Learning to dive

Anyone done a 'fly in' diving course and have any recommendations?

My daughter is ten (and swims like a fish) which seems to be the minimum age for PADI open water and, after a pool session which she LOVED on holiday last month, I'm seriously considering booking a week somewhere cheap but warm (Gran Canaria?) and getting our cards next month.

If anyone has done similar I'd love to hear your tales and tips.

Sorry, but I live in Wales and the idea of taking it in a quarry pool or off the shore at Port Talbot is not gripping me with anticipation - I'd rather do it with clownfish and coral rather than silt and a scared halibut.

Clapham Manor does diving if you get into london, my dad is really into diving so has been a couple of times recently as it's easier to get certificated(and safer I guess) in a pool. He dives in egypt on holiday too, did a 10 day thing and got some PADI he was really happy about.

Brussels has one of the best indoor pools too. 34m or so. Makes for a nice city break, brussels card for 30 euros museums+metro tickets all sorted.

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g188644-d2540469-Reviews-Nemo_33-Brussels.html

The more minging options might be better as you can't dive the first day or 2 after you fly or before you leave to fly back so to dive 7 days you need to be away for 10. Not entirely certain on the rules about that but would look into it when your planning stuff.

Do all the pool + theory at home, then fly out to the Red Sea or somewhere to do the open water diving.

Do all the pool + theory at home, then fly out to the Red Sea or somewhere to do the open water diving.

This without a doubt.

Consider booking your advanced open water course to follow directly OW, it's basically five different dives and another card.

Also get both you and offspring a dive computer, much better than diving square profiles.

Just to add, diving in the North Atlantic isn't great. And diving round Great Britain is borderline maschochistic

Either go Red Sea or possible malta.

I have dived a couple of times with these chaps and they are very good.

http://www.divewise.com.mt/about/about-us.php

"off Port Talbot " where in Wales are you Simon ?

egypt
kenya
for slightly more exotic but relatively cheap to get to places with great diving and warmer water