PADI

[DancingQueen2018]

I’m wondering if anyone might be able to recommend a holiday location where DD16 will be able to do her PADI next year as part of our summer holiday? I know she can do it here but I thought it might be nicer to do somewhere clearer and warmer!

probably not the far east (DH isn’t keen) but wondering if anyone’s done it in the Caribbean or Mexico - or has any other suggestions.

I did it in the Caribbean, also when I was diving in Zanzibar a couple we were diving with were doing theirs.

If it wasn't for the war I'd recommend the red sea, spectacular shallow diving there, but not a good idea right now!

The Seychelles is also great.

I was given this advice from very experienced divers that unless you're going to be able to dive pretty regularly they said it really isn't worth the bother and to just snorkel! I had done my first part of PADI over here in uk then was going to complete whilst in Bali. I didn't bother and they were right. I'd have had to have booked holidays specifically to use it.
However if she really just wants to do it and have to refresh now and then go for it.
Oh and she could save time doing the pool bit and rest in uk then the sea bit there.

When I did it, I did the pool and classroom parts in the U.K. and just the open water part abroad (in the Red Sea), so I didn’t spend my holiday time doing the necessary but boring bits.

I really enjoy diving but sort of agree with squirrelchops2. Diving is a lot of hassle and kit. If you are a decent swimmer and can dive down a few feet, you can see a lot of the cool stuff snorkelling.

I agree about snorkelling instead.

Honestly I’d get it done here and then you’ve got freedom on holiday, there’s a lot to it if it’s done properly. My sons did theirs here, just try do it while it’s still warm as mine had to wear the dry suit!

I think snorkelling is great, but it doesn’t match diving. The problem is as an occasional holiday diver, you’ll often need to do a short refresher before diving again.

Maldives is hard to beat for diving. Far superior to anywhere I’ve been in the Caribbean - although Caribbean is also far superior to learning in the North Sea! I learned in the Perhentian Islands which were great, but your DH doesn’t fancy the Far East.

Red Sea probably the best of the closer to home options.

I learned in Australia and took up diving in the UK.
It’s a fantastic thing to do. You could do the first part - theory & pool in the UK, then do your qualifying dives overseas. I would suggest Mexico as the diving there is great and look for a PADI 5 Star centre.

My ExH and dc learnt in Sharm el sheikh.

Red Sea has lovely diving. Unsure about the security situation

Malta or even better Gozo is great for beginner divers. Clear warm water in the summer, lots of sea life. There's even a fairly shallow wreck off Comino that can be dived by anyone with a qualification. There's several dive companies she can learn with in Marsalforn on Gozo.

Lanzarote is also a good choice. It's changed ownership since I went, but there's a dive company on Playa Chica beach in Puerto del Carmen that's good for beginners because you can just walk into the sea from the dive centre.

Also agree with doing the first bit here and also look for a BSAC club. I struggled with the beginner skills such that I didn't complete my PADI course but then joined BSAC where I could gain confidence without the pressure to do it all in a few days. Once I'd passed the first part, I did some UK dives, there's a few lakes across the country where it's warm enough to dive with a wetsuit in the summer and there's sunken wrecks to explore. Then I went abroad and have dived in several places in mainland Europe, Canaries and a liveaboard from Hurgharda, Egypt.

I did my padi in Australia when I was backpacking, I dived a few times afterwards in Malaysia when I was still on that same backpacking trip, but subsequently only dived a handful of times as an add on to a sightseeing trip, like in Aqaba (Jordan) and Zanzibar, and then have not dived at all in the last 20 years. I think you do see more diving than snorkelling, but to keep your qualification up to date you have to dive regularly.

As others have said, it's probably best to do the theory training first before you go on holiday so that she can concentrate on the practical side.

But I'm not so sure what benefit there would be in doing any practical training in the UK.

"probably not the far east (DH isn’t keen) but wondering if anyone’s done it in the Caribbean or Mexico - or has any other suggestions."

If you have the funds then can I suggest Hawaii? Great diving and lots of good dive centres where you can get certified.

Otherwise look at the islands in the Mediterranean (eg Cyprus, Mallorca) or the Costa Brava in Spain (north-east coast, north of Barcelona).

"probably not the far east..."

Despite this, may I make a suggestion in the Far East? Japan.

Either Japan itself or Okinawa (definitely Okinawa as first choice, it's a Japanese island about 1,000 miles south of Tokyo). There are very good English-speaking dive centres there and both Okinawa and Japan are lovely places to visit.

Just a small point, but there are also other organisations similar to PADI. If you go to the US or some other countries then you may come across them, eg NAUI.

You can get a certification with one organisation and then do further certifications with a different organisation. They all recognise each other's certificates.

My 10 year old did his PADI in Gozo this summer. The diving there is lovely and it’s a fabulous holiday destination too, we go every summer as we all love it there.

I think is a great skill for kids to learn, and a wonderful thing to be able to use on future holidays. I totally disagree about snorkelling being much the same, it really isn’t!

You could do it anywhere really. Clear warmer calm water makes it easier but you’re not looking around you much, you do pool skills then mostly skills on the open water dives too, so it’s not like you’re seeing amazing marine life even if it’s there. Once qualified, it’s nice to do some more dives quite soon after to reinforce what you’ve learned and have a chance to relax and enjoy it. So go somewhere you want yo go anyway, and look for a good 5 star school (ideally not in their busiest time) and incorporate it into a nice trip.

sorry but this is really bad advice. I am an experienced diver (25 years and over 200 dives) there have been times in my life that I have dived very regularly and times where it’s been twice a year on holiday. There’s nothing wrong with having it as an occasional hobby provided that you know the your limitations.

You can do an open water referral where you do this first bit here (classroom and pool skills) and the second part somewhere warm and sunny. It’s more expensive overall but it means you aren’t sitting in a classroom on holiday. It depends if you are happy to pay a fair whack more for it.

In terms of where to go…there are lots of lovely places, Mexico, Caribbean, Malta, Spain, Egypt is fine in the resorts, we were there in April. Thailand is also a good choice. I would say pick somewhere you want to go anyway and fit the diving around it.

The first few times you dive it’s so breathtaking that where you are in the world almost doesn’t matter as much as the centre that you choose. I would recommend to look for a 5 star IDC centre, these are the most experienced as they train instructors and are subject to extra oversight, so I’d always recommend one.

Thanks all. A friend who dives said similar about keeping it up but sea creatures are one of her special interests and she’s done some pool dives locally and really enjoyed it, and I just want to treat her. School is so hard for her and she does amazingly and I just want to say well done for the last 5 years!

i’ll have a look at all the suggestions.

There is no comparison between diving and snorkeling! When you dive you are completely immersed in the environment, you are not looking at it from above. It feels totally different.

I love diving and don't actually even like snorkeling.

I hate snorkelling too! I learnt to dive then didn’t dive again for a few years. It’s fine, your qualification doesn’t expire and after you’ve done a fair few dives it’s like riding a bike. Reputable centres will make you do a refresher if you haven’t dived for a while anyway.

My 10 year old did the e learning in the UK (took a couple of evenings after school) then the course itself was 3 days, all in the sea, no pool dives. The first day they were very shallow then the next two days they did 4 proper dives.

I did mine in Dahab in Egypt and really recommend the red sea
coaat. The nice part about Dahab was that many of the training dives were literally a walk down the beach and the sea life is amazing!

we went back to Sharm in Easter not long after the Iran war started. No concerns what so ever. It’s not very close.

also for the poster above saying just snorkel - I get it but for me there is nothing like getting under the water. Then even if you don’t go each year you do a quick refresher dive and you are back in it:

or Koh Tao in Thailand is another very popular location with tonnes of dive schools.

Plus one for Malta. Go and see Maltaqua in St Paul's Bay, they'll look after you.

As someone else said, do all the pool work in the UK to minimise the time spent learning while on holiday.

Malta and Gozo have history that predates the pyramids by over a thousand years.