I have a client coming to BON for his open water cert. There are too many places to choose from. Here is his profile. I thank you for your ideas and feedback.

1. 43 computer geek
2. never travels as he is a workaholic so wants a great experience..and he deserves the best
3. wants the best..money is no object
4. is slightly Type A anal..needs more 1-1 vs a operator that caters to the masses
5. needs a dive instructor than can answer every minute question he will have
6. he is slightly nervous to do this..but motivated.
7. The operation needs to be very professional and organized.

Thanks in advance..email me privately if you prefer

I had a great experience with my certification at Bon Bini -- and I was VERY nervous. In particular, Francie is wonderful. I'd recommend them any time.

Ann, does he prefer a male or female (or does he have a preference, sometimes folks do).

From his profile I would think he would prefer and probably enjoy a female DM. Reducing the testostrone levels means more and better questions ask...and less showing off....translates to more fun.

Wally, thanks for the giggle...you are probably correct, but often folks have problems "listening" to a woman...hee hee

I would second Bon Bini, Connie took me on a shore dive to help me and was very calm and very competent.

I would also recommend Bon Bini, got my AOW there.

I do not think he cares but to me, I think a member of the opposite sex can be distracting at times..I would prefer a same sex person to instruct me, give me a massage..medical exams..ya know?

haaa..

Very sexy:
face mask, snorkel, fins, and all the other diving gear :-)

But, you know him better then we do LOL

I vote for Divi. I received my Open Water Certification there. They have a few instructors -male and female. It was fun! Any specific questions, e-mail me. Sue

My just-turned 11-yr old daughter did her complete OW certification at the Plaza in February and we were very happy. Most of the time she was the only student, so she had 100% personalized attention.

Just to let you know, she had 3 different instructors over the 3 days - it might be different for just checkout dives. While we thought it was helpful for her to deal with various instructors, it might make an anal sort a bit (more) uptight. The instructors did not get her cold - they had been briefed by the prior one on her progress.

You might also want to find out if your client has a problem understanding certain accents, as many of the instructors at Plaza have either Dutch or Spanish accents.

I would recommend the Divi Dive staff. They helped my mom with her nitrox cert. and I was impressed with their skill and lack of bravado in dealing with the lessor skilled divers during boat dives. Serge and Pepe were both top notch and patient. My experience with the Habitat folks was positive also but Divi would get my vote.
Richard

Cheeser is working and not catching up with a lot of BT, but it broke my heart to see Cynde attack the "hunter" sex in saying that "but often folks have problems "listening" to a woman...hee hee". I've been listening to the same woman for 30+ years and not planning to stop (she'd kick my butt if I did).......JUST KIDDING. My vote would go for Toucan at Plaza, I've not done any training with them but I watched them with several newbies to Bonaire and was totally impressed with the DM's and their attention to their charges. One comment though, make sure your client understands that if he is NOT happy with the instruction he is getting, he needs to make sure the shop knows it. I did my Nitrox cert on Cozumel and the instructor was about 2 pages ahead of me in the book in his own learning curve. I agonized over it and brought it to the Manager's attention. His response was "we've watched you dive and didn't think you wanted more attention". End all was that I got the manager as instructor, got excellent training with great personal service, I just had to let them know what I wanted.

My two cents and I was kidding Cynde.....I'm sure your husband never listens to you either (tee hee)

cheeseit

Joe, glad to see you knew I was kidding too...LOL! However, I have had a few neanderthal bosses that thought the place for a woman was in the home BTW, I swear, your CD player is in the mail (well, will be later this week)...just got back from AZ last night and am a bit under the weather

CheeseMeister, I'm glad that you listen to women. Some folks don't. It seems to me that they don't expect intelligent things to come out of women's mouths. I call this inability to converse with women not being able to "speak girl".
I have witnessed this strange phenomenon on more than several occasions as I work in a technical field dominated by men, some of whom do not "speak girl". I don't get too 'wigged out' by this anymore as slowly but surely things are changing.
When I have something important to say to a moron who does not speak girl, I talk to one of his respected team-mates who does speak girl and that's how I deal with it.
Example: I work in theaters. Sometimes I work on the grid: 75 to 100 feet off of the deck. A grid is customarily made of metal slats evenly spaced on sets of I-beams so gear can thread through to hang scenery from. Before one goes to the grid, it is customary to empty one's pockets therefore avoiding dropping anything through the slats onto some person's head below you. A quarter dropped 75 feet can do some damage on someone's head. Imagine if you will what a screwdriver could do.
A 'newbie' was sent to the grid and he had so much stuff in his pockets: coins, pens, key chain with a janitorial selection of keys and doo-dads, tools -- you get the idea. I casually instructed him to stand on a piece of masonite on the grid and EMPTY HIS POCKETS before he dropped something. He ignored me. Fortunately, I told his brother, a pal of mine that does speak girl, who was nearby, and HE told his brother to empty his pockets NOW!!

I am delighted that you do speak girl and listen to women. That's probably how you managed to stay married for 30+ years. Seb and I are married 20+ years.

Always a pleasure chatting with you,
Mary W

Cynde, I do hope you feel better soon.
Mary W

Mary, great story ;-) Am a little better today...thanks for asking

Cynde
No worries about the Diskman.....whenever, I'm in the middle of a major project of burning all the cd's of every middle aged overweight male in Bisbee's CD's onto a 120 gig hard drive......I will soon have the world's largest collection of Emerson Lake and Palmer (Oh Jeez, I wish I could remember the 70s.... or the 80s.... or parts of the 90's). Mary, I hope I speak pretty good girl, I run an office of 12 people and there's me and a retired army Major (now he don't even speak girl) and 10 females, so I get to hone my skills frequently.

cheeseit

Joe..."I'm in the middle of a major project of burning all the cd's of every middle aged overweight male in Bisbee" LOL ;-)

Cynde

WHATCHU LAUGHIN AT WILLIS?????

now ur picking on my grammer
what's next

And there are quite a few of us MAOMIB (you figger it out)

lol
cheesit