Is there anything I should consider when choosing a diving school to get my Open Water Certificate?

Answer 1

I'm an Advanced Open Water diver and dove all around the world (including cage diving in Gansbai South Africa where the Great Whites breach... sidenote: awesome experience). My STRONG recommendation is that you forget PADI, NAUI and all the other "weekend courses". If you plan to be a long-term diver, or if you really want to learn correctly, and the safest, you sign up for a one-night-per-week-for-around-10-weeks course at your YMCA. The YMCA Open Water certification is accepted worldwide, and YMCA students are noticed immediately for their good habits, safety precautions, and obvious intensive training. When you're 120ft down, and something goes wrong, your lack-of-training will kill you, or your proper training will save you... go with YMCA, you can never learn enough...especially as a beginner.