. You MAY...

It seems clear that you weren't happy with your training. I would certainly discuss your concerns with the instructor or shop owner. I guess the next question is whether you feel competent to make an open water dive or not.

By August, a 5mil will be good to about 40 ft or so . Deeper than that, it gets a bit too cold. If you're going below 60' for any time at all or below 40 for more than a few minutes, I'd consider renting a 7mil. Nearby is the lehigh valley dive center (you might have to reserve in advance)...

Some thoughts for you: Start dramamine the day before. It is often the diesel fumes creating nausea rather than the boat's motion. Get into fresh air away from the exhaust (& upwind). The best cure for seasickness is often getting under the water. Aftershocks happen, so if you need...

If you like the service there is no harm in offering a tip, even to the owner. Even if politely declined the thought will be appreciated. Not to be crass, but money is the sincerest form of flattery. Seems like you were happy, so why not give us names. Referrals are also sincere flattery.

Doing AOW right after OW is fine IF you are comfortable with the OW skills. OTOH, Trying to do the navigation exercises (for example) while struggling with bouyancy control is not the best way to learn. How you feel after your OW dives is the best guage, but you'll have some idea from the pool...

Go with the one that fits better! Odds are it's the Zeagle.

Somehow, there always seems to be a barracuda, flicking his tail lazily once in a while, as I hang on for dear life on that particular line. Great thing about the Speigel Grove, once you get down there, you can always find a way to hide from the current, or ride it.

Zak, The Grove is pretty amazing. If you get a chance at the Duane or the Eagle, take it. They're both great wrecks, though quite a bit smaller. If you like reefs, think about Snapper Ledger. I was in Key Largo Last week, and the place was empty. Have the tourists returned?

Drew, Examples of assisting a distressed diver at no risk to the rescuer include: From Shore/Deck of boat: Encourage the diver to inflate his/her BCD. Throw a line or bouyancy device to the diver. Alert the crew to the problem. In the water, we can usually tow an unconcious diver...

To answer the OP, an instructor is held to a higher standard under US law than, say an AOW diver would be. For example, An instructor has been trained in handling distressed divers without putting himself at risk, so has skills to assist in situations that would be too risky for someone...

I've been out with Silent world a couple of times, and I really like the op they run, particularly for new divers: Great crews, very safety concious and friendly. The boats they use are big enough not to get tossed around in little waves, and they only carry 10-12 divers. I do remember that...

I do try to be a good neighbor, LOL I was speaking about PADI standards, but I don't believe that any agency requires free flow regulator in open water. The Board has a Q & A for certification agencies, and you can get it answered by your agency quicker than I can. Even if it's not a...

DD, Welcome to Diving and welcome to the board! As a rule, if you got it right in the pool, it will present no problems in open water. You will be a bit deeper than you were in the pool ( 30ft range), which actually makes bouyancy control easier. You'll do the same skills (except Free...

It may seem like magic, but it's really just practice. Your instructor has spent hundreds or thousands of hours hovering in the gear he had on. I also dive a Zeagle Ranger and I think it's the best BCD made, for a bunch of reasons. The wing style of the Ranger is my preference, too. It won't...

I never heard of an airline not charging for SCUBA gear, but some charge more for it. It gets stolen quite a bit more than other stuff, bringing me to my second suggestion: Take it carry on, or use regular luggage, without the "gone diving sticker". That said, If you're comfortable with your...

First, congratulations on finishing the certification. Second, there is NO way the instructor you described should have been teaching. Period. Glad it all worked out for you. You could certainly express your feelings to the shop, and the agency involved. The instructor and the shop are both...

Maybe, Maybe not;great thought though

One solution would be to dive a steel 120. Next time you're a DS, stop by the Lehigh Valley Dive shop and rent one. The bouyancy difference lets you drop least 8 lbs from your belt, while the tank weighs about 6 lbs more. It's a few pounds less going down the hill, but a few more carrying it to...

Long answer, from the PADI instructors manual " If a diver wants a similar PADI certification, the diver must take that PADI course. A better suggestion, however, is to encourage divers to enroll in the next higher level PADI course given that they meet all other prerequisites" How's your...