Scuba Certifications in Northern Virginia: On Line Scuba vs Traditional Scuba Courses

Scuba Diving is becoming more and more popular.  As a consequence there are more people wanting to learn to scuba dive then ever before, and since we are in a computer based world today, how does Scuba Instruction on line compare to traditional classroom instruction?

First, it is important to understand that there are three parts to learning to scuba dive:

1.    Classroom, where the theory and basic knowledge about scuba diving is learned.

2.    The swimming pool or other confined water where the actual scuba diving skills are mastered.

3.    Open Water Training Dives, a body of water larger then a swimming pool where the new scuba diver can demonstrate that they not only have mastered the basic skills of scuba diving but can do so without a Scuba Instructor assisting them.

Needless to say, the on line portion can only replace the classroom.  The pool and Open Water Dives cannot be mastered on a computer.

The Advantages of PADI On Line Scuba Training

If you’re looking for a flexible way to fit a scuba certification into your busy schedule or if you just prefer web based learning, then PADI’s online scuba programs are an excellent way to go.

You can get started immediately with scuba knowledge development and work at your own pace using the PADI eLearning system.  Since you log onto the classes at your convenience, any hour of the day or night, you have the opportunity to learn when you are best prepared to do so, not just when classes are scheduled.  You also have the flexibility of completing your knowledge  development at home, at work or on the go as it best fits your schedule.

The Advantages of Traditional Classroom Scuba Training over PADI E Learning

Since the traditional class is taught by Instructors who are present, they will personalize the classroom to include examples that match the type of scuba diving that you will be doing.  Needless to say, they are happy to answer all of your questions as well.  The most major disadvantage of On Line Instruction is that is very broad based to convey the general principles of scuba diving.  On Line programs do not necessarily answer personal questions.

Lastly, On Line Scuba Classes tend to be more expensive then traditional Scuba Classes.  The cost of setting up and operating a computer based system adds the the cost of the program.  Even though the Traditional Class  & Pool price is often discounted for those taking the On Line Program the extra costs of the computer learning exceed the discount for not taking live classroom.

Other On Line Scuba Training Classes:

In addition to the Open Water Course, PADI offers an array of classes that have portions that can be taken On Line.  Advanced Open Water, Rescue Diver, PADI Enriched Air – Nitrox Diver and Scuba Tune Up – a review course for certified divers who have not scuba dived in a while are all popular options.

Which ever you decide upon, you can be assured that you will receive the most up to date knowledge available.  Scuba Diving is fun, enjoyable and exciting.  It is definitely worthwhile whichever way you take it.

Learn to Scuba Dive Northern Virginia

Scuba Diving is becoming an increasingly more popular sport.  You can take Scuba Diving Lessons in No Va or many other places around the world.  How do you decide which Scuba Certifying Agency to utilize, which Dive Center to patronize and whether or not to take the on-line Scuba Courses like the PADI E Learning Scuba Course, or take the standard Open Water Course at the local Dive Center.

What Certifying Agency Should I Choose?

There are several very good Scuba Certification Agencies.   While there are several of them the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) is by far the largest.  In addition the educational materials that PADI uses, Manuals, DVDs, CD-ROMS, etc are far superior to anything else on the market today.  You can be sure that by completing your Scuba Diving Certification at a PADI Dive Center you are guaranteed the latest in technology and educational validity.  The best PADI Dive Center is the PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Dive Center, like Aquatic Adventures Scuba Academy in Alexandria Northern Virginia.  The PADI 5 Star IDC Dive Center designation means that they not only teach divers how to Scuba Dive but they train all levels including PADI Scuba Instructor Training.

We have already decided that we want to restrict our training to a PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Dive Center we also need to ask if the PADI Course Director, or Instructor Trainer, is on staff full time and not just putting in time as a hobby.

Should I take the PADI E Learning or Traditional Version at my PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Dive Center?

Each learning option has its own advantages and disadvantages.  The PADI E Learning is convenient.  You can go on line at your convenience and complete the classroom portion.  It is easy and you can access the  program at any time day or night.  The disadvantage is this program is more costly then the traditional class and pool sessions taken at the PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Dive Center.  In addition the E Learning is very generic and the student deals with a computer, while the traditional class has live Instructors to personalize the course and directly answer questions.  Many Scuba students are taking the Scuba Lessons in Northern Virginia because they have a Scuba Diving Vacation planned and want to Scuba Dive while there.  The traditional Scuba Classes in Northern Virginia are taught with live Instructors who can tell you what to expect while on this trip.  That is not available with the E Learning course.

Lastly, when you complete your E Learning you no longer have access to the on line course.  When you take the traditional Scuba Course you have your book and perhaps your DVD to look at in six months as a review when you go on your next Scuba Vacation.

At What PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Dive Center in Northern Virginia Should I Learn To Scuba Dive?

Selecting a Dive Center requires a little bit of homework on your part.  First you can look on line or ask friends what PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Dive Centers are in the area?  Once you find a few look at their webpages.  Today, almost everyone has a webpage but do they take the time to talk to you and answer questions right on line or do they make you call them for answers.  Do they break down each class offered and what is involved?  Do they tell you all of the cost involved?  Many Dive Centers will list the cost of the classes but will not list the cost for accessory items like the student kit or training materials.  Many will not tell you what to expect to pay for personal equipment.  A Dive Center that cares will let you know up front “what it will cost and how long it will take to obtain your Scuba Diving Certification.”

Look to see if you know anyone who has patronized the Dive Center and get their input.  A quality Dive Center, like Aquatic Adventures Scuba Academy in Northern Virginia, will have a long list of happy customers to recommend their services.

Last, perhaps the most important part is to talk to them yourself.  The best thing you can do is visit the PADI 5 Star IDC Dive Center yourself.  A quality Dive Center will be clean and neat and will have a very good assortment of Scuba Diving Classes and will have on hand a very good assortment perhaps the best assortment of  Scuba Diving Equipment Northern Virginia.  Do they offer Scuba Diving Travel?  Since we have decided that a PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Dive Center is the best we want to make sure that the PADI Course Director or Instructor Trainer works at the Dive Center full time not just as a hobby.

When you speak with them are they knowledgeable about Scuba Diving and Scuba Dive Training?  Do they answer your questions or just tell you what they offer not what you might want?  Are they interested in your or just the sale?  These might sound simplistic but if you find a Dive Center that passes all of these tests you have found a true keeper of a Dive Center.

Do I complete my Open Water Training Dives locally or On Vacation?

We said earlier that many people in this area are taking Scuba Lessons because they are going on a Scuba Diving Trip and they have the choice of completing their Open Water Course Dives either locally or while on their vacation.  Which is better?

This is another issue of there are advantages to each option.  Obviously diving in the Caribbean would be more fun but it is much more expensive to complete the Open Water Course dives on vacation then locally.  In addition if you do the dives on vacation you will spend two of your diving days doing skills rather then exploring the reefs.  When you complete your Open Water Course dives locally you are diving with the Instructor and Divemaster you had in the pool.  You know them and they know you, your strengths and weaknesses and are better able to work with you individually.  Lastly and perhaps most important, you will learn better by diving locally.  Since Northern Virginia has colder water then the Caribbean you will wear a full wetsuit when Scuba Diving here.  This will help you better learn your buoyancy and navigational skills then diving in the Caribbean would.

It’s Time To Get Out And Dive

Now that you know how and where to take your Scuba Diving Lessons, there is nothing stopping you.  It is time to get wet and take your Scuba Diving Lessons.  Remember your next Aquatic Adventure starts here.

Learning to Dive – On Line or In The Northern Virginia Dive Center?

Once you make the decision to learn to scuba dive then you have to decide where to take these lessons?  There are a lot of reputable Dive Centers in Northern, Virginia, where my Dive Center is located.   How do you find them and once you find them how do you decide which to patronize?  Last week we discussed selecting your Dive Center now we will add to that selecting the type of course to take: On Line Training vs In The Classroom Scuba Training.

SELECTING THE DIVE CENTER:
Your On Line Search: Just as we discussed last week we need to start by selecting which Dive Center to associate with.  I live in Alexandria, Virginia so I would start by doing an on line search for any of the following: Dive Center, Alexandria, VA, Dive Lessons Alexandria, Virginia, Dive Classes Alexandria, Virginia, Dive Shop, Alexandria VA or even Scuba Certification Alexandria, VA.  Any of these should show several local Dive Centers.  Since PADI, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors is the largest of the many certification agencies I would start by looking for the various PADI Dive Centers.  PADI ranks their Dive Centers by the depth (no pun intended) of the services that each Dive Center offers.  The PADI 5 Star IDC Dive Center is the highest rating so I would look to see if any of these are listed.

Evaluating the various Dive Centers: Once you find a few start by looking at their webpages.  Don’t go by how flashy the webpage is but by how informative it is.  Everything should be spelled out in an easy to navigate and an easy to understand format.  Look to see if the prices for the Open Water or Beginner Certification are listed.  No one can list all of their prices but since the Open Water Course is the most common one, the prices and schedule for that should be clear.  They should be very clear on what is involved in getting certified to Scuba Dive.  Everything that is included and all prices for not included items should also be listed.  Does their schedule and location fit your needs?

The Complete Dive Center: The last thing to look for is whether or not the dive center is complete.  Do they offer all levels of scuba diving education?  Do they offer Scuba Equipment.  Do they have major lines of equipment.  Do they offer service for what they sell?  Does the Dive Center have a Scuba Diving Travel Program?  Do they have both group trips and do they offer to assist you in booking your own trips should your schedule not match the Dive Centers.  These are all things that you would want from your local dive center.

ON LINE or IN THE DIVE CENTER CLASSES:
Once you select the Dive Center that you want to affiliate with you need to decide what format of course to take.  Today, in this modern world, many people like to do things on line whenever they can.  In fact you did just that to help select the Dive Center.  There are advantages to this and there are definitely disadvantages as well.

On Line Scuba Courses:  The advantages are that they are more convenient.  You can take them when ever you want and where ever you want.  They are great to do if you are traveling as they help fill those long hours when you are not working.  However, there are some drawbacks as well.  Even though you can complete your classroom on line you still need to affiliate with a Dive Center to complete the pool sessions and the four open water dives.  On Line Scuba Courses tend to be more expensive then in the classroom Scuba Courses.  On Line courses are written for a wide range of divers and a very wide range of diving locations.  Therefore they tend to be very general in their course content.  Since you take them on your own they are far less social then the traditional classroom Scuba Classes.

Traditional Classroom Scuba Courses: The traditional course is most often less expensive then the On Line Course and while perhaps less convenient, (you take them when they are offered) the traditional course is much more personal.  The Instructors will work with you directly and answer any questions that you might have.  The traditional Classroom Scuba Course also has you specifically in mind.  While you cover the same material that is covered in the On Line Scuba Course, your Scuba Instructor will personalize the course material to fit you.  He or she will talk specifically about you, where you plan to dive and how it relates to you. The Instructor you have in the classroom is usually the same one you have in the pool and again in Open Water.  It is very nice to know each other and it makes for a more enjoyable course.

Your Scuba Instructor can also help you select any scuba diving equipment that you might want or need.  Your Instructor knows much more about Scuba Equipment and Scuba Travel opportunities.  You Instructor can help steer you in the right direction on these.  The traditional Scuba Course is also a great social opportunity.  You will meet several other new divers with whom you have much in common.  In fact that is how I met my wife – in the Open Water Scuba Course.

ON LINE CONTINUING DIVER EDUCATION COURSES:
There are a number of different Continuing Education Scuba Courses that are also available On Line.  Like the Open Water course the big advantage to taking the classroom on line is the convenience.  The down side is that it is more expensive.  Some courses like the Advanced Open Water course have several options.  Before taking it on line be sure and speak to the local dive center and find out what dives they want you to sign up for on line.  Otherwise you may still have to repeat part of the course in the traditional manner.

Now that you are familiar with what is involved in getting started.  It is time to take the plunge.  Sign up for that Scuba Course, get certified, and go on that next great Aquatic Adventure

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Selecting A Dive Center:
Selecting just the right Dive Center involves more then just finding the one that is closest to you.  Just like an auto mechanic or someone to repair your home, you want someone who is qualified to do the job, takes pride in their work, is willing to work with you if there are problems and whose charges are reasonable.

What To Look For?
One of the best places to start is with friends who are divers.  They may already have a relationship with a local Dive Center that they would recommend.  Even if they do you might want to do some checking on your own.  I live in Alexandria which is in Northern Virginia so I might want to conduct an internet search for: Scuba Lessons, Northern Virginia or Scuba Classes, Northern Virginia or even Dive Center Northern Virginia or Scuba Certification, Northern Virginia.

Narrowing The List – Scuba Training:
Once I have received the list of Dive Centers that comes up under these searches I would try to narrow the list down.  In an earlier post I talked about the different Scuba Certifications (March 2, 2011).  I personally prefer the courses offered by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors or PADI.  Consequently, I would look to see which ones from the initial list are a PADI Dive Center, preferably a PADI 5 Star or PADI 5 Star IDC Dive Center in Northern Virginia.  A PADI 5 Star Dive Center offers more courses and services then a regular Dive Center.  IDC stands for Instructor Development Course which is the training program required to train Scuba Instructors.  Therefore a PADI 5 Star IDC Dive Center would offer the highest level of certifications as well.

At this point you would want to look on their webpage to see what courses they offer.  Does the course list match the areas of diving that you are interested in; such as underwater photography, Deep Diving or Divemaster or Scuba Instructor Training.

In addition to regular Scuba Courses there are many related Dive Courses such as those offered by the Diver’s Alert Network or DAN.  DAN specializes in research and training related to medical issued that influence scuba diving protocol.  Many Dive Centers offer a variety of DAN courses and the more experienced ones are designated as a DAN Training Center.

Narrowing The List – Scuba Equipment:
Scuba diving is an equipment intensive sport.  It is most helpful if your Dive Center sells and services scuba equipment.  Look to see that what lines of equipment that they carry.  No Dive Center can carry all of the lines available nor would you want them to do so.  Check to see if they carry some of the major ones, if they have a good inventory of items on hand and if the sales people in the Dive Center are knowledgeable about the products that they carry.  A few phone calls or emails can help establish this part.  Some of the major lines of scuba equipment are Zeagle Scuba Equipment, Sherwood Scuba, Aeris Scuba, Henderson Wetsuits and DUI Dry Suits.

Narrowing The List – Dive Travel:
While I really enjoy teaching scuba diving I must admit that I enjoy leading the Dive Center sponsored Dive Trips even more.  There is a big advantage to diving on trips that are led and sponsored by a Dive Center.  Most of the hard work and research are done for you.  These trips should be led by one of the staff at the Dive Center.  Preferably by a Scuba Instructor so that continuing education scuba courses can be conducted on these trips.  Going on a scuba diving vacation when all the work, the research, reservations and bookings are all done for you makes it so much easier and so much more enjoyable.  You also have a group to socialize with after the dives and usually never have to worry about finding a dive buddy for the dives since you are in a group.

Take a look at the Scuba Dive Travel section of the various Dive Center’s webpages.  Look to see if they offer Dive Travel?  Is it throughout the year?  Do they go to a variety of different resorts and locations?  Will they help you book your own trip (Individual Dive Travel) if your schedule does not match that of the Dive Center?

Adding It All Up – Making Your Selection:
Once you have looked over all of the above options you are then pretty well informed.  You should be able to see what each Dive Center offers and most often one will stand out as being able to provide everything that you are looking for.  This will probably become your own favorite Dive Center.   The next step is easy.  Go in take some classes, go on a trip, maybe add to your collection of scuba equipment and just have fun, and enjoy your Aquatic Adventure!

Scuba Dive Training at Aquatic Adventures – Alexandria Virginia

How do you become a Scuba Diver? The first step to becoming a Scuba Diver is to enroll is to enroll in a recognized course of scuba instruction.  The beginner or first course is the Open Water Course.  There are many worthwhile Scuba Agencies available.  Like anything else, it pays to shop around; some programs are better then others, or at least there are several differences among them.

The Professional Association of Dive Instructors or PADI, is the largest scuba-training agency in the world. Because PADI has the most complete and widely recognized diver training programs, you can be confident that at Aquatic Adventures Scuba Academy, you are earning the most respected diver credentials available. The certification that you earn at our Award Winning PADI 5 Star IDC Dive Center located in Alexandria, Virginia is even recommended for college credit.

The PADI Open Water Diver Course is divided into two segments.  Part One is Academic and Confined Water Training, better known as your Class & Pool Sessions.  Here the new diver learns the basic principles and knowledge of safe diving practices which leads to safe and enjoyable diving.  The Open Water Course used to be several weeks long.  Now due to improvements in the student kit or PADI Open Water Manual and DVD’s that show the new diver what these new skills look like, much of the training can be conducted at home.  Once the student completes the reading and viewing of the video they then complete the Academics with their Scuba Instructor.  The Scuba Instructor will go over these materials and personalize them so that the diver understands just how it applies to them and what they can expect when they are actually on their Scuba Diving Vacation.  Many Scuba Agencies or Organizations offer this part on-line.  The material covered is the same but the student does not have a live Instructor with which to interact and to explain exactly what to expect in particular dive locations.   On Line Scuba Courses are also usually more expensive then regular courses.

The confined water part is usually completed in a swimming pool.  The major items of Scuba Equipment, (wetsuit, Scuba regulator, buoyancy control device or BCD and Scuba cylinder) are usually provided by the Dive Center running the class.  Personal items for each student (mask, snorkel, dive boots and fins) are usually purchased by the student from the Dive Center.   These items are used when ever diving and are a good investment.   It is in the pool that the new diver learns the actual skills that will be used while Scuba Diving.    While there are several skills needed to dive many of them are actually “What Ifs”  What if something goes wrong.  Here the student learns about potential problems and how to prevent them.  And just as important if one where to occur how to safely and calmly handle the situation.

The Academic and Confined Water sessions can be safely completed in as little as one weekend if the materials are read prior to class.  Programs that try and compress all of this in one day are to be avoided.  They do not provide the necessary repetition and practice necessary to become a safe and proficient diver.

Once the first part is completed the student is ready for the Part Two: The Open Water Dives.  The Open Water Dives consists of four dives done under the supervision of a Scuba Instructor.  Here the diver demonstrates that they can dive safely and understand the basic skills.  It is not uncommon for a Scuba Student to take the Class & Pool at a local Dive Center and then complete the second part or Open Water Dives while on a dive trip or Scuba vacation.  While diving in an exotic location is fun, completing your dives with the Scuba Instructor you had in the pool has several advantages.  The Instructor knows you and knows your what you know and what you might want additional practice with.  Diving locally has other advantages as well.  You will usually learn better and learn to be more skillful in a local lake then you would at a Caribbean resort.   Which ever method you choose once you successfully complete the dive you are then Certified as an Open Water Diver.

As an Open Water Diver you are trained to dive to a depth of 60 feet.  You are also trained to know and understand the basic Scuba equipment.  Because the Open Water course only covers the basics most divers are advised to continue their Scuba Diving Education with additional Scuba Courses.  The PADI Advanced Open Water Course is the next step.