Scuba Diver vs Open Water Diver

rgiller

THis has probably been asked a million times on here but I couldn't find it through search so my question is:

Is there a big difference between a PADI scuba diver and a PADI open water diver qualification?

The scuba diver course can be done over a weekend and costs half the price. Will this put restrictions on me later on (say diving on holiday) that will mean I'll have to upgrade to open water diver later? The price of the open water course in ireland is very high (~€600) but the scuba diver seems to be around €300.

Any advice appreciated!

Rob

scubakid

forget about PADI and join a club, either CMAS or BSAC..

I'm a CMAS diver. You get thought everything you need to know buy qualified instructors within the club. It's up to you how far up the ranks you want to go, but you'l be thought specialised courses too, i.e: Diver emergency responder, boat handling, search and recovery, nitrox etc..
Depending on where you are, Blackwater SAC in Co. Cork are taking in new members in january

Scubakid

Peace

Folks,

This thread is not a PADI vs CMAS thread. The OP is asking for advice in terms of which PADI course to go for.

I would prefer people to post on topic as threads like this tend to get derailed.

loctite

The scuba diver course is similar to the openwater course except it is shorter hence the reason why it is cheaper.

The PADI courses are divided into 3 distict areas. Theory (which is mostly self study) sessions, which comprise of class room sessions, quizzes and exams. For the openwater there are 5 of these. I stand to be corrected on this but I think there are also 5 for the Scuba diver.

Then there are the confined sessions, for the openwater there are 5 of these. These are the five pool sessions, generally lasting about an hour each and they are the practical side of the respective theory session.

Then there are the Open water dives. For the Openwater certification there are 4 dives. For the Scubadiver I think there are only two (again I stand to be corrected on that). On each of the openwater dives of either course you are required to complete skills, so for the scuba diver there are less obviously less skills.

Either way with both certifications, you are a beginner. However, the OW certification, allows you to dive in conditions better or similar to what you trained in, with a buddy of same or higher level of training to a maximum depth of 18m. The scuba diver requires you to dive with a PADI professional only. (This is a minimum of a Divemaster) to a maximum depth of 12m.

The advantages of doing the scuba diver are for say people who are on holidays who may wish to do a course and are on time constraints, but most people bypass this course completely and do the Openwater.

As regards price I'm guessing that you have been checking out prices in Dublin or surrounding areas. Some centres will do it as low as @350 for the complete OW course. Check out Waterworld in Kerry who operate all year round. I know in Clare they were charging 300 for the OW last season. (And imo opinion, that is too cheap - but that is neither here nor there).

There is also the Dive club route which has been suggested by a previous poster. Again, standing to be corrected on this, but most clubs take on new trainees in or around September, and they meet up weekly for pool and theory over the winter and then begin their Openwater training (snorkels and diving) typically around St. Patricks Day. It is a longer process but is definitely more of a social (albeit sometimes more militaristic) approach to diving. Clubs generally train through the CMAS method (which originated in France or Belgium, I think). If you wish to try out diving contact a centre (a list of all centres in Ireland is available on the PADI website www.PADI .com) or for clubs check out the CFT website (www.CFT.ie) and have a look at clubs near you and see if you can arrange a try dive.

Regardless of the PADI vs CFT propoganda that you will view on boards, both are equally good methods of training, it's not the school, but the teachers that make the difference!

scubakid

<snip> Your post has absolutely nothing to do with the original request. </snip>

MFZ

rgiller wrote: »

Is there a big difference between a PADI scuba diver and a PADI open water diver qualification?

Compare http://www.padi.com/scuba/padi-courses/diver-level-courses/view-all-padi-courses/scuba-diver/default.aspx with http://www.padi.com/scuba/padi-courses/diver-level-courses/view-all-padi-courses/open-water-diver/default.aspx

Scuba Diver is NOT a certificate of an autonomous diver as in EN 14153-2 "Autonomous Diver"
(see http://www.forum-mergulho.com/index.php?/topic/15939-normas-europeias-en-14153-2-autonomous-diver-en-14153-3-dive-leader/ )

Less important, your max depth is restricted.

rgiller wrote: »

Will this put restrictions on me later on (say diving on holiday) that will mean I'll have to upgrade to open water diver later?

Yes.

loctite

Bit judgemental to say that it would definitely put restrictions on your diving by doing the scuba diver course. If the OP wishes to only dive to a maximum of 12m and only dive with DM+, then it certainly won't.

ingen

rgiller wrote: »

THis has probably been asked a million times on here but I couldn't find it through search so my question is:

Is there a big difference between a PADI scuba diver and a PADI open water diver qualification?

The scuba diver course can be done over a weekend and costs half the price. Will this put restrictions on me later on (say diving on holiday) that will mean I'll have to upgrade to open water diver later? The price of the open water course in ireland is very high (~€600) but the scuba diver seems to be around €300.

Any advice appreciated!

Rob

you cannot reasonably get experienced enough in scuba diving in a weekend, for all possible scenarios that could happen, and could be life threatening.

Ireland has some of the best dive sites in the world, west Cork and Mayo being some of my favourites, join a club and get real experience, and knowledge from people that have been diving years, www.cft.ie is a good place to start, but you wont get signed off in a weekend!

OP anyways i am not sure where you are located but , for PADI i know a place in Bettystown called Adventure Diving http://www.adventurediving.net/padi-diving-courses.8.html check their website...

diving is a great hobby, but can be dangerous too, for the unprepared.

anyways enjoy, its a great hobby..... and leave the scallops alone

howtomake

ingen wrote: »

OP anyways i am not sure where you are located but , for PADI i know a place in Bettystown called Adventure Diving http://www.adventurediving.net/padi-diving-courses.8.html check their website...

I've never dove with Adventure diving but bought my first suit from them. Really really helpful and knows their equipment. Who funnily enough trained years and years ago with one of the instructors in my club. Keep forgetting how small Ireland is. I believe they also have a nice pool for training. But more importantly they have a nice big loveable dog there :P

locum-motion

howtomake wrote: »

...But more importantly they have a nice big loveable dog there :P

That's Megan.
A pussycat, trapped inside a Rottweiler's body.

yannick1

No worries man ! questions are always cool here! So its really up to you to be honest. I would recommend saving that bit extra and going away for a while to a cheap diving location such as thailand. You could probably do the OpenWater and Advance and halfway through the rescue for the price of the Openwater in Ireland!

THe difference between open water and scuba diver is firstly you can only go to 12 metres with the first and secondly you will always have to be directly undersupervision when diving with the first one!

Regards, myscubastory.com

check out the new user submitted divng story website! go to myscubastory.com

seadeuce

Hey Yannick1


A couple of comments, intended to be constructive:


1. While everyone has a right to post a comment/query/question on the boards
I think it right that a poster should first look to see if the thread he is about
to join is topical. I mean, how current is it?
I notice you have added posts to many threads some of which have been
dormant for quite a while.

2. Your promotion of that little-supported website myscubastory caused
me to waste some time in perusing it. There are no stories. Whoever their
webmaster is he/she would be better served if the site were proof-read.
The number of typos and spelling errors certainly gives the site a non-
professional look.



The above should not be viewed as critical, but as basic commonsense. As on a dive, it's nice to have a current flow of threads; if you'll pardon the pun.


Seadeuce