scuba cert

[Meco21]

Are you able to do the classroom and pool portion of your cert in your hometown, then do the open water dives while on cruise?

[sea-jay]

Yes - if you have a dive shop with a qualified instructor in your town.

 

You also should make arrangements in advance with dive operations at the port(s) you will be visiting to make sure you will have the information they will require to complete your cert. You will probably have to do four open water dives to get your cert which will mean diving at two ports since you generally don't have time to get in four dives at one port.

 

If you are leaving from a Florida port, can you arrive a day early and get in two dives the moring before you board. You generally don't have to be at the terminal to check in and get aboard ship before 4:00 PM so there is time to do two dives in the AM (Most dive boats will leave about 8 and back by 12:00) so you can dive, shower, dress, pick up luggage at hotel and get to ship by 4. Then you only have to dive at one port to complete your cert.

 

Happy bubbles

[cmdchiefthom]

The short answer is yes. The first step is to find an instructor in your local area, willing to refer you to another instructor for the open water (4 Dives) portion. PADI offers that type of referral, and your local instructor, or local dive shop should be able to furnish you with the information. However, it actually can be a little complicated getting certified while cruising. Because you're only able to do, at most, two dives while in port, you'll have to arrange (on your own), at least two separate dive excursions with two separate instructors willing to accept the referral from your original instructor. You can go to the padi.com website, and there is an international list of dive operations, and resorts. Once you've made contact with an instructor in your local area who's willing to do the academic and pool work with you, then contact PADI operators in ports where your cruise is stopping. They'll know about the referral program and tell you what arrangements can be made. Remember, you MUST dive with an instructor, not a divemaster, or assistant instructor in order to be certified and there is obviously an additional fee, above and beyond the usual fee for just diving.

 

;)