Discover Diving class? (Virginia)

[Barnaby'sDad]

@Barnaby'sDad : It sounds like you have settled on a class. But, for the record, the shop I teach for charges $390 for SDI OW certification. You have to have mask, fins, snorkel, and booties. Everything else is included - online class, all gear, pool sessions, open water dives. Everything. You can pay $490 to get a PADI card, instead, but it's the same instructors and same class. I mean, our shop offers SDI, SSI, PADI, and NAUI. You can train through our shop and get any of those names on your C card. But, our default is SDI.

Our shop is just outside Manassas. From what you posted about Sterling to F'burg, it sounds like you are in our area. Stop by and check out the shop sometime, if you have time to kill. I think Coral Edge is the biggest scuba shop in the DC metro area. The showroom is huge with just about every brand of gear you can think of, and full service from OW right up through technical and CCR training. And the prices are generally Internet-competitive. Our reg servicing is the lowest I know of anywhere - Internet or local. All service is done in-house, including regulator service and tank hydrostatic testing. There are some other good shops around here that I really like and would absolutely recommend them for training, as well. But, I don't think any other shop has as broad a range of gear, training, and service.

As far as class sizes go, well, last weekend, I had 1 student for her OW dives in Lake Millbrook (aka Millbrook Quarry). Another instructor was with me, so we had 2 instructors for 1 student. This weekend, I have 2 students for OW, so we had 2 instructors for 2 students. That is not at all unusual for us.

Oh, and I'm 99% sure we also offer the deal where the cost of a DSD will be counted towards an OW class, if you go that route. As far as pool vs ocean, there are pros and cons to both. In your case, it sounds like a pool DSD will work just fine to tell you want to know. So, get 'er done and get your training out of the way, so you don't have to spend any vacation time on training!

@stuartv. Thank you for the information. I should be hearing back from the instructor to lock in pool training, classrom, and dive dates this week. If that falls through for some reason...I'll reach out.

 

[stuartv]

@stuartv. Thank you for the information. I should be hearing back from the instructor to lock in pool training, classrom, and dive dates this week. If that falls through for some reason...I'll reach out.

Cool beans. No worries. Enjoy your class. If your instructor happens to be Jared Price, tell him I said hey. Good guy. Good diver.

 

[purbeast]

@stuartv do you know of any places in the DC metro area that do classroom and pool work over a weekend? I was looking at SPE Dive School (and still plan on using them) however due to not getting medically cleared yet I missed out on the class this weekend. And schedule wise I won't be able to make the class they have September 8th and 9th, which is the only other one I can do before my trip to Grand Cayman in mid-September. I had wanted to do my checkout dives there but unfortunately it doesn't look like that is going to happen.

But if there are others that you know of that I could possibly do prior I'd be willing to at least check them out. I realize Labor Day weekend is one weekend so chances are classes won't happen that weekend, which leaves next weekend as the only other weekend. Chances are I'm just not going to be able to do it prior. I'm taking my asthma tests this Wednesday and am pretty confident they will go well and my doc will clear me.

 

[stuartv]

@purbeast Coral Edge typically does classroom on Tue and Thu nights and then pool over the following weekend. But, if you call the shop, I think they would accommodate a request to have you do the book work online, then do the classroom review on a Fri night, followed by pool the next two days. If that's what you need.

But, unfortunately, I think we don't have the pool again until after September 8th sometime. We normally only get the pool 2 weekends per month and we just had our 2 weekends for August. We use the Freedom Aquatic center pool and I think it's about to close for a couple of weeks for their annual maintenance.

You might check with Virginia Scuba. I'm not sure what their current pool schedule is, but they are very accommodating and their people, from the owners right on down, are just top-notch, super nice folks and I believe they have very good training.

Sorry I'm not more help!

 

[JamesBon92007]

I'm no stranger to expensive hobbies (ex. Golf), but I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the entry cost (~$700 for the basic OW PADI cert and $250+ for basic gear) for a hobby that I'm not 100% sure that I'll enjoy. That and I know before I even get going that I won't get to do very often (not a lot of time off work).

That brings me to the option of a "Discover Diving" class. For ~$100...you get 30-60 minutes of instruction, 30-60 minutes instruction in the pool, and then 60 minutes of use with the scuba equipment. You just provide a bathing suit and towel...no other supplies or equipment.

I think that I wouldn't be as hesitant about spending the money to get the certification and get buying the gear if I at least got to test drive the concept and see if I have interest in exploring it further. I think that I would enjoy it and my Dad thinks that I'd enjoy it (he took me snorkeling often when I was a kid), but "I think I'll enjoy it" doesn't make it easier for me to run out and spend the money.

The way I look at it...if I attend this course and I come away with with a take that "this is really cool"...I don't think I'd be hesitant to take the splurge on equipment and scheduling the OW class/cert. That and there are a LOT of dive shops in my area, so I'll have to settle on one. Thoughts? Thanks in advance.

My girlfriend took a Discover Scuba class and then skipped the Maya ruins tours to dive some more. Then she took another Discover Scuba, and when she tried to take another they told her to just get certified

Some Discover Scuba experiences are better than others. One might (after teaching you the essentials in a pool) take you out from the beach where you can look at sand for 20 minutes, but another might take you on two boat dives to some interesting reefs with 45 minutes dives. If you pick a good one you will be more likely to want to continue. The prices can also vary quite a bit and more expensive does not necessarily mean better.

 

[AustinV]

I can second the recommendations by @stuartv , I did several certifications at Coral Edge and feel I got excellent training and customer service (and my OW was $395 total if i remember correctly). I have since relocated to another state (Georgia) and when a member of my household was considering getting certified I was dumbfounded at the cost of certification at the shops I checked around here.

 

[Doby45]

I can second the recommendations by @stuartv , I did several certifications at Coral Edge and feel I got excellent training and customer service (and my OW was $395 total if i remember correctly). I have since relocated to another state (Georgia) and when a member of my household was considering getting certified I was dumbfounded at the cost of certification at the shops I checked around here.

You need to check out Divers Supply there in Marietta. Very competitive rates and great staff. They are an SDI shop.

 

[AustinV]

You need to check out Divers Supply there in Marietta. Very competitive rates and great staff. They are an SDI shop.

Thanks Doby45 - actually I’ve been in there a few times for fills and also for a few purchases. They seem like a stand up operation.