Can anyone recommend a good/cheap SCUBA teacher/program in Costa Rica where I could pick up a license? I know they're usually five days long but I'm going to be there in December and was thinking it might be a good place to finally get that license. Thanks.

Tara:<BR><BR>Personally I would not recommend becoming certified in a foreign country. I know lots of people do it, especially in the Mexican diving areas, but I just don't think it's a good idea. First, there's the language problem....not everyone speaks good English and when you're talking about life support and what to do and not to do, I want to be able to understand every word.<BR><BR>I recommend taking your classroom and pool instruction in the states and do your qualifying dives in Costa Rica.

I think it is a bit provincial to think that dive operators in foreign countries are generally not capable of maintaining equipment or teaching English-speaking students.<BR><BR>I have witnessed a PADI Open Water course administered by El Ocotal Resort, on Playa Coco, Guanacaste, and I thought that they did a great job. I have also dived with Costa Rica Adventure Divers at Drake Bay, and would entrust them with my training as well. <BR><BR>Here is a list of PADI-certified dive operators in Cost Rica:<BR>http://www.padi.com/search/dcnr/search.asp?Country=C+R

I had a friend who nearly drowned in Hawaii. He was not certified as a diver but paid to join a group dive. The Air tank ran out of air. <BR>There is even a more important issue are you as a diver covered for accident or medical insurance and is the dive operation covered by insurance if anything goes wrong?<BR><BR>No insurance No dive.

I was certified to dive in Cozumel, Mexico, my instructor, a PADI dive master and instructor was excellent. There was no problem at all with the language barrier. The water was great, we dived in the open ocean from the very start, and I never had any safety issues. I prefered it to diving in the colder water of the pacific northwest or in a pool. You still have to do an open water dive at the end, and I wanted it to be WARM! go to www.padi.com (I think) and you can look up instructors. Also check the lonely planet thorn tree for ideas.

Alf: I merely gave my recommendation to Tara. As I said, many people get certified for diving in foreign countries....but there are many variables (I only mentioned a couple) that I personally would not want to contend with that you don't have in the U.S. <BR><BR>Tara: I've been to Costa Rica before but have not been diving there. Go to one of the dive site message boards to get a good reliable recommendation for a dive op with instructors. There's a new diver forum under Rhodale's Scuba Diving Magazine where you can get some good information. Good luck.