Posted by Wayne on November 30, 2003 at 09:44:46:
In Reply to: Need instruction Bad posted by Nemo on November 27, 2003 at 12:34:23:
You might want to find a local club and get to know some of the local divers. The advantage is that they will be be diving with and around you, and that makes their opinions a little more valid. Ask them for referrals.
You might want to re-take the Open Water course, but then again, you might want to have private instruction, which is what I recommend. That instruction could include a refresher course to bring you back up to speed on the skills and knowledge base that might have faded over the years. Then have the instruction take you into an Advanced course to provide you with additional skills in important areas such as navigation, deeper dives, and limited vis and nighttime. Thsi will make you a safer diver as you re-enter the dive world.
Several instructors do really good work in this area. If it was me, I would use my friend Dalia Soza, the only instructor I trusted to teach my young daughters (including a 10 year old). I have assisted in many of her classes and she is a joy to work with. She is also very patient and calm. In her classes, it's all about the diving, and not about ego. She does some classes, but mostly does private and semi-private instruction.
Wayne (always happy to DM for her classes)