46 replies to this topic

[BeachJunkie]

I'm still exploring options. I'll shoot you an email on your site Q. I would really like to do this somewhere abroad since it'll be kind of like a mini vacation and I want to be able to take in more than just the diving. Also I'd like to do it in a place that I won't get to visit often like I would in the carribean.

That being said. This is looking like its going to cost me an arm and a leg. While I really want to do this, and I do have a pretty considerable amount of money saved up. Its looking like this will cost me a rediculous amount of money. I can afford to spend some in the name of travel and training but I still plan on going to school and this could end up taking a huge chunk out of my ""shool" fund. Still open to any suggestions on places to go. I've seached the "other" scuba site and its all just a TON of opinions that all contradict each other. I guess you'll have that though.

I know its not quite the exotic location I was hoping for but it looks like Hall's dive center in marathon has an instructor course that you can use the GI Bill with. Has anyone heard anything or been there? It would make things easier but certainly detracts from the whole "life experience" and "travel" part of the idea.

Anyone have any more suggestions on places for me to look?

[ASDmike]

I know its not quite the exotic location I was hoping for but it looks like Hall's dive center in marathon has an instructor course that you can use the GI Bill with. Has anyone heard anything or been there?

I booked/visited them back in '93 for a couple days of rec diving for myself and 3 buddies. Been over 15 years, but at that time they seemed to be a no-fuss, no-fluff operation. Before I left, I wondered if this place was going to be focused on rich 20 y/o's spending daddy's money to get a 3 month vacation and perhaps a "SeaHunt" career. Far from it, Marathon in that area was not "pretty" and the bungalows they had for the students were very basic, tiny-- all far from being an island paradise.

My trip was in the XMas/New Years week, so the few students/instructors I saw were serious about what they were doing and what they were there for. Seemed like a good professional bunch, but I may not have known very well what to look for. BTW, they have always been on my personal list of places I would definitely look into more for a "career change". Good luck with it, if they still take out rec divers, that could be a nice way to check them out a bit.