Open Water Scuba Diver
Are you ready to become a scuba diver? The Open Water Diver course will start you on your journey into the underwater world! With your certification you will unlock a lifetime of discovery as you step off land and plunge beneath the surface.
In this course your Instructor will teach you the skills needed to confidently enjoy scuba diving.
We offer both PADI & SDI courses!
The choice is yours, we have both PADI and SDI certified instructors and offer the flexibility of certification agency to you! You can be sure that no matter what you choose, you'll be getting top notch instructors that care about your comfort and success as a scuba diver.
PADI
With over 50 years of experience, PADI is the world’s most recognized dive training organization—trusted by more than 30 million divers and operating in over 180 countries. Each year, PADI certifies over a million new divers, offering high-quality, consistent training and a global network of dive shops and professionals.
SDI
SDI offers a modern approach to dive training, developed by experts from the world of technical diving. Founded in 1998, SDI focuses on up-to-date technology, real-world safety practices, and a hands-on learning style that emphasizes logged dives and specialty training. Their programs are designed to be flexible enough to allow YOU to learn within your comfort zone.
Get Started Today!
Check out our upcoming PADI & SDI confined water and open water classes below (price listed doesn't include required materials). To complete your certification you need to pick both a Confined Water class (PADI or SDI) and Open Water Dives that start after the last day of the confied water class.
What to Expect
The Open Water Diver course includes three parts: Knowledge Development, Confined Water Training Dives, and Open Water Training Dives.
Knowledge Development
We use online eLearning so you can learn at your own pace. The academic portion of your scuba training takes about 10 hours and can be tackled section-by-section so you don't feel overloaded with information.
You'll learn the essential basics that help keep you safe and confident underwater. This includes understanding how pressure affects your body, how to use your scuba gear properly, how to plan safe dives, and what to do if something unexpected happens. Don’t worry—it’s all taught in simple terms, with videos and interactive materials that make it easy to understand! Along the way you will test your understanding with knowledge reviews and then take a final exam. With eLearning you have convenient online access to your online manual to review as needed.
Don't worry if you need something explained or have questions, we are always here to help answer those questions or explain any concepts you are struggling with.
This portion of your learning needs to be completed before your first confined water dive and can be started as soon as you sign up, or after the initial class orientation (typically one week before the first pool session)
Confined Water Dives
This is where you will take your first breath underwater! You'll get in the pool and have hands on training at the skills you've read about with personal direction from your instructor. Skills like setting up your gear, clearing your mask while underwater, equalizing your ears, and more! We will even practice some emergency procedures, so you can always safely end a dive.
During the confined water sessions you will be required to show your comfort in-water through the following watermanship sklills:
- 200 meter swim (without use of mask, snorkel, or swimming aids) or 300 meter swim (with use of mask, snorkel, and fins)
- 10 minute survival swim/float
Open Water Training Dives
Finally! This is what you have studied and mastered your skills for, the open water training dives. You'll join your instructor at the lake and get practical diving experience putting those skills to work. Your instructor will evaluate your mastery of some of the skills you learned in the pool, teach you the basics of navigation, and take you on a short exploration of the dive site, looking for various fish and exploring the many things sunk in the dive park.
Once you complete your open water training and show mastery of all your skills you'll have earned your Open Water Diver certification and be ready to begin exploring the underwater world!
Other Considerations
Prerequisites
Student must be at least 10 years old
- students under 15 will receive a Junior Open Water Diver certification
Good health, reasonable fitness and comfort in the water.
- A Medical Questionnaire must be completed by all participants proir to inwater activities.
- Some participants may require their Physician's approval prior to any in-water activities.
Required Equipment
Students must own their own scuba quality personal gear (mask, snorkel, fins, and boots) prior to class. This is essential gear every diver should own to ensure proper fit and comfort. We offer a discount with the purchase of all four items through these packages. Our staff will work with each student to ensure the best purchase. We'll explain features, describe differences between styles, and be mindful of your budget.
Asside from your personal gear we provide all the other basic gear you'll need for your scuba experience, including rental BCD, regulator, computer, tank, and weights. However, we do not provide rental wetsuits, they can be purchased from us or rented at the lake if needed.
Recommended Supplimental Courses
This class will teach you all the basics of scuba diving, but there are two additional courses we encourage all new divers to consider (we offer a discount if you add-on one these courses to your open water course, call for details):
- Advanced Buoyancy Control
This class takes extra time to go beyond the basic mastery of Buoyancy and really help you dial in your weighting and trim. This course can be completed during your Open Water Training with just one additional dive. - Enriched Air Nitrox
Water longer dive limits at depth? Discover the benefits of diving with enriched air (Nitrox), we think every new diver should get certified in it's use.