*THE HULL TRUTH is the world's largest FREE network for the discussion of Boating & Fishing. Whether you're researching a new boat, or are a seasoned Captain, you'll find The Hull Truth Boating & Fishing Message Forum contains a wealth of information from Boaters and Sportfishermen around the world.
Welcome to the updated THT!
If you are having trouble signing in, please email feedback@thehulltruth.com with your username and we will help you. We thank you for your patience as we help you access the new site!
I'm looking at getting my PADI Open Water from Discovery Diving in Beaufort, does anyone have any experience with them? Good? Bad? They seem to have a good endorcement from PADI and they offer classes closer to where I live. We don't have a PADI course here in Greenville, so I think this is about as close as I can get. What do you guys think?
Josh, without having to uncover the boat and crank up the GPS...............where are you located? Several good PADI facilities in NC. I've been with Discovery, but it's been several years ago. I enjoyed my trip and they seem to have a good reputation in the diving community.
They have the highest ranking that PADI gives out.
Quote:
rdsrb5
Josh, without having to uncover the boat and crank up ther GPS... where are you located... Are they the closest to where you live?
I live in Greenville. There is a PADI center in Rocky Mount, which is probably the closest, but Discovery Diving offers classes at Cherry Point, which is a little farther away. Discovery Diving has a higher ranking from PADI and is cheaper than the dive shop in Rocky Mount. There are a few good shops here in Greenville but they are not PADI centers (SSI and NAUI).
Not familiar with Discovery, but my son has taken several classes and been out several times with Olympus in Morehead City. They are a first rate company, with great personnel.
Josh, I'd recommend Pro Scuba in Rocky Mount. I've known Ronnie and Joey (husband & wife) for 15 years. I never did any training under them, but my 3 children did. My son just finished his Open Water with them less than 2 weeks ago, and plans to take his test this coming week. We may go with them to Florida in July to get his checkout dive done and take the whole family for their Thanksgiving trip.
I think Discovery is a good choice also, but I can speak from experience and confidently recommend Pro Scuba in Rocky Mount, they are really good people. As it gets warmer, they will do their checkout dives in the rock quarry in Rolesville, just outside of Zebulon, but take several Florida trips during the year.
I think that Pro Scuba may even use Discovery for their charters off NC.
I was an assistant instructor in the mid 80s and it's a great hobby to have, really good for the family too.
Good luck, I'm sure you'll make a good choice...................just have fun!!!!!!!!
Thanks for the advice guys. I'll look into Pro Scuba this week before I make my choice. I'm leaning towards Discovery because they do four checkout dives, their price is right, and they have a high rating from PADI. I'm looking forward to doing it and hoping to finish my checkout dives before July so I can enjoy the summer!
I can get PE credit for taking a dive course, but ECU doesn't off one as far as I know. We do have a dive club, and probably the best marine archeaology department in the country, but all of the dive courses are offered through local dive shops.
By the way, next time you come to Greenville, shoot me an email and we will go grab some lunch at B's Barbeque...
Discovery has been around a long time. I got my PADI certification with them in 1977. I took the course work at ECU in the Minges pool while I was in high school. We did our checkouts from Beaufort. I have never heard any negatives about them.
__________________
SpongeRob 232 Sea Hunt 225 Johnson
I'm Ready!!!
I hate to be a bugbear,or a troll - but i have to relay my experiences with Discovery. I live in the area and do a bit of diving - the shop (not the captains, mind you - they are seperate businesses) is a very, very sketchy place. Things have changed a lot there since the 70s - and it's mostly downhill, believe it or not. They have a reputation for being the exact opposite of Olympus Dive Center - they are not safety oriented but "waver oriented." If you sign the waver and have money - they'll let you out on a boat and will let you do a 130ft dive the day after getting your c-card, if you want. I've seen it happen, i know people who have done it - it's just not right, and it's dangerous. The captains have no control over who dives as the store books them and places them on a boat. As for classes - it's probably the hilight of the place except that they do not use "certified dive masters" - just divers paid minimum wage. If PADI heard about some of the things that went on there...
They are also notorious for selling out-of-date gear for particularly terrible prices. In addition, a large amount of gear that is serviced at the store comes back with various problems - the repair person is not certified by any companies to work on gear. The owner has a very poisonous reputation down here - people stay away from her. As a member of the diving community, i can't tell you how many people I know who have had terrible experiences with that place.
Olypmus, on the other hand, is considered by many to be one of the best dive centers in the entire western hemisphere - rodales and other publications give them the highest marks in just about every category.
My daughter (3 years ago when she was 12) and I took our open water class there together,and had an enjoyable and successful experience in every way. The owner and the staff were professional with a level of concern for students that you would hope for.The above statement that "just divers paid minimum wage " are employed is so ridiculous as to draw the rest of the post into question.
I got my certification through Discovery in 1999 when I was studying at the Duke Marine Lab in Beaufort during undergrad. Debbie was awesome - extremely helpful working around our class schedules and getting us deals on equipment. She was extremely knowledgeable, professional, and experienced and has a great sense of humor to boot. I don't know if she is still there, but if so, I would recommend Discovery w/out hesitation.
As a member of the diving community, i can't tell you how many people I know who have had terrible experiences with that place.
A number of years ago we stopped in and got the sales job of the year from the owner. I told her I was developing property down east, and lived at the top of the state, and it was no way we could complete the course at one time. She said " no problem, we have people that it takes years to complete the course." The second day, I don't remember how many hundreds I spent at the place.
Next years we went to the store, with the receipts, and asked when could they work us into their schedule, and was told that the course had to be completed in the year it was started. I reminded her of us talking and the fact she said no one that did FX for the movie industry had ever took their course. Of course she did not remember the conversation.
I talked to a lawyer at Morehead and was told that because there was nothing in writing it was tough, called Master Card and was told because of the time involved I could not contest the charge. Now every time I drive by the place I think about that incident.
Josh, I don't have any experience with Discovery, but a call to Lauren at Olympus in MHC is worth the dime before you make a decision. I haven't been on an Olympus trip, but I have been renting tanks and buying some equipment from them for the last couple of years and they get an A+ in customer service.
My stepdaughter and 2 sons are doing their check out dives June 4/5 in the quarry at Lake Rawlings near South Hill, VA and then we are headed to Morehead for their first brine submersion. If you catch the weather, tide and sun right, there are some pretty good diving opportunities inshore out of Morehead.
Interesting responses guys. Discovery Diving recieved PADI's highest award for a Dive Center, the Five Star Instructor Development Center, so I doubt that the dive instructors are just minimum wage divers. I'm not concerned with the actual shop, just the class. I will probably be buying my gear from either Olympus or Bottom Time. Neither offer a class close to me though, and Discovery offers classes at Cherry Point and the price is good, plus they do 4 checkout dives as oppossed to 2 with most others.
I'm not really looking for negative feedback about the shop, but negative feedback about the actual class. I'm leaning towards it because all of the people have recommended the class (except Bluefire, but I'm a little skeptical of his resonse).
I think the PADI certification requires 4 checkout dives in two days to get your card. Anything less than that is probably not PADI.
I was looking for a coastal certification dive for the kids, but was steered towards the quarry because the tide. weather and sun variable made it sketchy. The trick is to get your pool work, class work and C dives in and then get some real bottom time in. That is where you become a diver, when you get some real dives in. Pick a system that is convenient, expediant and thorough. Remember, diving is an equipment intensive activity, so the shop (at least the rental shop) does matter.
You have a boat, and if your goal is to be able to dive from it (which was my goal), then your best bet is to find an experienced buddy once you get your card. I started in the keys and bahamas, and when I moved back to NC, I thought it was over. But I have been having a great time diving inshore out of Morehead.
Good luck and welcome to the sport. Get a spear and then you can do 4 sports at once. Boat, dive, hunt and fish.
Send me an email on this forum and I will give you my contact info and you can come with us after you get your card.
Go with Pro Scuba or Olympus - you can insult my post all you want. That's my experience - compared to olympus, they have a terrible reputation down here. Tell me you're skeptical of my comments but do me a favor before you enroll - walk into discovery's store and look around. Then go and walk into olympus's store - you won't want to go back to discovery. Trust me, just do it.
I'm sure the class curicullum is just fine - it will be the same as just about any other SCUBA class you take, whether it's SSI, PADI, etc.
However, if you want feedback regarding discovery's class es- their facilities are not very nice. The store is a mess with probably 5-6 resident cats running all over the place. They do all their pool time in a small, outdoor swimming pool that is part of a trailer park. Olympus has a beautiful shop and i do believe, uses much better facilities as does Pro SCUBA in Rocky Mount. However, if you do it on the coast they'll do your check out dives on nearshore jetties and such - olympus and discovery do it at the same places. Another point: while no dive shop has great rental gear, discovery has pretty gross stuff (i had to rent a regulator one time) compared to any dive shop i've rented from. Trust me - you'll see.
A few years back when my family got certified by a shop in Wilmington (great reputation) and they only had to do two checkout dives. The other PADI shops I have talked to has confirmed that as the norm.
I am very excited about it, its something I have wanted to do for a long time, but I haven't had the time for it. Most of my family is certified, so finding a dive buddy shouldn't be too hard! I will send you an email soon and we can set something up. I plan on trying to get my certification before the end of June.
Bluefire,
I did not mean to insult your post, its just some of your claims seemed a little outrageous. I am going to take your advice and visit the shop and meet a few people before I sign on and give them my money. Olympus doesn't happen to offer any classes closer to Greenville do they? You seem to know alot about Olympus, if you've got some info that could help me, please share...
I live locally and I'm just rehasing the experience and opinions of myself and many other people in the area. The owner of Discovery is a shark, and everyone knows her as such. I Actually have nothign to do with Olympus - i just like their operation.
Either way, you're going to be taking a class down here in beaufort/morehead - both places don't offer anything any closer. I think discovery may have a store in havelock/cherry point but it's really small and they don't offer any clsses out of it. Try Pro Scuba in Rocky Mount - they're the closest to you, i would think. The best place in the state is Gypsy Divers in Raleigh - amazing facilities - but much too far away from you.
Discover Diving in Beaufort??? 
