then stay away from P.A.D.I. , they are all about money. They  are now
trying to make all instructors force nitrox on new o.w.d. students to make
more money.

I don't live on the "left-coast" but on the east coast. Most of the
shops here offer very good training. I am sure that there is an odd
instructor that may not be as "good" as others, but I have yet to hear
of anyone dying while diving up here in years after being recently
certified. Instructors are not well paid. Going the "extra mile" a lot
do but you have to define "extra" and are they getting paid for it. It
is a job. You get paid. You want more than the minimum requirements, you
have to sign ($$$) up for more classes to increase your education (just
like in college). Offerring a boat dive? As like they are going to pay
for it? HIGHLY unlikely. Sounds like you want a lot for a little that
they charge for an open water cert.
In the end, you will have to meet the possible instructors and shop
owners. Some click with certain people, others don't. What I might find
great, you might find mediocore.

Shawn --

I'm on the "other ocean", so I can't suggest a specific instructor.
But I want to congratualte you on asking the right question.
A good instructor will make all the difference in getting you
started right in SCUBA diving.

Please take the opportunity to talk to the instructor BEFORE you
decide on him/her.  You may think that You don't know the right
questions to ask, but it isn't the specific questions that count
at this point -- it is the instructor's attitude.  You will quickly
be able to tell if a spcific instructor is "right" or not.

Enjly!

I've frequented two shops in Orange County.  A friend got her advanced cert
with Underwater Habitat in Santa Ana and claims that the instruction is
decent.  Mike, the owner, seems to know his stuff.  However, I noticed on a
boat trip with them that they seem to push expensive gear on their divers,
though you couldn't tell from looking around the rather old and cluttered
shop.  The other one is Scuba Toys in Cypress, which used to be the darling
of the DIR set, hosting free DIR demos, dealing Halcyon gear, etc.  Jim, the
owner, is a bit gruff, and he's had a major falling out with some of the
dive boats and other dive shops in the area, though now I forget why.

Your best bet is trying your question on a local board such as
www.diver.net/bbs.

In general, if you want better training, avoid the quickie two-weekend
classes in favor of something that meets weekly for 8 or so weeks, and make
sure your cert dives include beach and boat.  All local shops charter local
boats for Catalina and other destinations, it's just that some shops charter
better boats or charter them more often so you have more flexibility when
planning your cert dives.  Usually the training is pretty decent out here,
since the local conditions are less forgiving than the Caribbean and most
instructors don't want their students dying on them during the cert dives.