Total Novice - where to qualify

[stevenash]

Live in Guernsey - unfortunately no BSAC club here.
Have done 1/2 course a few years ago - did all the pool sessions but didn't manage any open water dives. Instructor is no longer taking courses.
Have been thinking about going abroad to take the course while on holiday and Cyprus is currently favoured destination.
Would welcome any views/comments on suitability of Cyprus or other Med/Agean locations and recommendations for any dive centres,

[PeteM]

Live in Guernsey - unfortunately no BSAC club here.
Have done 1/2 course a few years ago - did all the pool sessions but didn't manage any open water dives. Instructor is no longer taking courses.
Have been thinking about going abroad to take the course while on holiday and Cyprus is currently favoured destination.
Would welcome any views/comments on suitability of Cyprus or other Med/Agean locations and recommendations for any dive centres,

Where do you want to dive mainly? That is where you would be best to train, if you want to dive at home look at Jersey, Scilly, Cornwall etc.

[Gareth]

You could train & qualify with a BSAC centre, either

uk centres, see here (http://www.bsactravelclub.co.uk/schools/centresuk.htm)

or

overseas centres, see here (http://www.bsactravelclub.co.uk/schools/centresos.htm)

Ultimately, it doesn't matter which diver training agency you initially train & qualify with, the initial training is very similar between all agencies. The same basic skills are taught & need to be mastered.

The major difference is the enviroment in which you train, & subsiquently dive in. Once you have initially qualified, you can transition from tropical to temporate watersor vice verse. But initially when you are new to diving it is very sensible to do this with an instructor or a very expereinced diver familiar with the conditions you are diving in.

Many of us on this forum are multiagency, i.e not only are we BSAC, but we hold qualifications with other agencies, PADI, SSI, IANTD, TDI, etc.

Ultimately, enjoy the training.
The main problem with training on holiday, is that you will have a time pressure.
With your previous pool (sheltered water) expereince i would suggest that you probably can easily complete a qualifiaction during a holiday (the norm is 5 days).

There are options that allow you to do the theory & sheltered water in the UK prior to going overseas for the open water section. Although from what you have stated their is no faciltiy locally.

Gareth

Gareth

[Chris Cherrington]

http://www.srenterprises.co.uk/diveci.html

You can also keep your BSAC membership through our Internet branch if you wish.

Chris

[Rick]

http://www.subaqua.co.uk/club/guernsey.html

not sure if they are current though

[Steve in Sharm]

Live in Guernsey - unfortunately no BSAC club here.
Have done 1/2 course a few years ago - did all the pool sessions but didn't manage any open water dives. Instructor is no longer taking courses.
Have been thinking about going abroad to take the course while on holiday and Cyprus is currently favoured destination.
Would welcome any views/comments on suitability of Cyprus or other Med/Agean locations and recommendations for any dive centres,

Hi Steve,

As others have said it is best to try and learn to dive in conditions similar to those in which you intend to dive after qualifying.

That said though, it is very easy to go abroad and learn (cheaply), and then do a 'cold water orientation' with your local club or PADI school.

Regards

Steve

[nigelhoath]

I'm not too sure about this learning in conditions you are going to dive in. Don't get me wrong I see the logic but it seems to highlight the course, ocean diver or whatever, as a complete learning cycle -- afterwards off you go plop fully up to speed. (I know no one is suggesting that :) )

I went to Lanzarote and there the conditions were perfect. 100% viz, sandy friendly bottom when required, warm water, etc. That allowed full focus on theory, equipment, safety, exercises, etc. The opportunity to build from little bricks to bigger bricks.

Yes the conditions in my base in northern spain are very different but there I need 7mm, gloves, hat, boots, knife and at times it's cold (yeah I know wimp;) ).

But having got the basics very clear, and I think the perfect conditions in Lanzarote helped a lot, then I’m now, still with expert in tow, putting this basic training into use in differing and less perfect circumstances.

Just my 2ps worth

[Steve in Sharm]

I'm not too sure about this learning in conditions you are going to dive in. Don't get me wrong I see the logic but it seems to highlight the course, ocean diver or whatever, as a complete learning cycle -- afterwards off you go plop fully up to speed. (I know no one is suggesting that :) )

I went to Lanzarote and there the conditions were perfect. 100% viz, sandy friendly bottom when required, warm water, etc. That allowed full focus on theory, equipment, safety, exercises, etc. The opportunity to build from little bricks to bigger bricks.

Yes the conditions in my base in northern spain are very different but there I need 7mm, gloves, hat, boots, knife and at times it's cold (yeah I know wimp;) ).

But having got the basics very clear, and I think the perfect conditions in Lanzarote helped a lot, then I’m now, still with expert in tow, putting this basic training into use in differing and less perfect circumstances.

Just my 2ps worth

Nigel,

Agreed. Learning to dive somewhere like here in Sharm is ideal, here you can dive (at the moment) in a shorty because the water temp is so warm, and as you say this allows you to concentrate on the skills and drills without any other hinderance caused by being uncomfortable due to cold, currents etc.

Also we tend to get 1 hour dives because of this (Ocean Diver course = 5 hours in water, good eh?), students feel more relaxed and their air consumption is much better than that of students shivering at the bottom of the local lake.

But, and it is a big but, students who learn with us are left with no uncertainty as to the fact they must now get a lesson or two in cold water techniques (hood, gloves, big suit etc) on returning to the area they intend to dive.

Regards

Steve

[nigelhoath]

Tx for that support Steve, I was waiting for the onslaught from the muddy pond brigade (only kidding guys :) )

I know in a club it might be different but it seems Steven like many of us simply cannot go through the club route but would still like to be as well trained and safe as anyone else.

[Maria CM]

I would agree it is less stressful to do your first open water dives in pretty blue, warm water, with lots of nice fish to look at.:)

Against that, it is a bit of a shame to miss out on all the diving you could be doing with the classroom sessions :(

Learning in waters you are likely to be diving in is sensible too.

Horses for courses - what suits the individual...

best wishes,

Maria