Obtain your technical skills in a UK swimming pool, and do the open water section of the PADI test in clear warm water abroad. Otherwise, you'll spend an expensive entire week on holiday in a classroom, with very little time left for diving in good conditions.
Why not just do the Open Water in the UK as well?, then you have the whole holiday to enjoy diving in
So? - you're passing a qualification, not going there for your holidays
I did my entire OW course on holiday - doing the skills in shallow water just off the beach and having a bit of time to look at the reefs in perfect vis during the 5 open water dives once the skills were out the way so it's not all bad. Sitting in the bar learning the theory wasn't exactly unpleasant either. I'd say that's probably a better introduction to it than doing it in a swimming pool. It probably works out cheaper that way too.
because most open water dives in the UK seem to be in disused, freezing, muddy quarries.
Yep - as someone whose final dive was in one such murky quarry in December with an air temperature of 3 degrees I can tell you it would be far more fun in the med or Red Sea! It took me a full afternoon to defrost.
I am thinking of doing the whole course at home, as we are not going away for ages and I want to get started sooner! I think the places near me seem to do the open water dives at Stoney Cove which looks quite good. If I can manage the cold I would like to dive in the UK anyway.
I do fancy wreck diving although night diving sounds a little scary!
I do fancy wreck diving although night diving sounds a little scary!
In the water at night, it's peaceful and stunningly beautiful. If you're in a warm climate, the coral opens at nght, and there's nothing like surfacing in the dark, and bobbing up and down in the water looking at the stars whilst waiting for the retrieval boat. Some of the best experiences of my life so far.
I am thinking of doing the whole course at home, as we are not going away for ages and I want to get started sooner! I think the places near me seem to do the open water dives at Stoney Cove which looks quite good. If I can manage the cold I would like to dive in the UK anyway.
I took my daughter to Stoney Cove for her open water dives, it mush have been early September because her birthday is the 4th, and she had to wait to be 13 to do them.
It might be cold, but that's what wet suits are for
I used to pothole a lot, wet suits keep you nice and warm - but the more serious divers use dry suits, which are apparently warmer still?.
I was quite impressed with the site, it seemed very well run, but was extremely busy. As my wife and I were standing around waiting we were roped in timing the dives and marking everyone in and out.
A little story about wetsuits
We'd been caving one Sunday, at Castleton in Derbyshire, and when we went down it was a lovely sunny day - the entrance was up fields off the road. When we came back out it was snowing a blizzard, and we had to tramp down through deep snow back to the road.
We were so hot in the wetsuits that as we got changed we had a nude snowball fight (in the road) to cool down - to the bemusement of passing motorists who were crawling along in the deep snow hardly able to see for the driven snow
Theres nothing wrong with inland dive sites! They provide a great training environment for people as well as guaranteed diveable conditions unlike the sea. Thats why schools use them so much! As well as the fact they have platoforms, and ready made buoy lines for ascents and descents.
I feel that those people who have learnt in the UK have a far great skill set than those abroad as diving in the UK can be challenging due to the suits, hoods and gloves!
Then when you away and all of the thick suit is taken away diving becomes very easy!
Wetsuits for diving in the UK are basically a thing of the past. The new diving wetsuits suitable for the UK are known as semi- dry suits. Essentially they even further reduce the flush of water going through the suit keeping you warmer.
A dry suit works by adding air to the suit which your body and undergarments keeps warm. This is great as yes you are warmer however there are some negatives.
You need more weight to keep you down. Theres more training needed for a drysuit as well.
I dive regularly in the North Sea and use both depending on the type of diving I am doing. For boat dives/ repetitive dives a dry suit is the way forward. A nice shore dive is done in a wetsuit.
Within the diving community there will always be the PADI / BSAC argument and its silly ...... At the end of the day its all about diving and the love of it !
BSAC. Is a club based learning program you get taught by the club instructor, As far as i know they dont all have club kit to use you may be lucky and find one that does but most expect you to have you own kit, this kit will cost aprox £1000.
Altough your qualification can be used world wide some places my not recognise it but they are few and far between.
PADI, you pay for the course and at the end of it you have a qualification recognised around the world, you learn within a couple of weekends poss more, All the kit you need will be provided, If at the end of the course you find its not for you your not left with kit you have spent out on and never gona use
Please base your decision on this !
If you intend to Dive in the UK be it the sea or lakes then BSAC would be the better choice as the clubs are very active and will teach you the skills you need for UK diving. some clubs arrange holidays abroad and weekend trips too.
remember i may take a while to get qualified with them !
If you are only going to be a holiday diver then go the PADI route as the qualification is know world wide, you can hire the kit as and when you want it, ( i would consider buying mask fins and snorkel though as you can use them any time you like ) some PADI schools have clubs too for uk diving.
remember you can do the course over a few weekends.
If after getting into diving you then fancy some uk diving even with your PADI ticket you can join a BSAC club and still dive they may want to do a skills review and offer you some additional training.
hope this helps
Diving is a life changing sport best of luck maybe we could even have a splash together one day !
Although Im PADI Divemaster for a school where i assist with the teaching im going to join my local BSAC club for the club diving and social side.
I missed these last posts before, just wanted to say thanks for the tips! Am going on a bit of a get fit mission and then will go for a try dive and see how it goes.
Comments
Why not just do the Open Water in the UK as well?, then you have the whole holiday to enjoy diving in
because most open water dives in the UK seem to be in disused, freezing, muddy quarries.
So? - you're passing a qualification, not going there for your holidays
I did my entire OW course on holiday - doing the skills in shallow water just off the beach and having a bit of time to look at the reefs in perfect vis during the 5 open water dives once the skills were out the way so it's not all bad. Sitting in the bar learning the theory wasn't exactly unpleasant either. I'd say that's probably a better introduction to it than doing it in a swimming pool. It probably works out cheaper that way too.
Yep - as someone whose final dive was in one such murky quarry in December with an air temperature of 3 degrees I can tell you it would be far more fun in the med or Red Sea! It took me a full afternoon to defrost.
I do fancy wreck diving although night diving sounds a little scary!
In the water at night, it's peaceful and stunningly beautiful. If you're in a warm climate, the coral opens at nght, and there's nothing like surfacing in the dark, and bobbing up and down in the water looking at the stars whilst waiting for the retrieval boat. Some of the best experiences of my life so far.
I took my daughter to Stoney Cove for her open water dives, it mush have been early September because her birthday is the 4th, and she had to wait to be 13 to do them.
It might be cold, but that's what wet suits are for
I used to pothole a lot, wet suits keep you nice and warm
I was quite impressed with the site, it seemed very well run, but was extremely busy. As my wife and I were standing around waiting we were roped in timing the dives and marking everyone in and out.
A little story about wetsuits
We'd been caving one Sunday, at Castleton in Derbyshire, and when we went down it was a lovely sunny day - the entrance was up fields off the road. When we came back out it was snowing a blizzard, and we had to tramp down through deep snow back to the road.
We were so hot in the wetsuits that as we got changed we had a nude snowball fight (in the road) to cool down - to the bemusement of passing motorists who were crawling along in the deep snow hardly able to see for the driven snow
I feel that those people who have learnt in the UK have a far great skill set than those abroad as diving in the UK can be challenging due to the suits, hoods and gloves!
Then when you away and all of the thick suit is taken away diving becomes very easy!
Wetsuits for diving in the UK are basically a thing of the past. The new diving wetsuits suitable for the UK are known as semi- dry suits. Essentially they even further reduce the flush of water going through the suit keeping you warmer.
A dry suit works by adding air to the suit which your body and undergarments keeps warm. This is great as yes you are warmer however there are some negatives.
You need more weight to keep you down. Theres more training needed for a drysuit as well.
I dive regularly in the North Sea and use both depending on the type of diving I am doing. For boat dives/ repetitive dives a dry suit is the way forward. A nice shore dive is done in a wetsuit.
BSAC. Is a club based learning program you get taught by the club instructor, As far as i know they dont all have club kit to use you may be lucky and find one that does but most expect you to have you own kit, this kit will cost aprox £1000.
Altough your qualification can be used world wide some places my not recognise it but they are few and far between.
PADI, you pay for the course and at the end of it you have a qualification recognised around the world, you learn within a couple of weekends poss more, All the kit you need will be provided, If at the end of the course you find its not for you your not left with kit you have spent out on and never gona use
Please base your decision on this !
If you intend to Dive in the UK be it the sea or lakes then BSAC would be the better choice as the clubs are very active and will teach you the skills you need for UK diving. some clubs arrange holidays abroad and weekend trips too.
remember i may take a while to get qualified with them !
If you are only going to be a holiday diver then go the PADI route as the qualification is know world wide, you can hire the kit as and when you want it, ( i would consider buying mask fins and snorkel though as you can use them any time you like ) some PADI schools have clubs too for uk diving.
remember you can do the course over a few weekends.
If after getting into diving you then fancy some uk diving even with your PADI ticket you can join a BSAC club and still dive they may want to do a skills review and offer you some additional training.
hope this helps
Diving is a life changing sport best of luck maybe we could even have a splash together one day !
Although Im PADI Divemaster for a school where i assist with the teaching im going to join my local BSAC club for the club diving and social side.
Going away again in a few weeks and hopefully will be able to upgrade. Can see this being addictive!