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We are not certified scuba folks, but have done 3 PADI beginner dives at cool places (Great Barrier Reef, Bora Bora, and Mykanos). For us rookies where can we do another PADI beginner dive in BVI? I recall this means under 30ft.

I've ventured out with both of these - enjoyed both
There are others - but since I don't remember going out with them, I won't identify

In order of fav:

www.bluewaterdiversbvi.com (Sopers & Nanny Cay)
www.sailcaribbeandivers.com (East End)

Unless you can gather a group of size - you go where they decide to go that day
So - phone calls the "morning of" might be the deciding factor - plus - which end of Tortola you are sitting on.

my son got certified with Blue Water Divers, great guys, great operation

We are on a charter, so it would be a rendezvous dive. Which poses a different question. I wonder if these groups do rendezvous beginner dives?

You should look into getting certified. You can do all the class and pool work at home and then just do the checkout dives in the BVI.

We've used Blue Water, Sail Caribbean and Dive BVI. I'd just reach out to them to see if they will accommodate you on a rendezvous dive. I don't see why it would matter if they will do a beginner dive.

I am certified, and I once tagged along with a beginner group with Sunchaser Scuba at the Bitter End Yacht Club. It was at least 10 years ago, but I believe they still teach resort courses and take out beginner groups.

Dan <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Cheers.gif" alt="" />

Can't speak for the others - but I've been on dives with Sailcaribbean where we did the rounds of picking up passengers from anchored cats before going out.
I've had my visitors, where SC also did the Turtlegrass(Bight) intro before going out into open water

Blue Water has also bent over backwards to make special experiences happen, and accommodate situations/restrictions.

I guess much depends on who they have on staff this season, etc, etc
As others have said - reach out - all of these dive shops are a good bunch, and want you to have a good experience

We have done several Discover Scuba with SailCaribbean Divers at Cooper Island.
It works out about as good as it can! The Discover Scuba divers do the basics in the shallows just off the beach at Cooper. If there are Certified divers on the boat, they go for the 1st of a two tank dive, and return to the dock to pick up the DC divers, and then they all go for the second, shallow dive. SailCaribbean took really good care of my sister-in-law when she was having problems cleaning her ears.
I would make reservations in advance for Discover Scuba. You can sometimes slide right in if you are certified, but generally they need to know in advance for the introductory class.

We've done rendezvous dives and rented equipment from Blue Water Divers, very accommodating. Most of the dives in their area are not that deep so you can probably work something out.

We got certified in Cozumel with Blue Angel Divers. We found it was a stress free and inexpensive way to do it. You really ought to just do it!

I strongly agree with those who suggest getting certified. Go to your local dive shop and do the pool and classroom work at home. Can be done in one or two weekends. Get a padi referral from the dive shop and complete the deep water dives in the BVI. Same cost as resort diving. You will need 4 dives that can be done in two days. You can arrange a after lunch session one day and the next morning a early session and your'e complete with a card.
G

Curiosity - diving BVI:
What is the deepest spot you have found?

So far - the deepest we managed to find was 100ft - and that was with the computer flat on the sand to actually get 100ft to read - LOL
Has anyone found a deeper spot in these islands?

At any location you would want to Dive 100 is about it and only one spot comes to mind that deep. 80 is about it everywhere else.
G

The walls on St. Croix offer very deep options. In some places the bow on the mooring will be in 40-60 feet of water and the stern hanging over a 1,000 foot drop. At Cane Bay Wall you can walk in from the dinghy ramp and dive a 3,000 foot wall.

I very much agree with those who suggest getting certified. Go to your local dive shop and do the pool and classroom work at home, then you can do your referral dive in the fabulous BVI, Get a PADI referral from the dive shop and complete the open water dives in the BVI.
we Always dive with Sunchaser Scuba in the North Sound of Virgin Gorda or Sail Caribbean Divers in Tortola both wonderful experiences and fabulous staff.

I concur with everyone on getting certified but I would recommend doing your checkout dives at home before going to the BVI. I say this for three reasons. The first reason is you'll arrive in the BVI and go straight to enjoying your dives instead of working on skills, paperwork, etc.

The second reason is, depending on where you live, most check out dives are performed in quarries, lakes, etc. While these do not have the visibility of the waters in the BVI there are no currents or swells to deal with. Also, quarries and lakes generally have docks and walk outs (i.e. stable platforms) whereas in the BVI you’ll most likely be doing your checkout dives from a dive boat which will be moving around. If you’re a strong swimmer these things might not matter but I know two people that said doing their check out dives at their vacation destination was more stressful than they wanted.

The last reason is you will have more time to spend with your loved ones/friends. Unless they are doing the checkout dives with you they will spend the first two days of their vacation doing things without you.

HTH!

I can also highly recommend Sail Caribbean Divers.

Check out dives aren't so different from doing a regular dive though, so if the plan is to dive in the BVI, I don't see any reason not to do the check out dives there.

My wife did her check out dives in Key West and I was along for the dives as well - I just explored nearby while she and the instructor did their dives.

Just did a rendezvous dive with Blue Water Diver out of Nanny Cay.
Great folk!
They picked us up right from our boat in The Bight at 9:30am.
They supplied all the gear. We did two dives, and they brought us back to our boat about 1pm.
Easy peazy!

I would also suggest if there are people in your group who have not snorkeled, doing a 1 session training with SCUBA instructor in a pool at home, focusing how to clear mask and how to use fins can be very useful. (we had a friend who we assumed knew how to snorkel, and he got is distressing first snorkel trying to go "head-up" in the water, finning 90 to nothing )

I have to respectfully disagree, we did our classroom and pool work in NH before we went to Virgin Gorda. The Dive shop here co-ordinated with Dive BVI and we did our certification dives there. They were wonderful. Paperwork was handled for us, and the big advantage is that on each dive after you finish your skills you get to actually dive until you get low on air. At home (we were taking our classes in Feb/Mar) people were doing their cert dives in dry suits and doing the 10-15 minute descend, skills, ascend.

The whole experience was easy and a wonderful time.

I do think a lot depends on where you are. Also being in NE, my check out dives were in a full wet suit, gloves, hood..etc. And a lot of weights. Not nearly as much fun as it would have been in the BVI.

We did the exact same thing with Blue Angel! My wife was afraid to put her head under water when she started - a week later we were certified. Very inexpensive and very stress free. Also rendevous dives and rented equipment from BWD in the BVI.

Good point. If your check out dives involve a dry suit or a thick wetsuit, do them in the BVI instead.

Here's a comprehensive page on snorkeling & diving in the BVI - links to all companies and valuable other resources.