Where did you get OW certified?

[MaxBottomtime]

Researched several local shops and chose the one with the longest course. Six weeks, six pool sessions, three beach dives and three boat dives.

 

[TMHeimer]

Paddys Head on St. Margarets Bay near Halifax, NS. Nov. 6, 2005. Through Torpedo Rays Scuba, where I eventually DMd.

 

[Storker]

Local dive shop. And knowing what I know now, I'm mighty happy I did the whole class including OW dives locally. That way, I was actually semi-compentent to dive local conditions after certifying.

 

[archer1960]

On a cruise; PADI OW certification was one of the "shore excursions" that they offered. OW dives were in Grand Cayman and Cozumel.

Edit: Then did a refresher/intro to local diving with a local instructor whom I already knew.

 

[scubadada]

Local dive shop. And knowing what I know now, I'm mighty happy I did the whole class including OW dives locally. That way, I was actually semi-compentent to dive local conditions after certifying.

It was the same for me, 4 shore dives and a couple of boat dives in Southern California. I spent the next 10 years mainly doing shore dives in Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties. It was not hard going back much later and diving while visiting San Diego. Without the cold water experience, it would not have been so easy.

 

[TMHeimer]

local dive shop but traveled a couple hours in northern Sask Canada late Sept talk about dedicated lol

Just curious--Where in N. SK? I'm quite familiar with the area. Did you do your checkout dives in a lake up there?

 

[runsongas]

OW with a dive shop about 45 min away because they offered a groupon. haven't set foot there since i finished OW.

 

[Lorenzoid]

San Diego, Ocean Enterprises, 1998. Getting certified was something to check off my to-do list in preparation for an Australia vacation, and I had passed by that shop many times. I don't think I even considered that there might be another shop somewhere or knew there was such a thing as a training "agency." I knew absolutely zero when I walked in.

 

[KenGordon]

Your poll doesn't include clubs.

 

[Marie13]

Did a DSD with a shop that was very highly recommended by someone in another state who had been ordering online from them for years. Loved it and went on to do my SDI OW class with them. Dives at our local quarry. Doing AOW with them next year. Love the instructors.

The shop? DRIS.