I obtained my SSI Open Water certification at Porto Mari Sports, and the experience was absolutely fantastic. I didn’t have my own transportation to get to Porto Mari, but thankfully that was solved by arranging a pickup for me.
The people are super friendly, professional, but also great fun to be around. My instructor, Merlijn, gave me a lot of confidence in myself and in him as an instructor. He provides clear and thorough explanations (sometimes a bit too thorough, making it hard to keep up with everything when taking in all the new information)
If a skill doesn’t go perfectly, it’s no problem; you simply move on to another skill and return to the previous one later. If you want to repeat something or have ideas about how the dive should go, Merlijn is always open to that. Each day, he gives you a bit more freedom to help you become a confident diver.
After three days, thanks to both his effort and mine, I earned my certification and now feel confident diving with a buddy.
If you’re thinking about getting your Open Water certification, I definitely recommend Porto Mari Sports!