Padi Intensive Course

FunkyExige

I am heading to the Maldives later in the year and i was wondering is there any intensive dive course to do so i would be qualified to hop straight to the dives and not waste a day or two in the pool on the holiday? I actually did the course and a good amount of dives over a few years when i was very young, about 15 but that was a long time ago. Plus i never sent the cert or anything away!

Im looking for a place located as close to dublin as possible with either evening classes or an intensive weekend. Thanks all!

locum-motion

Sounds like what you want is a PADI Scuba Diver course. It consists of 3 classroom sessions, 3 confined water (swimming pool) dives, and 2 open water (sea or lake) dives. You may be able to squeeze it in over 2-3 weekends, if your timetable and the dive centre's timetable match up! This cert qualifies you to dive to 12m, and only when accompanied by a PADI Divemaster or Instructor.

The next course up from that is the most common one, the PADI Open Water course. Essentially the same course as above, but add 2 more of each (classes, pools and dives). Qualifies you to dive to 18m, and you don't HAVE to be accompanied by a Pro. Takes about 5 weeks, 2 eves a week or 1 weekend day, plus a weekend to knock out your 4 dives (2 a day).

If you're northside or N Co Dub, I recommend www.adventurediving.net in Bettystown.

FunkyExige

That sounds great! I will email that dive place, although it is about an hour away from us but if they have late night courses you never know! Thanks for your help!

It seems what im after after a bit of research is the padi refferal course. Which means ill do all the study/tests here along with the pool dive and then complete the open water dives on holiday. Sounds perfect if i can find a place

So im off to email any places i can find in dublin that do padi courses!

TheBazman

Try Ocean Divers. I did a refresher course in the pool at the NAC a couple of years ago with them.

FunkyExige

Excellent I've emailed them too! Ideally i want to minimize the time it takes to do it all on site in Dublin. With work and commuting between Dublin and Waterford at weekends it wont be easy to get to the place we choose. So by doing an online course we should cover theory, then finalize that on-site. Then do the pool dives on-site in Dublin and the rest on holidays. If that's possible i don't think it should take more then a couple of evenings please god

PCPhoto

if you can get down to Kerry - you can do it all in a week.

(I did mine last year)

Waterworld - if my memory is right ....possibly one of the cheapest in the country too.

FunkyExige

I went with Adventure Diving in Bettystown in the end! They were really excellent and very detailed in their emails! Plus they were able to fit us into a weekend which suits far better then midweek courses running for 4-6 weeks. It just wouldnt have been feasible to make them all. We'll do the theory online, then pool dives over the weekend and the rest of the water dives on holiday! So perfect outcome thanks for all the help!

howtomake

FunkyExige wrote: »

I went with Adventure Diving in Bettystown in the end! They were really excellent and very detailed in their emails! Plus they were able to fit us into a weekend which suits far better then midweek courses running for 4-6 weeks. It just wouldnt have been feasible to make them all. We'll do the theory online, then pool dives over the weekend and the rest of the water dives on holiday! So perfect outcome thanks for all the help!

I like them too, never did any diving with them but bought a few things. But I've heard good reports. Did ya meet the doggie, think her name is Maggie??

locum-motion

howtomake wrote: »

... Did ya meet the doggie, think her name is Maggie??

Megan.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=69499982&postcount=10

twowheelsonly

For the future I'd advise joining a Club, possibly Hook SAC in Waterford if you're from down that way or are there regularly on weekends.
It's cheaper in the long run than the PADI system, Clubs tend to dive throughout the year and you have an instant network of diving buddies.
Most Clubs in this country are CFT (Irish Underwater Council) with a smattering of BSAC (British Sub-Aqua Club) around as well. All qualifications are fairly easily transferable as well.
I don't know if you've ever tried diving in this country but it's actually quite impressive, particularly once you head west. Regular diving in this country improves your skills no end and you'll find that diving in warmer climes becomes a 'Piece of Pish'. The dive operators in these places also have a lot of faith and confidence in people that dive regularly in Northern Europe as they tend to be well trained and quite confident.
I was in Turkey last summer and for the first time in years didn't bother going for a dive!!! I far prefer it here to the sunshine diving at this stage believe it or not!! (Been diving here 25yrs+ BTW)

P.S. Not knocking the PADI system at all BTW, it's fast and effective but I just feel that the Club diver tends to be more rounded overall.

howtomake

locum-motion wrote: »

Megan.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=69499982&postcount=10

Haha, ok I'll get the name right one of these days. Usually I can remember dog's name better than people's.

rgiller

FunkyExige wrote: »

I went with Adventure Diving in Bettystown in the end! They were really excellent and very detailed in their emails! Plus they were able to fit us into a weekend which suits far better then midweek courses running for 4-6 weeks. It just wouldnt have been feasible to make them all. We'll do the theory online, then pool dives over the weekend and the rest of the water dives on holiday! So perfect outcome thanks for all the help!

Do you mind me asking what the cost of this was?