Im a great believer in doing boring courses at home although as youve pointed out the AOW is more practical than academic, even if it does mean spending a cold weekend down at Monterey.

I did my advanced many years ago diving a flooded quarry not far from Leicester in the middle of December.......Yep! it was miserable, although it made me appreciate all the more diving the Red Sea a week later. I also did my Rescue in December diving a dank lake not far from Heathrow Airport just before another winter trip to the Red Sea.

I just want to maximize my away time doing my own thing, although of course this is just my take on training.

I believe theres many different kinds of divers all looking for different things. I personally look to enjoy different cultures and outlooks whilst traveling and diving and tend to head to less developed destinations where ones money also stretches further, and ones experience is enhanced by the feeling of being away from ones comfort zone.

I dont remember to many post on diving or training in Baja on this tribe, although it does sound like an interesting destination.

The obvious would be the Utilla, which i enjoyed in ways. Belize which I found to be quite un-organized and the Cozumel which looks like a parking lot for American cruise ships. Another not so visited destination is the Corn Islands, Nicaragua.

Happy diving