Diving Certification in Edmonton

[TheReefGeek]

I will likely be going to Dubai on business, and have the opportunity to extend the trip a few days for vacation, and I was thinking it would be a good chance to try out diving!

1. Anyone done their classroom/pool training in Edmonton have any opinions on the company they choose to go with? There are many, and I dont know how to choose one. My plan would be to do the 4 open water dives in Dubai

2. Anyone gone diving in Dubai by any chance?

[howdy20012002]

Haven't gone diving there
just gonna say though if you have the time..
go to Wild Wadi Waterpark
it is right at the base of the 7 star Hotel..the one that looks like a sailboat.
That is by far the best waterpark i have been to.
they actually have water tube waterslides that bring to the top of the slides so that you can go down the other slides..
you can spend the whole day there and never get off your tube.
As well, bring lots of cash.
Great deals on shopping especially clothes and jewellry
go to the Gold Souk for sure
Neal

[DanG]

Which course are you planning on taking? PADI is the bigger of the 2 cert's, and the PADI site lists only 2 certified dive centres in edmonton. NAUI is the other cert organizition.

Northwest Scuba Ventures, Ltd. S-4254
6815 104th Street
Edmonton, Alberta T6H 2L5
CANADA
Phone: (780) 438-1218
Fax: (780) 438-1479


Ocean Sports S-1063
10133 82nd Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta T6E 1Z5
CANADA
Phone: (800) 561-3483
Fax: (780) 439-3505


What is the diving like in Dubai? Do you know the average depth? With the basic open water diving course, you're supposed to be limited to 60 feet, anything deeper and you should take the advanced open water diver, which will take you down as far as 120 feet. Past 120 feet, you need mixed gas, which is another course after the advanced open water.

Here's the link to what's covered in the PADI open water course.
http://www.padi.com/english/common/courses/rec/begin/openwater.asp
It's been a while since I took the open water, but it includes a couple of weeks (one night a week) of classroom training followed by diving in a pool, and the open water weekend which is usually 4 dives.

[TheReefGeek]

Thanks fof the info.

I just want the basic course, classroom and pool, so I guess I would be limited to 60ft. I don't know much about the diving in Dubai yet, I am going to get some information from www.scubaboard.com hopefully, I just signed up there. I want to do the 4 open water dives while in Dubai.

I have checked out both of those companies, I think I like Ocean Sports out of those two.

There is a cheaper company, http://www.aquatekscuba.com/
They offer Scuba Diving International (SDI) certification, and if I can get two people, it is only $115 vs. $170 at Ocean Sports.

I think Ocean Sports has more class and pool time though, might be worth it. I think I need to find out what dive school I will use in Dubai, then whatever their certification is (probably PADI) then I will take that.

[Beermaster]

I did mine throgh Ocean Sports, was fun and did it all in a couple weekends with the open water done in Jasper, but then again that was 10yrs ago now lol

Go with PADI, as of 10yrs ago when i took it, it was the most reconized cert out there, times might have changed though?

[TheReefGeek]

They are still the largest organization.

Now to convince the boss..... :razz:

[Matt]

Open Water, Advanced Open Water, Mixed Gas, Wreck Diving, Night Diving... is it any wonder that PADI = Put Another Dollar In?

If you're just going to have some fun, and you're a novice diver, why not just do your cert there? You'll probably save some bucks, and have a great time learning in warm water. Even on your first lesson, you'll probably get to see something more interesting than the bottom of a pool.

JMHO, YMMV

Matthew

[TheReefGeek]

I might end up doing it that way, I am researching my options now.

The goal of taking all the classroom stuff here, and some basic pools stuff, is to get the basics out of the way, then have fun doing the 4 required open water dives in Dubai. That way I don't waste time in a classroom in Dubai.

But I have to find out if there are any dive operations that will let me just do the 4 dives, so far I have only found complete open water certifications.

[fishguyxd]

I also heard ocean sports is good

[TheReefGeek]

I went with NorthWest Scuba, my lessons are next weekend, during the Edmonton reef meet :(

It was a toss up etween NorthWest and Ocean Sports, they have both been around a long time, both do PADI and both had classes the same weekend for pretty much the same price.