How Did You Find Your First Scuba Class?

[stever2002]

I had done several resort courses while traveling the islands over several years. As a result, I went out with a variety of dive operators spanning the gambit from very lax, to very structured. The last resort course (in Hawaii) was so well organized (pool time, gear review, simple skills, then boat dive), gave me the confidence that I was with a class organization and gave the DM confidence that, although he was never farther then a couple of arm lengths away, I wouldn't do anything stupid.

I came home and signed up at my LDS. I did OW, followed quickly by AOW and Nitrox. That was over 10 years ago.

After an 8-10 year span, I just reviewed all my training videos and did a tune up (skills review) at my LDS before my recent trip to GC. Then, my first dive at GC was an easy shore dive (very gradual down to about 60') with a watchful eye of the DM AND GUIDE who was with our group.

Its really nice to see some consistency in the training and dive communities now. Quite a change from some of those "If you've got a credit card, you can dive" organizations.

-PH

 

[Saniflush]

Had done various discover scuba courses around the world after first being exposed to diving in the Philippines in the late 80's while being stationed there. Always loved it but seemed to have other things going on when I got home and would never pursue it further. Fast forward to a year ago and I was in Cancun and decided to do the first three sections of the OW course at the resort we were staying at.

I guess I had finally decided it was time because my instructor said that it was the first time that they had actually had someone study the book. (not sure it that speaks well or not but I chose to take it as a complement) When I got back home I immediately found the LDS that best suited me and finished out my certification.

The only regret I have is not making the decision to do this full on many years ago. I have missed a lot of opportunities to dive a lot of places that I just never realized.

 

[Neophyte//]

Mapquest? But seriously, I had taken a NAUI class about 15 years ago, but had to stop when the instructor - the instructor - ruptured his eardrums on a vacation dive. He was out of commission for almost a year and I never really got back into it. About a year ago, I decided that I wanted to try it again and found a PADI dive shop and took the certification course. . Didn't want to dive Lake Tahoe in the winter, but now that it's warming up, I'll do advanced at the Lake this summer.

 

[scubadada]

LA County Parks and Recreation Underwater Unit, 1970. A great course, I'm still diving and enjoying every minute of it. I have done a liitle contemporary training since then.

 

[Landau]

Loved watching Cousteau as a kid. At 16 became a lifeguard and spent my first paycheque on a certification course. Saw the poster for it in the local sports store - not a dive shop but the sold the occasional regulator and cylinder along with fishing rods and skateboards. Course was taught by a travelling instructor. 2 dives the next summer - in a rental drysuit and one sentence of instruction: "keep your chest above your feet."

35 year surface interval. Starving student. Pursuing other sports at a high level. Job with long hours and lots of work. Non-diving wife.

At Club Med Turks and Caicos - lots to entertain wife - I decide to do a DSD. Along comes a hurricane. No diving for me. But I've got the fever again. I'm going to certify again since it was a rather long gap.

Scanned the web for Scuba courses once I was back home. One shop had a great website with lots of info and great course schedules that were convenient for me. Other shops had terrible web sites - I didn't care that the design was bad, but of the 6 or so other places only 1 had course schedule information and it was 2 years out of date. In late 2015 it had 2013 and some 2014 courses on it but nothing after that.

Too lazy to call the other shops to find out if their schedules worked for me I went with shop the shop that maintained their web site. Turned out to be a great decision. Now its 50+ dives later and I'm upset I can't go diving this weekend since I am on call for work.

To shop owners out there - maintain your websites! Step into the 1990's!

 

[Sam Miller III]

Scubadada
LA County Parks and Recreation Underwater Unit, 1970. A great course, I'm still diving and enjoying every minute of it. I have done a little contemporary training since then
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Congratulations ! .You chose well -- One heck of a course! The LA Co program creates divers not people who dive...That is why you have been involved in diving for almost 50 years

FYI
The LA County Parks and Recreation Underwater Unit, is the administrator of the LA County Sponsored program, At the time you competed the course the administrator was Mr. Tom Ebro.

It would be more appropriate to list your instructors name and location of the course.
I suspect if they are still around would appreciate the recognition

Life is good --life is great --when you are wet

Sam Miller

~~ Your post made me recognize my age--
In 1969-48 years ago I was the "Outstanding LA Co UW instructor of the year."
And I too have never stopped ...sdm

 

[scubadada]

Scubadada
LA County Parks and Recreation Underwater Unit, 1970. A great course, I'm still diving and enjoying every minute of it. I have done a little contemporary training since then
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Congratulations ! .You chose well -- One heck of a course! The LA Co program creates divers not people who dive...That is why you have been involved in diving for almost 50 years

FYI
The LA County Parks and Recreation Underwater Unit, is the administrator of the LA County Sponsored program, At the time you competed the course the administrator was Mr. Tom Ebro.

It would be more appropriate to list your instructors name and location of the course.
I suspect if they are still around would appreciate the recognition

Life is good --life is great --when you are wet

Sam Miller

~~ Your post made me recognize my age--
In 1969-48 years ago I was the "Outstanding LA Co UW instructor of the year."
And I too have never stopped ...sdm

Hi @Sam Miller III

I have enjoyed reading many of your posts, this one included. Most divers, especially outside of Southern California, have never heard of the LA County program, started in 1954. Many are unaware that it was the prototype for the first national program, NAUI, started in 1960. PADI did not come along until 1966.

I had a really fantastic instructor by the name of James Samuels, out of a shop on Magnolia Blvd in Burbank. I'm quite sure the shop disappeared years ago. Mr. Samuels was a very effective teacher in the classroom (many years ahead of PowerPoint and videos), and a great instructor in the pool and in the ocean. After the 4 beach dives and the 2 off Catalina, I was well prepared to dive independently in my home conditions, and I did, quite happily. I left California in 1980, but still get back to and dive in San Diego once or twice a year. It brings back wonderful memories

Sam, if James is still around and you have a means to contact him, like the UIA, please send him my fondest regards. I will not forget my LA County course.

Very best and good diving, Craig

 

[Sam Miller III]

My goodness what a small world !

Jim was a good and great friend of mine way back when...I don't recall when and where we met but with his last name being my first I suspect it was early on in the world of UW instruction.

I and I assume all who knew him never knew exactly what he did for a living. We knw he was super intelligent and was some sort of an engineer at Lockheed Aircraft co. .His stock answer was "Oh I put in my time at LAC" and continue with the conversation.

About 15 years ago I had some friends who were in an RV club who had a rally at a local RV park. I went down the hill to meet up with then and there was Jim Samuels ! We sat around the campfire until late in the evening catching up. He disclosed he worked as an engineer at LAC in Kelly Johnsons Skunk works on very high level secret projects and could never even disclose that he was a part of the Skunk works. But he had retired been declassified and could now disclose his involvement all of which had reached the mainstream of aviation and aerospace.

I had gome through a number of girlfriends with Jim. I was delighted to meet his wife of some years at the campout. She was from Nicaragua, was lovey inside and out extremely intelligent and very personable - the perfect match for Jim. We decided that we were so darn ugly that we has to import our wives: mine from Canada, eh and his from Nicaragua. ? Quin Sabe ?
We promised to remain in touch but time and computer crashes ...

Oh ! The dazz of our Dives !

~~~ < I was traveling and stopped by the Blue Hole in NM -- met a super hero who was a super instructor, In conversation he informed that there was absolutely no diving or instruction until a certain organization came along and all you needed to be a super hero is to shell out $$$...Did I ever give him and education in dive history > ---

Sam

 

[scubadada]

Hi @Sam Miller III

I knew Jim was instructor #18, what # are you? On the other hand I'm scuba diver #2616, and proud of it to this day

 

[Sam Miller III]

# 11 UICC

You should be proud and guard that card with your life..

Do you recall how understated but highly intelligent Jim was /is (I hope)

SAM