I sure we have some SCUBA certified folks here, so I have a few questions.... I'm heading to St. Kitts / Nevis soon for a vacation and I'm looking to do my open water certification there. Been doing quite a but of reading, but some things you just won't find on the PADI website ;-)

One of the better local shops here offers SSI certification. All I had ever heard of is PADI and NAUI. Is SSI any good and is it accepted everywhere? I see that there is referral program to cover the open water certification. Any idea if that works ok?

I know nothing about equipment and dont mind spending some extra $ to get better than basic crud. What sorts of gear / manufacturers should I be looking at? Basically, I'm looking for a decent set of personal gear - fins, mask, snorkel, etc.

What else does a noob need to look for when diving for the first time?

 

I'm PADI certified; I know a few NAUI instructors (who, of course, think NAUI is far better). Never heard of SSI. If you can, do the Open Water, and Advanced Open Water at the same time. That'll qualify you for deeper dives and night dives. Lots of wrecks are deeper than the Open Water limits.

Have a good dive buddy that pays attention. If you get in trouble at 100ft, you don't want to stuck with the class clown that wasn't listening or is intent on going off by themselves.

There are lots of good equipment makers. I have Tusa Mask/Snorkle/Fins that I'm very happy with. Seaquest BC, it's OK. Mares Reg that is very nice. I'd recommned flippers with a clip-on strap around the heal with boots over those slip-on flippers.

 

If you have a choice, I would say go with PADI or NAUI since they are acknowledged all around the world. I have also never heard or SSI. I am PADI certified and can tell you that they are VERY good about teaching you to SCUBA dive. They wont pass you unless they know for sure that you are comfortable in the water and know what you are doing, they dont simply certify you because you paid the money.

When I got my Open Water Certification it consisted of 5 dives under pressure. 3 were in a pool going over basic skills like regulator recovery, buddy breathing, mask clearing, emergency accent, establishing neutral buoyancy, etc. Our last 2 were actual ocean dives.

For Advanced Water Certification it consists of a deep water dive to 100 ft, a wreck dive, and a night/navigation dive. It also gives you a feel to see what its like to get a little bit of Nitrogen Narcosis and you experience what its like to be in the absensce of light.

If you ever get a chance, make sure to do some tropical diving. I went to Cozumel and Grand Cayman over summer to do some diving and it was amazing.

 

I flew to Honolulu and did a two day PADI certification. What can you learn in two days, not much. It was enough to feel safe because like you, I had done lots and lots of reading. It's not for everyone, but don't discount a quickie course unless you need to be spoon fed (doesn't sound like it).

The benefit was that I was certified and could dive on vacation and start the real learning process on "real dives". I set limits for myself, first 10 dives; hang with the divemaster & bug 'em with all the questions they would answer if something didn't make sense. The other thing was dive as much as possible, of course being safe about it, but with more exposure it made me feel way more comfortable.

I also went for the Advanced "rating" within a year after my initial cert. and found that night dives are more fun than anything else (for me).

Also, buy a mask and (split) fins that fit. I wouldn't worry about a snorkel unless you plan on doing a bunch of shore dives. I have one but it stays in my gear bag most of the time. With little gear to haul, it makes travel SO much easier. Worry about buying all the other stuff as you get more experience and have the opportunity to try rental gear. The rental gear is sometimes top shelf stuff if you dive with a reputable shop.

Learn the dive tables (well), remember your new and can learn a bit, have fun. easy as that.

Cheers -

 

1. PADI, NAUI, SSI, it doesn't make a difference. The most important thing is to get a KNOWLEDGABLE instructor that you feel comfortable with.

2. Try to take a full course and get certified BEFORE you go on vacation. I took a course with two weekends of pool diving then one weekend of open water diving (on a boat) in the ocean. There is no way you will get all this instruction at a resort course.

3. Find a mask that fits.

4. Split fins.

5. Get a dive computer. This will allow you to stay under longer and be safe.

6. Don't worry about going deep. There is plenty of sea life in the first 20m and the light is better.

7. Be careful and respectful of the ocean. Too many people with not enough training destroy coral that took nature 100 years to grow in mere seconds .

8. Even experienced divers die. This is a dangerous hobby that demands your full attention. My friend was diving in South America and someone in his group didn't surface. The ocean is facinating and scary at the same time. I've been in Cabo, floating above a shelf that drops off 3,000+ feet. That put a whole different perspective on things.

9. When you feel like you're ready, then enjoy yourself. It's quite an experience and definitely worth the time and effort.

Have a great time!

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by sixone
1. PADI, NAUI, SSI, it doesn't make a difference.

 

I am SSI certified after many hours of classroom, pool and open water instruction. I have dived a few time off the NJ shore and feel comfortable. I have only used and owned Sucbapro equipment and had no problems. I am not familiar with the other certifications and equipment.

 

Thanks EVERYONE for the great replies. Once again, the members of S2Ki are an amazing resource.

Like just about everyone else (except for pcloadletter ) I too had never heard of SSI until I walked in that shop. The thing I like about the shop is that they have their own dive pool for the classroom portion and also keep the classes to 8 or less students, though it's usually only a few in a class. Obviously, I am concerned about the recognizability of the certification. When I questioned the instructor about SSI, he made it sound like it was becoming the 800-pound gorilla of the diving world. After some research, and everyone's comments, that sounds like a BS comment.

I do have a couple other shops nearby and one is defintely PADI, which seems to me to be the most widely recognized by a big margin. I'm leaning more towards going with them even though we'd need to go to a pool somewhere in town to do the training.

Ironwedge - I think my plan is very much like yours. I plan to take my dives easy until I get comfortable then plan to go to more advanced stuff. I also have a little bit of a concern that either myself or my girlfriend may not find enough interest to continue.

Sixone - when you say to get a mask that fits, what's the best way to tell? I'm guessing I'd need to try a few on in the water to tell for sure, right?

 

I'm another SSI certified diver. I obtained my certification almost 10 years ago when I was in my early 40s, so SSI have been around a reasonable while. I was very pleased with the instruction - it took place over 4 days to achieve open water and involved 2 pool dives and 4 sea dives (2 shore dives and 2 boat dives). The second boat dive was an 18 metre wreck dive and was absolutely fantastic

In essence, sixone is right. It's not the company, it's the
thoroughness that counts. I stil dive regularly but have never bothered to buy equipment as package deals (dive and equipment) are always good value. In addition, I have not bothered to obtain advanced certification. The deepest I have been is 25 metres on a wreck off Bali. I felt quite safe but don't feel the need to go any deeper. At my age I'm past bragging rights.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by DaveZ

Ironwedge - I think my plan is very much like yours.