Newbie saying "hi"

[Elkman]

I thought I'd introduce myself and explain why I'm here (and, also, why I'm so dry behind the ears).

I was down in Branson, Missouri last week, and I tried scuba diving for the first time down there.  It's kind of odd that someone would go to a country music town and spend more time in the lake than at the shows, but I wasn't all that interested in the country music shows anyway.  (Also, we had a two-year-old in the party and he wouldn't have sat still.)  I tried a "Discover Scuba" course at a local marina () and really enjoyed it.  The "Discover Scuba" course doesn't teach much in the way of theory, and they keep students in about 15 feet of water and under the supervision of an instructor, but I quickly got the hang of what I was doing and had a good time down there.  They had an area set up with things to discover such as a diver statue, an old safe, an old cash register, and an old credit card imprinting machine.  (It's a convenient way of cleaning up the office.)

Anyway, now that I'm back, I'm looking at actually taking the training and becoming certified.  I've checked out some of the local schools, as well as the reports on this web site, and I think I've got an idea of what's involved.  I'm not sure if I'll actually make it to open water diving before the season comes to an end, unless I try to shoehorn something into late September.  (And I'm definitely not trying to rush training into a single weekend.)

OK, now to my point.  Can anyone recommend good instructors in the south metro area?  I work about four blocks away from Adventure Sports Scuba in Eden Prairie, but some of the reviews here make it sound like it's hit-or-miss.  Scuba Center (in Minneapolis and Eagan) is also convenient -- how is their reputation?  Are there any other local shops I should consider?

I'm not planning to give up my other sports, such as mountain biking and inline skating, but I think I could definitely enjoy scuba diving.

[jasondbaker]

Welcome to the forum!  It's great that you want to continue your diving education.  Every shop has a unique personality.  I recommend visiting the shops and meeting the staff to discover which one best fits you. Oftentimes the individual instructor makes the biggest difference.  Good luck!

[Shooter]

   If you are looking for detailed thorough instruction, I would reccomend Smith Diving and the N.A.U.I. program.

  The level of confidence received is worth the extra study time. I can't believe I just said that! :o

  I was trained there and was impressed enough with the training to have my 13 yr old son trained there. 8)

[MAXFACTOR]

ELKMAN.....
Congratulations on making a decision on your desire to get the best scuba instruction available and thank you for taking the time to post your question in this forum.  MNSCUBA.COM...

DIVERS..... know plenty of the plus's and minuse's of different stores.  On this board, you will find many different opinions, most of which are valid.

Although you are in the south metro area,  you're only 25 minutes from  GOING UNDER SCUBA CENTER in Maple Grove.

494 to Weaver    or  169 north to 81  in Osseo. 
Obviously,  I would agree that the instuctors make the difference,  but the facility at GUDC  is excellent.
Maxfactor
maxfactor

[tgoetze]

Welcome to the Board.  I am an independent instructor for Scuba Center.  I like the way they run their programs and the full time staff is always easy to work with.  If you work hard, you should be able to finish before the ice comes in.  Check their website for the listing of dates.