Where to learn in Fiji

[ratb3rt]

Hi all,
I'm going to be starting a round-the-world trip in October, and my first stop will be Fiji where I plan to get my Open Water qualification. I have been diving once before (a two day mini-course with two 10m dives at Sail Rock off Koh Phangan), so I'm not a complete newbie and know i loved it, but know I'll have to start again from scratch for proper certification.
Can anyone recommend a good school in Fiji? A proper pool for the confined dives would naturally be a big bonus, but beyond that, i have no idea. Should i lean the selection towards an island that has particularly good diving nearby, or would that just mean 100s of other divers around while i'm still learning?

Cheers,
Rich

 

[ratb3rt]

After a few browses, I've found both PADI and SSI centres - would qualifying with SSI be any kind of problem in the future (i.e. would i end up cross-certifying to make life easier), or is it really the quality of the tutors that really makes the difference and i shouldn't worry about the actual agency?

Ta,
Rich

 

[SnorkelLA]

SSI and PADI are probably the two most recognized. One should acknowledge the other fairly readily. I know that you can get gear, air fills, etc. with an OW card from just about any agency short of "Joe Bob's Independent Dive Shack". \

Now whether or not the prerequisits for PADI courses such as AOW, Rescue and Master SCUBA Diver will be compatible with the ones you got from SSI, that will remain to be seen. And the likewise, whether SSI will properly recognize what you've done with PADI to meet the prerequisits for certain certs.

But, I'd say in the long run go with SSI, you'll get a proper SCUBA education (but it still does depened heavily on the quality of instructor). But the course with SSI is more in-depth than PADI