First time scuba

I’m sorry if this has been asked before…Maybe this should be a sticky.

I’m looking for an English speaking (or if Chinese, a trustworthy) diving instructor in or around Kaoshiung. What would a diving course cost me? And how about the gear? (Buying or renting.)

Plus, is weight an issue, 'cause I weigh under 45kg…(Maybe 43, not sure)… Is this too light? (I guess thinees miss out on all the fun, :frowning: ) I wanted to go hangliding once and they told me I’m too light. :unamused:

If possible, I strongly suggest you learn to dive while on vacation in Thailand or other place from a qualified foreign PADI certified instructor. Too many suibien, chabuduo instructors in Taiwan and you don’t want to be chabuduo with your life 20 meters under the sea.

One alternative would be to go to all of the FIVE STAR hotels to find an instructor, like HannSenn in Kaohsiung or Ceasar Park in KenTing. They would have bonded certified PADI instructors that might speak English and at least shouldn’t be too suibien. With that said, I still wouldn’t dare recommend this to one of my family or close friends.

That’s right too many but not all … anyways to stay with Taiwan and Taiwanese instructors … it seems like almost all divers here are instructors … many divers here they spend a bunch of money on the latest Japanese gear and than go full out until they have an instructor license and never do anything with it …

To be honest, I’m (was) a certified PADI instructor … actually I still am but due to circumstances I didn’t keep up my ‘teaching’ status with PADI. So, I’m a licensed instuctor without ‘teaching’ status. I did almost all my certification in the Philipines (Boracay) because I think it’s to much of a hassle to do it in Taiwan. You need to go (drive) to a swimming pool, drive out to the coast to dive, so it takes a lot of time to do it here. On a vacation you are on the beach and just do everything within walking (from the beach or hotel pool) and a boat trip distance.

Plus the instructors won’t hassle you to buy the latest gear from Japan.

If there is no other option than doing it in Taiwan, look for the best instructor and don’t let them rip you off.

[quote=“Hobart”]If possible, I strongly suggest you learn to dive while on vacation in Thailand or other place from a qualified foreign PADI certified instructor. Too many suibien, chabuduo instructors in Taiwan and you don’t want to be chabuduo with your life 20 meters under the sea.

One alternative would be to go to all of the FIVE STAR hotels to find an instructor, like HannSenn in Kaohsiung or Caesar Park in Kending. They would have bonded certified PADI instructors that might speak English and at least shouldn’t be too suibien. With that said, I still wouldn’t dare recommend this to one of my family or close friends.[/quote]

Hi Just like to make a comment on the above. I wonder if the lady/gentleman who wrote this knows anything at all about the modern day diving scene in Taiwan? For a start there are no scuba instructors employed by the Ceasar Park Hotel or any of the other 5 star hotels in Kenting or Han Sen Department store or the hotel at the back of it, in Kaohsiung. Second: there are to my knowledge at least a 3 dozen highly qualified Chinese PADI instructors, 10 PADI Course Directors and a dozen foreign PADI instructors that hail from Australia, Canada, England, South Africa and the USA scattered around Taiwan. There are at least 6 foreign PADI instructors in the Kaohsiung/Kenting area alone. I have been guiding and teaching divers here in Taiwan for the past 14 years. I have certified 100s of divers and none of them has ever had an accident diving. Third: Taiwan has wonderful diving comparable to the best in S.E Asia. Fourth: students learning to dive in Taiwan come out of the course [with a decent instructor, but this is true anywhere] far better trained than if they had learned to dive in Thailand or the PI simply because in Taiwan the conditions are more challenging then in other S.E Asian countries. Fifth: The course prices here are competitive with the rest of Asia and gear is often cheaper. Learn to dive proficiently here and dive your ass off on vacation! Who wants to go on vacation and spend 5 days in a classroom reading a manual and watching VCDs? If you would like to ask divers in Taiwan, I suggest you check out the Scuba Thread in Forumosa and pose your question there. :slight_smile:
Peace. taiwandive.com

Thanks for everybody’s replies, but I think finsarefun gave me what I was looking for. Thanks people. :slight_smile:

Quite right. Better to plan a holiday after getting your PADI so you can enjoy it.

Quite right. Better to plan a holiday after getting your PADI so you can enjoy it.[/quote]

That worked well for me.

I got certified in november and was in the water for two weeks in Cebu during Chinese new year.

:smiley:

Finsarefun: I find it hard to believe that Taiwan’s suibian attitude in other things doesn’t translate into suibian scuba instructors. My comment about the Five Star hotels was a mistake, I had meant to type, You might try the five star hotels, maybe they will have someone. Anyway, I still wouldn’t dive in Taiwan unless I was sure the Master Diver was not suibian, ditto for the Instructors.

Hi guys, another question!

Should I buy my own gear? Or as a beginner, should I just rent gear for a few years before I buy?

And where do I buy? In Taiwan? In Hong Kong?

[quote=“Sherryx”]Hi guys, another question!

Should I buy my own gear? Or as a beginner, should I just rent gear for a few years before I buy?

And where do I buy? In Taiwan? In Hong Kong?[/quote]
I suggest to rent, else you have to carry the stuff around everytime you travel. If hygiene is an issue just buy your own regulator (with mouthpiece) and rent the rest.

[quote=“Sherryx”]Hi guys, another question!

Should I buy my own gear? Or as a beginner, should I just rent gear for a few years before I buy?

And where do I buy? In Taiwan? In Hong Kong?[/quote]

Get your C-card first, do a few dives and see if it’s for you. I know people on this forum who’ve gone both ways…One who was so excited about learning how to dive he purchased an entire set of gear, then got in the water and freaked out. Another who loves diving to no end, but has been getting by on rental gear for the better part of a year.

Rental gear can be dodgy in Taiwan…Check the Scuba thread for a story or two on crap rental equipment.

My advice is that as soon as you realize you are hooked pick up your gear. Using the same equipment on every dive goes a long way towards bouyancy control mastery as a newcomer to the sport. If finances are an issue, then wetsuit, mask, fins and snorkel first, followed after by regs and a bcd.

Scuba equipment will last for years…My regs are 15 years old and have done hundreds of dives. Only my mask is new. My point being is even at ten or less dives per year you can still justify purchasing your own gear. Spend a thousand NT a crack for rentals, 10 dives per year over 5 years and you’ve paid for a decent set of scuba gear.

Wait until you breath underwater for the first time…It never, ever gets old :sunglasses:

This guy is someone I used to do commercial diving with many years ago in another lifetime. Seeing his name just now gave me a surprise, but the linked story doesn’t surprise me in the least. Quite a guy!

Very interesting…Guy must be REALLY fit!

[quote]Another who loves diving to no end, but has been getting by on rental gear for the better part of a year.
[/quote]

Hey, I have a bcd now. :smiley:

I’m going to Hong Kong this weekend. Is it cheaper to buy the gear (basics only!) there, or should I rather buy it in Taiwan? And what brand would you (experts) recommend to me?