Best option for PADI certification - before cruise, during, or mixed?

[Leejnd4]

Hi,

 

We did a couple of resort dives on a Costa Rica cruise in March, and I'm hooked! I've got two more cruises booked -- Caribbean in August, and New Zealand-Tahiti in Nov. I'd like to get PADI certified, and I'm trying to figure out the best way to do it.

 

I've read a lot of the threads in here, so I think I have a good handle on what my options are. I understand that the certification course offered on the ship (RCCL) isn't OW certification -- that I would have to take two more dives to get full certification (which I want to have before my Nov. cruise). As I see it, these are my options:

 

1. Do full certification course here prior to Aug. cruise. (Problem is that the diving here in Ventura County, CA ain't that great -- also, it's more expensive than the ship course.)

 

2. Do certification course EXCEPT for dives here, then bring referral and do the four dives during the cruise to complete certification. (Highest cost option.)

 

3. Do the RCCL certification course on the ship, then do the two additional dives here prior to my Nov. cruise. (Least expensive -- problem is doing all that classroom work during my vacation.)

 

I'm leaning towards option two, even though it's the most expensive option. I would love some input from experienced divers! Thanks!

[bruce-r]

You've listed them in the order I'd recommend.

 

1. Do full certification course here prior to Aug. cruise. (Problem is that the diving here in Ventura County, CA ain't that great -- also, it's more expensive than the ship course.)

This is the best choice, plus you are wrong, the diving in CA can be GREAT. I've only been to the Channel Islands, but the diving there was remarkable.

 

With the exception of the lobster, you can't see any of this cool stuff in the caribbean.

 

2. Do certification course EXCEPT for dives here, then bring referral and do the four dives during the cruise to complete certification. (Highest cost option.)

Not bad, but then you won't adequately prepared for diving at home.

 

 

3. Do the RCCL certification course on the ship, then do the two additional dives here prior to my Nov. cruise. (Least expensive -- problem is doing all that classroom work during my vacation.)

Do you really want to do classwork while on vacation?

[CruiseLunatic]

I'm with Bruce-R - Do it ahead of time!! You will enjoy your cruise more.

Here are some problems I ran into when I took the academics first then tried to dive on the cruise: I spent a great deal of time planning and contacting shops ahead of time to try and make my dives. (my ship had no program). I was going to do my first dives in Florida the day before the cruise. Bad weather in the Fort Lauderdale area forced a no-dive situation. Already my plans are shot. On to St Thomas, where I was suppose to do my 3rd & 4th dive. Instead I did 1 & 2. Now I was depending on the ships tour desk to help me find a stop for dives 3 & 4. Never happened (certainly wasn't to their advantage). I ended up coming home and doing all 4 dives inLake Champlain with the rest of my class anyway. Think of the experience though! I was just trying to avoid 45 degree water:rolleyes:

Good Luck

 

Like the NIKE commercial says, "JUST DO IT" (first)

[Leejnd4]

Thanks for the feedback! I must have been misinformed about the diving around here -- I was under the impression it wasn't very good. And certainly the water is a lot colder! I can deal with that myself -- I do triathlons occasionally, so I'm used to swimming in the ocean here. But DH is a bit more concerned about the water temperature, so he's pushing for us to do the dives in the Caribbean. I'll keep working on him to do them here, so we can just go and enjoy ourselves on our cruise.

 

And you are right, I really DON'T want to be doing coursework during my vacation! :)

[scubaran]

Thanks for the feedback! I must have been misinformed about the diving around here -- I was under the impression it wasn't very good. And certainly the water is a lot colder! I can deal with that myself -- I do triathlons occasionally, so I'm used to swimming in the ocean here. But DH is a bit more concerned about the water temperature, so he's pushing for us to do the dives in the Caribbean. I'll keep working on him to do them here, so we can just go and enjoy ourselves on our cruise.

 

And you are right, I really DON'T want to be doing coursework during my vacation! :)

 

Hi, I live in the Northeast and did my open water locally in 50 degree water. While those couple of dives were in cold water, I wasn't that cold and the way I saw it, I prefer to "learn" in the worst case scenarios and "dive" in best case scenarios. In talking to my Florida friends, I can dive in warm water but they're unprepared to dive in cold water. So they can only dive in 1/2 the situations I can (they've never put on a 7mm wetsuit and hood). There's definitely an advantage to certifying in cold water.

 

Randall

 

P.S. I've done a sprint triathlon before and know I didn't train for the swimming in a wadding pool or walk a 10K instead of running a 10K, same philosophy to diving.

[cruzegirl]

Leejnd4,

Do it before you go.... You will so enjoy your diving alot more... I live in Valencia so not far from you..... The diving, while cooler, is awesome out here.. I go off Ventura to the Anacapa Islands and Santa Cruz Islands as well as Catalina.....There's so much to see.... Our Kelp forrest alone is incredible....

I can recommend an excellent dive shop to get certified privately to you.... Can't do recommendations or advertising here on the site but you can email me from my signature.....You won't regret it.....I have been diving a year now and went diving in Acapulco and Hawaii.... And will go on my cruise in December..... But it's great diving out here.... Just not between Dec. -April if it's been cold.... Plus, if you learn to dive here, you can dive almost anywhere.. Click on my webshots link and you can view my diving album and see ton's of things from California....enjoy

[bruce-r]

Did someone say "kelp"?

[cruzegirl]

Bruce,

Great photo... Much better than my kelp pics.... lol.... How did you do that? Angle, closeness? Very good......

[sea-jay]

I agree with previous posters. Get certified before you go and you will have much more fun on the cruise being able to dive without having to spend (expensive) vacation time studying or taking lessons.

 

Happy Bubbles.

[bruce-r]

Bruce, Great photo... Much better than my kelp pics.... lol.... How did you do that? Angle, closeness? Very good......

Thanks. I was fairly shallow and the sun was shining, so the lighting was good, plus I might have helped it a little bit with photoshop. I was also trying to angle my up a little.

[Texas_Diver]

I agree with the above posters: Get your certification done prior to your August cruise. Then you can just sit back and enjoy your cruise without thoughts of classwork.

 

Also, when you return from your trip, seriously consider taking the PADI Adavanced Open Water course. It's a great follow-up for the OW class!

 

D.

[crw]

CERTIFY BEFORE YOU GO!

 

You're probably right -- the dives won't by ideal at home -- which is half the point. You'll be much better prepared to deal with a crisis if you learn under mildly difficult conditions than 100 foot visibility in 82 degree water. Besides, even the checkout dives in tropical paradise are less than spectacular dives -- you are working on skills, not exploring the reef.

 

Go with option 1!

 

[cruzegirl]

And I definitely recommend the Adv. Open Water class too... But only after logging 25 dives at least.... I did mine after 10 dives and felt very out of my element.... I feel PADI should require the 25-30 dives before taking the adv. open water class... My reasoning is that you'll have much more experience to go with that classification....lol

I had my adv. title and yet was very unexperienced.. Not the best way to do it.... IMHO.......

[cruzegirl]

Bruce,

How's this for my kelp/bat ray photo?? This was awesome.....

[bruce-r]

Bruce,

How's this for my kelp/bat ray photo?? This was awesome.....

That's quite nice. I'd like to see one of those in September when I'm diving the Channel Islands.

[cruzegirl]

Thanks;) ..... When you come out, go out on a boat off Ventura.. This was taken off the north side of Anacapa at a place called the Caverns.... I was going through the kelp forest and saw him on the bottom.... just floated & watched.... Then he was like a helicopter, came up and then floated off.... I worked hard to get that photo....lol.. I use the Spectre for my dives.... They are a great crew..:p

[cruzegirl]

Hey Lee Anne,

Thought I'd check up on you and see how the certification is going? Are you done yet? Have you been diving? :D Would love to hear how the diving is going.......

[Leejnd4]

Hi,

 

We just got back last night from our cruise. The certification went great! I'm glad we did it the way we did...getting the class/pool work done in advance, then doing our OW dives in the Caribbean. We used Admiralty Dive in St. Thomas, and Dive Safari in St. Maarten. Admiralty Dive was FANTASTIC! It was only the two of us on the boat, along with the owner of the co., an instructor and a helper. Our instructor was the sweetest gal -- she did all the skills very professionally, having us repeat them until they were perfect, and then on both dives we spent the rest of the time exploring and seeing amazing things -- spectacular brilliantly-colored reefs, a 3-foot nurse shark, enormous lobsters, eels, drumfish, etc. etc. They took us to two separate dive spots, a reef and a spot with an old shipwreck. No one was there but us, and it was fabulous!

 

The second dive shop wasn't as impressive, but we still had a good time. It was a larger boat and there were ten other divers. They took us to a sort of generic place where other dive boats, and even a couple snorkle excursions, were also. There were some artifacts that had been placed there -- a couple old canons, an old sunken submarine, a wrecked boat -- but no reef, and not nearly as much marine life. There were some cool things -- huge trumpetfish, for example. Our instructor seemed to be more casual about the skills, and appeared to be nursing a bit of a hangover, but we got the skills done and then putted around for a while.

 

Now that we're certified we'll start scheduling some dives out here in Ventura. Then in November I'll be on a 19-day cruise from New Zealand through the Tahitian Islands to Los Angeles, and I'm planning on a bunch of dives.

 

It feels pretty cool to be certified now! :D

[cruzegirl]

Lee Anne,

Well congratulations on getting certified and diving.... Isn't it grand.... The first dive sounded like a dream... I know what you mean about the 2nd dive... That's how my dive in Maui was... A very big boat operation but nothing spectacular down there....But still it was Maui and it was warm water so I was pretty happy.... Just disappointed on the lack of marine life....

Do start diving Ventura or Catalina.... it's a 2 fold reason... Meaning don't lose the skills after getting certified and waiting for the next vacation... Plus, once you start diving in California and get real comfortable with our water, the cold, etc.... you can pretty much dive anywhere.... Some folks make the mistake of diving only warm water, getting several dives under their belt and then think California is a piece of cake.... But it's not... Between the gear we use and the colder water, it's a challenge sometimes.... With that said, we had right about 70 degree water in July when Julie and I went diving.... it was wonderful.... Great day.. I led all the dives, did the navigation and see pic below to see what we saw....Very cool...

Would love to dive with you sometime...... And don't forget the dive center, www.ecodivecenter.com, for some meetings.... We have one Tuesday on fish disection but they have great meetings and you can check their local dive calendar and come join us.... Great group of folks...... Have fun...... And again, congrats.....:D