Wife and I are going on a trip soon and I need to get certified within the next 30 days or so, I live in N Dallas and work in N. W. Carrollton.
Any recommendations on who or where to go?

Appreciate the help.

Cathy got her certificate from the dive boat in Australia.

Stub I know a young man starting up his own business let me see

Real cool, you’re gonna love it! Wish I knew where to send you, but I’m sure someone will. I went on my honeymoon and it was an incredible experience. Got to scuba with turtles and got right up next to them. It’s a different world down there. I didn’t get certified but had to go thru a half day course at the resort and then stay within eyeshot to the dive master when we went down. We only went down to about 30’ but it was great

I wonder if Don is still alive? I used to go there and get my gear serviced. He was a good old school no nonsense sort of guy.

Where are you going? When my my wife, my son and I did ours...we did the textbook component online (reading, quizzes and stuff) and then took the written test and open water portion when we were in the Keys. Very common practice. We did PADI certs. Here is a place to start. Have been diving in the Keys, Belize and mostly in Roatan Honduaras. Highly recommended. Even have done a night dive...talk about cranking up the adrenaline...

Have some recommendations for dive companies in those areas if you'd like some...

PADI Diving

Grand Cayman and appreciate any and all help.

My son recently got certified so when he gets some leave time next spring we will try and do a dive together.

Enjoy. I got certified in St. Thomas while working there after work. Oh the good ole days. Don't dive off Cabo!

Check the scuba shop on Greenville Ave in Dallas.

Eden Rock Dive Center is our favorite crew in Grand Cayman. Really knowledgeable, very nice...and two of the prime dive spots are literally a couple hundred yards from the front of their shop. (Eden Rock and Devils' Grotto).

They do work with people doing the e-Learning PADI system...here is a link.

Eden Rock Dive Center

Incidentally...the Paradise Restaurant right next door is a pretty good place to eat. Paradise Restaurant

Awesome what about good affordable underwater cameras, any suggestions?

Stub, Guess you could always go to Australia for check out. If Mehico wasn't so bad, Cozumel is the best place I have ever dived. Drift diving. 50 or 60 foot down on a escalator. Never kick, just control your descent/level and go for 20 or 30 minutes and look around. Been to a lot of places when I dove. Heck Bermuda shipwreck diving was cool, actually, middle of summer, water was freezing. Still have dive equipment and extra tanks if anybody needs um. Used air tanks for fresh water dives, Lake Travis, when I lived in Lakeway. Enjoy and I know you will.

We have a GoPro mounted on a mask I got off of Leisure Pro...like this...https://www.leisurepro.com/p-csbamabk/cressi-action-mask-all-black?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwrbd1qLx5AIViIbACh3K6wJ5EAQYASABEgL3Y_D_BwE

Also we have been using a Fuji Waterproof https://www.fujifilmusa.com/products/digital_cameras/xp/finepix_xp80/

Both are pretty affordable and do fairly good quality pics/video.

Here are some pics...I think mostly from the Fuji... (obviously, we free dive/snorkel some also.) For those of you who don't know...the huge fish behind me are Tarpon. Literally 10 yards from the shore at the base of the Paradise Restaurant.

Interesting you say Australia, my son is in the Navy and that is the first place he dove, he is hooked now.

I have been to Cancun and Cozumel twice both a long time ago, I had a blast snorkeling in Cozumel probably did not go deeper than 15' it was very cool.

I went through Scuba Steves Dive shop in Tyler. I actually have my check dives this weekend at the dive lake in Terrell. Give them a call, if Tyler is too far for you to drive then they would probably know if anyone is closer to you. Scuba is fun!

Yep Tyler is to far, I have heard about a scuba lake around Athens, have you been?

Have dove Cozumel many times in years past. Nice if you don't want to kick. Drifting. Ex Wife had a apartment for years until She gave it up last year. Cartel is there,,, with families. No bueno

Only place I've been diving is on Lake Whitney. took lessons on the fly. tons of fun!

Seems like I heard back in the 70's that PK was the favorite place to dive and get certified. Wonder if people still dive there or the water clarity not very good anymore?

Stub, can't help you brother, but looks like the guys got you covered, BUT, If you don't find anything, I can kick you out in the Brazos, or we can find a pond, if you can hold your breath for 10 minutes, I'll write you up something official looking, to help a fren ya know


BTW, My brother and his wife did something on a cruise, like a half day thing and where able to do a little diving, similar to what someone posted earlier in the thread. He said it wasnt like national geographic diving but fun for what they did. They also did the snorkeling thing the next day in the reefs but that was not supervised.

What's the problem with diving in Cabo? We have a time-share there and was thinking about doing a trip next time.

Charlie

Stub, you go to a local dive shop here in DFW. Google. One on Greenville Ave been there forever. Some closer to you up North Plano/Frisco area. They will set you up, put you through class, and get you certified. They take you out to a local pool or their own place for basics and then PK or their designated open dive area. You don't just go to a lake and get certified.

yes. I didn't get certified, just dived with friends.

ScubaToys is a shop up your way. The shops have lessons or lists of instructors. The one on Greenville Ave is Dive West. Did a week in Bonaire in June it was awesome.