Rambo's World Adventure

[acidboy]



So I was talking about wanting to go scuba diving in several exotic locales. Trouble is, I don't know how to scuba dive. Its ******* expensive to learn here so I was thinking about doing it internationally, hopefully on the cheap. Any suggestions for this?

I'm your one-stop shop.
It's somewhat of a mixed bag. It's true that abroad you can get PADI certified for a fraction of price and time of what you would in the US. The problem is that you don't know what the dive master (assuming there's someone there certified to that level) is like, what the equipment is like, etc. I've gone on some cheap dives around here but I feel more comfortable knowing that I know how to check my equipment and have the general experience necessary to know if I'm getting into a bad situation.
If I had to get certified abroad, I'd pick a spot KNOWN for diving. You'd not only be able to take full advantage of good conditions but you'll have a better chance of coming across online reviews of the shop/school.
I can't completely cross out schools abroad because I've had several friends who were also dive masters work in random countries as instructors.

+1 on what who said.... scuba lessons a hit or miss and its a gamble I don't think you should take if you decide to just walk in some place offering padi-certified courses. I personally know this couple who got certification from god knows where and my other friends who dive are bewildered how the lady got certified judging by how clumsy and careless she is underwater. oh, btw- if you do want to learn to dive and do it here I can definitely hook you up with good instructors and groups.

 

[whodini]

Yeah, if the difference is only a couple of hundred bucks (maybe), I'd be more concerned with how I got my c card than how fast and cheap I got my c card.

It's not hard to get bad equipment, advice, or instructors. I'd just be really weary of a place that promises to get me certified in a few hours. The concepts are very basic and the actual practice is very basic, but much like driving a car if you don't know what you're doing you're really setting yourself or someone else up for some bad ****.

 

[Rambo]

Well, down here its 300 minimum and you have to buy your own gear. I was hoping for an outfit where gear could be rented and everything could be knocked out in 3-4 days for the same price or cheaper (preferably). Can't be lugging around a mask and ******* fins.

 

[PeterMetro]



Those sound like literally three of the worst possible areas in the world in which someone could travel.

Ceahlau Mountains, Romania


Petra, Jordan


Victoria Falls, Zambia

 

[Rambo]

Jesus those look gorgeous.

Got an appointment for vaccines tomorrow. Didn't realize how many ******* shots you need to get. Damn. Hopefully, I'm not to late to get them all.

 

[whiteslashasian]

This thread gets me in a travelling mood.

I'm not certain I'd go through the trouble of SCUBA cert unless you're going to do a LOT of diving. I love snorkeling....

 

[acidboy]

+1 on snorkeling.... jeesh I was drinking with this dive resort guy and our friends last night... all those gears, certification and stuff.... wow!

 

[whodini]

I thought you were certified?

Well, down here its 300 minimum and you have to buy your own gear. I was hoping for an outfit where gear could be rented and everything could be knocked out in 3-4 days for the same price or cheaper (preferably). Can't be lugging around a mask and ******* fins.

Yeah, if you're abroad at a touristy spot then no question the rentals would all be included as part of the package.

I think snorkeling would only be cheating yourself, both short term and long. You don't have to dive very often to make it worth your while to be certified.

The only context I'd see you not trying to get certified would be you'd have no real interest in diving after your trip and/or diving was something you thought you could check out to kill time at prime spots. If it's something like that, then quite a few places would run "Discover SCUBA" programs that basically give you a couple of hours to get used to the equipment before being coddled into the water.

But to have to do that more than once would make me blow my brains out. I'd just get certified and be done with it.

 

[Rambo]

I do have an interest in diving, and hitting the Great Barrier Reef is one of my bucket list items. Not to mention that I love the water.

So how do I pick out a good place from a bad place, even if its touristy?

 

[acidboy]



I thought you were certified?

me? hell I don't even know how to swim and I think I'm the only one on this island who doesn't.

 

[whodini]



I do have an interest in diving, and hitting the Great Barrier Reef is one of my bucket list items. Not to mention that I love the water.
So how do I pick out a good place from a bad place, even if its touristy?

Narrow it down by country and then go from there. Hell, if I googled "Costa Rica dive school" I'm sure I'd get plenty of english-written entries with reviews from other travelers. Same can probably be said for the other countries.

Really, I'd just go by reviews and recommendations from others.

me? hell I don't even know how to swim and I think I'm the only one on this island who doesn't.

And I used to think you were cool...

 

[Rambo]

Just got back from immunizations. Down 3 bills with possibly another 2 to go. You guys recommend malaria drugs?

 

[globetrotter]



Just got back from immunizations. Down 3 bills with possibly another 2 to go. You guys recommend malaria drugs?

I nver take malaria drugs. nasty side effects.

 

[whodini]

Certain anti-malarics can be pretty rough depending on the person. Doxi may not be a good fit if you're planning to spend a lot of time in the sun.

I take information like that with a grain of salt. You'll see reports of how CR has malaria when really it's localized to a very specific part of the country that happens to be one of the least likely places for tourists to visit. Dengue is more of a problem, and even then it's subject to certain spots and waves.

I'd take a good look at where you're going, malaria maps are easy enough to find on the net.

 

[Rambo]

The CDC list Malaria as a "possibility" for just about every damn country.