havinfun

Out of work and looking for a break and have decided to something I always wanted to do - get scuba certified.

Looking for suggestions for a great place to go relax and get certified for a week.

Any suggestions?

thx

girlonthego

Grand Cayman. Lots of Dive operations. Great diving and snorkeling. Nice island with good dining and relaxed atmosphere. We stayed at the Marriott and had a good time.

girlonthego

Oh and this is where my daughter took her first dive and loved it. Red Sail was at the Marriott. She and my husband went. There are many companies there to choose from as well.

havinfun

Thanks for the info, do you know if you have to set up the course in advance and/or how to pick a dive shop?

TomCayman

Visit divecayman.ky for a full list of dive operators, then scout around various diving sites for reviews and ratings.

Several will work with you so you can do the classroom work prior to your trip so you just do the checkout dives etc while here.

girlonthego

My daughter and husband signed up at the Marriott. I am sure all hotels on the Cayman will offer the course. The Marriott does it through Red Sail sports which is a large company. They team up with the Westin and they did the course in the Westin pool. Then they took them on the dive. You can check out Red Sail sports online to see some of the dive trips they offer.
The caymans are filled with dive operators. We went with Red Sail because they were right at our hotel. The boy that my husband and daughter had was named Kevin. He was the knowledgeable one on the trip. He seemed to have the most experience. They most likely got him because my daugther was the only kid on the trip (she was 15).
Go and enjoy!

Odin

I did the classroom training at home and the certification in Maui and advanced open water in Guadeloupe at the Jacques Cousteau underwater reserve (French needed).

It was better to do the classroom stuff at home if possible, I think the quality of the tuition is better and instruction tends to be more thorough than what I have seen on holiday. The practical can then be done on whatever island is chosen, one of the Caymans seems an obvious choice, I have always wanted to go to Saba for diving.

ScottB

Definitely contact your nearest dive shop, and do the classroom part at home. Who wants to be stuck inside while in the islands? The local dive shop might also be able to help you pick a reputable dive operator in GC. I tend to like the smaller outfits, as it's less of a circus on the boat, and usually better overall service.

Grand Cayman is by far one of the best dive destinations I've been to, you will love it.