Certified??

[CCAniman]

I was just curious if anyone had any websites or any other information or where I might be able to find out where in my state I might be able to get certified. I know being in the midwest there probably isn't too many places, but I'm sure some place has to offer something like it. I live in Des Moines, IA, and I was wondering if that is something that I would need to be recertified or not. And also if anyone would be able to tell me just a rough idea of the pricing on being certified. Any help would be appreciated. I just know that I'm gonna be going to FL this next summer to visit a friend and just figured I would think ahead, not sure if reef dives require certification or not. But just wanna try and get my plans situated.

Thanks

Chad

[RicksReefs]

if you use scuba,you'll need to be certified.
you can't rent or buy tanks w/out c-card.
usually costs between $150-$250 for cert.
check the naui or padi websites for courses
in your area.you may be able to do the schooling
in your area then get a referral to a dive school in fla.
for your final cert. dives.

[e12pilot]

Chad,
Hopefully I can help you out a little bit:

1) Yes, you will need to be certified by a recognized certification agency in order to rent/buy gear, as well as get airfills. There are many recognized agencies that support their divers worldwide. The big three are: PADI, NAUI, and SSI. PADI is the largest by far, and is in fact larger than all other training agencies combined. This does not mean that PADI is better than any other training agency.

2) Personally, I teach PADI and love the way they design their courses, and the material they provide for their instructors. To find a shop near you that offers PADI certification visit: http://www.padi.com/english/common/search/dcnr/

3) Adverage cost for an Open Water certification here in Oregon is around $220, including cert card, pool time, and all Open Water gear and instruction. This price seems to vary between states, etc.

Hope this helps, feel free to e-mail/PM if you have any more questions.

Peter
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PADI MSDT-179147

[CCAniman]

Thanks for the replies, I found 3 of the Padi's that are in my state. Wow didn't realize how many different lvl's of certification you can recieve. Since you put the Open Water training I'll assume this is the one I should try to obtain. And thanks again for you guys help it was much appreciated.

Thanks

Chad