Living in Australia, I couldn't miss the chance of ticking off scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef off of my bucket list. In order to do this, I needed to get certified. I've heard experiencing the reef via snorkeling is pretty spectacular, but if I have the chance, why not go 30 meters under as opposed to surface level viewing? With this in mind, Dave and I found a group buying coupon from Our Deal for full open-water PADI certification (theory, pool and 4 dives) plus 4 pieces of equipment (snorkel, mask, boots, flippers) to take home for $170! We couldn't pass this up.
As we do with most of our coupons bought from these online coupon companies, we nearly forgot about it as it sat in our inbox lost amongst other haircuts, spa treatments and dinners for two around Sydney. We bought the coupon with some colleagues, so when they were getting closer to completion, we started to get our act together. Unfortunately, our laziness bit us back. We scheduled in a classroom session 2 months after we bought the coupon and our next step, the pool session, is now scheduled in June because every weekend is booked! Oh well. The start of good diving visibility will be in the Spring anyways - that's in September!
Walking in to the classroom portion held at the company headquarters, we found the 'You get what you pay for' cliche true. We entered into what looked like a garage with plastic lawn chairs scattered in the center. The wall-stained room was filled with surf boards and scuba equipment resembling anything short of organised. The receptionist/instructor/ beach bum hippie said they would start a little late and our books weren't in yet. Looking around, I pondered my trust in this company. Isn't this company responsible for my safety? "You get what you pay for" I whispered to Dave.
Keeping an open mind, we sat and listened to the same receptionist give us an introduction to the program. It would consist of:
- Theory on the introduction to scuba diving DVD (1.75 hrs) + manual
- Pool training with completed manual and theory exam
- Ocean training with 4 dives
Despite this guy's appearance, he seemed quite genuine. He said the deal was so cheap because this place was actually run by marine biologists who don't make much money out of this venture. They simply wanted to expose people to the wonder of the underworld and gain an appreciation for it. Always a sucker for good will, I smiled and totally forgot about how dingy the place was.
We watched the video screened on a blank wall go through 2 sections of before and during the pool session we would do next. I tried to stay awake by quizzing myself and Dave of what a BCD or SPG was; Buoyancy Control Device and Submersible Pressure Gauge. The DVD must have been made in the 80s/90s because its main character was a Weekend at Bernie's type guy who couldn't figure out flippers from a snorkel. The best parts were the flashes of 'Facts' in between scenes.
Fact: Scuba divers are 'Under' Achievers
Fact: Scuba divers have more fun than regular people
Now that I have completed the classroom bit, I can study the manual I've yet to receive for the 3 months until the pool session in June. Getting through this part is exciting though. I'm just that much closer to diving into the Great Barrier Reef for real. Moral of the story: don't be a slacker when you buy online coupons!
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