Scuba certification for Sandals?

Question

I am going to one of the Sandals resorts in Jamaica, and I would really like to go scuba diving with my fiance. I don't want to waste my time down there trying to get certified.

I would like to know from somebody that has actually gone scuba diving at a Sandals resort to tell me what, where, and how much will it cost me to do scuba certification before I go. I want to know because I'm not sure which certifications they accept.

Answer 1

PADI, NAUI, SSI, are a few of the agencies that are internationally accepted.  

The cost is going to vary greatly from area to area.  

Try going here:

http://www.padi.com/padi/common/dcnr_dis...

Follow the prompts to locate the nearest shop that offers certification.

Answer 2

We went to Sandals St Lucia in 1997.  Yes, ten years ago.  At that time we spent 2-3 hours classroom and 2-3 hours in the pool before our first dive at 40 ft. for 40 mins.  Over a 10 day period, we dove 3 times.  The "certification" was for that visit only but worked out fine with all the other activities we participated in...golf, water skiing, drinking, eating, relaxing, drinking some more....

It was a great experience that I'd gladly do again.  Remember, you can't dive within 24 hours of your departure due to pressure differences on the plane.

I suppose their policies may have changed over 10 years too.