How do I choose the right dive centre to learn with?
 Learning to dive needs to be enjoyable but safe and informative at the same time. You will be spending up to 40 hours with your Instructors so it is very important that you get on with them. We like you to earn your qualifications so it is not just a case of spending your hard earned cash and you get a certification. We will work very hard with you to ensure you become a safe and competent diver. The Open Water Diver course is the most popular first step, but the way it is conducted can vary from centre to centre.
Some centres like to get you qualified in as little time as possible but at Norwich Scuba/Total Immersion Diver Training we like you to take your time and spread the course over a few weeks. You will have plenty of time to study and extra pool sessions are made available giving you plenty of opportunities to practice all the new skills you will be learning.
All our pool sessions take place locally. We always have two and a half hours of pool time at each session so you will never feel rushed.
Some centres will try to get you to learn all the pool skills and do all of the academics over one weekend. In our opinion this is not the best way to learn, after all at the end of the course you will be qualified to dive without an instructor to look after you. Our pool sessions and academics are conducted over a total of twenty five hours, how are you going to do all that over a weekend? Two twelve and a half hour days, a little sleep and come away from the whole experience with your head spinning and not quite feeling as if you have learnt everything you need to know. But then you get what you pay for.
Then you have to look at the number of students you will learn with. As PADI Instructors we are allowed to teach up to 10 students at a time in the pool. That doesn't’t mean that we should. How well do you think you would learn in a group of 10 or even 8 students? For this reason you will never have more than 4 students on your course and will have 2 members of staff to help you learn. We really know how to teach diving and after learning with us you will find other divers and instructors complimenting you on your abilities.
What about the equipment you use during the course? We have all brand new equipment in our school and it is all replaced every year. We have some 25 BCD’s (jackets) 25 regulators (things you breathe from) 20 semi-dry suits, 18 drysuits and a lot of diving cylinders. Some centres will teach you only in Dry suits, we feel this can be a little task loading at times and is not really necessary all year round. So, we give you the choice and will help you achieve your goals in as stress free an environment as is possible.
Our friendly, experienced Instructors do everything possible to put you at your ease to ensure that your training is safe and fun. When you do a course with Norwich Scuba/Total Immersion Diver Training, it is based around you. It is centred around your learning needs and styles. We will make your course as informative as possible without trying to make your goal of diving an impossible one.
Quite simply, we love teaching diving so there is virtually nothing that we wouldn't do to make your dreams of becoming a diver possible.
  The following is one of the many thank you letters we receive from our customers:
"Could you please pass on to your team of Nicki, Sol, Simon, Andy and others, many thanks for all their help in the recent Open water dive course especially for their patience and understanding.
I did the open water dives at Gildenburgh on Friday and Saturday and I must admit the water was so cold, 8 degrees, and being novices, I don't think we had anticipated how the cold and low visibility affects you - and it was the enthusiasm and atmosphere of the team that helped us get through it.
I am now looking forward to my holiday in Sharm el Sheikh and will be back to look at the advanced course and perhaps the photography course as it is this that I am very interested in."
To help you choose the right centre to learn with we have come up with a few short questions to ask. We also recommend you call into the dive centre's in person to have a look at the facilities on offer, the equipment you will be using and to meet some of the instructors you will be learning with. Good luck with your diving and don’t forget that our advice is free.
Do you have dedicated classroom facilities?
Some centres will have you learn in the shop with clipboards on your laps. Norwich Scuba/Total Immersion Diver Training have two dedicated classrooms all equipped with audio visual equipment and laptops for Powerpoint presentations.
How much pool time will I get and what pools do you use?
At Norwich Scuba/Total Immersion Diver Training, you will have twelve and a half hours pool time in total. The pools we use are heated indoor pools of adequate depth for the content of the course.
What student to Instructor ratios do you use?
The Health and Safety Executive recommend a maximum of four students to one instructor for open water dives. At Norwich Scuba/Total Immersion Diver Training we go that little bit further. For the Open Water Diver Course we will only ever have a maximum of four students to  two staff and that’s for both the pool sessions and the Open Water Dives. We also give you the option of one to one executive courses if you are short on time or just want that little bit more in the way of service.
How old is the school equipment you use and will I have to share with another student?
None of our equipment is over a year old. Some centres have a shortage of equipment to use for their training dives and will ask you to share. At Norwich Scuba/Total Immersion Diver Training you will be issued with your equipment at each session, and you will not have to share it with anyone else.
What is included in the price?
Some centres will have hidden costs such as having to pay for your certification card when you finish. At Norwich Scuba/Total Immersion Diver Training we don’t have any hidden costs. Your course includes all manuals, equipment hire (not including mask, snorkel and fins), pool hire, air, instruction and certification. You will have to pay any dive site entry fees yourself.
How experienced are the Instructors?
At Norwich Scuba/Total Immersion Diver Training we have a team of four full time instructors and a further eight part time as well as some twenty Divemasters. We are without doubt the most experienced Dive Team in the area with thousands of logged dives and certifications between us. Have a look at the Dive Team page for some info about some of our staff. |
