PADI Open Water Diver Certification Class

Learn to scuba dive and experience the fun and adventure of the underwater world.

Now is the time to dive into the PADI Open Water Diver course, the most popular dive program in the world! This is your ticket to a lifetime of intense adventure with PADI, the dive company that sets the standards in the global diving community. Diver's Descent Scuba is a participating PADI eLearning Facility.



Returning eLearning Students -> Sign In to PADI eLearning

The Class

The PADI Open Water Diver course consists of three segments:

  1. Confined Water Dives – apply dive principles, and learn and practice dive procedures and skills in a swimming pool. There are five confined water dives that correspond to the five knowledge development sections.

  2. Knowledge Development – Establishes the principles and basic information all divers need to learn to have fun and dive safely. This includes classroom and independent study to complete reading assignments, knowledge reviews, viewing the video, quizzes and a final exam.

    Knowledge Development may be completed online. However, the online class is meant to be a convenience and is not less expensive then taking the DDS combined Knowledge Development and Confined Water Dives. The eLearning class is $120 and only covers the Knowledge Development, you then would need to hire us to complete the Confined Water sessions and Open Water Dives. PLEASE CALL US BEFORE SIGNING UP FOR eLEARNING!

    Sign Up for the PADI eLearning Knowledge Development Course Online


  3. Open Water Dives – These complete your training as an entry-level diver by applying and further developing your knowledge and dive skills in an open water environment with your instructor’s supervision and guidance. We typically do our open water dives at the Bainbridge Sportsmen’s Club in Bainbridge, PA. You’ll complete four dives over one weekend. Plan to spend from 8AM – 3PM each day.

Prerequisites

To become a scuba diver, you need to be comfortable in the water and have basic swimming skills, so your instructor will have you do some swimming and floating – nothing extreme, just enough to determine you have basic swimming abilities.

You’ll be required to float or tread water for 10 minutes and you’ll need to swim 200 yards without stopping using any stroke (or you can use mask, fins an snorkel for a 300 yard distance). You don’t need to be an athlete but you should be in good overall health, particularly your respiratory and circulatory systems. Mentally, you need a mature attitude, good judgment and the self-discipline to follow the guidelines and principles required for safe diving.

Before any confined water dives your instructor will have you complete a medical statement. This information will remain confidential. If any of the conditions listed apply to you, as a prudent precaution, your instructor will ask you to consult a physician before participating in any water activities.

The minimum age for scuba certification is 10 years old for a Junior Scuba Diver and 15 years old for the Open Water Diver certification. There is no maximum age limit.

Prior to your first pool session you must have your own scuba quality personal gear (mask, snorkel, fins & booties). Diver’s Descent Scuba offers package discounts on personal gear for it’s students.


When Can I Start?

Check the Class Schedules, contact the shop or sign up for PADI's Online eLearning Program

During the outdoor pool months (May - September), you can start at any time, since we have our own pool. Just stop by the shop and pick up your materials and first assignment. You could be diving in the pool the very same day! We'll do our best to work with your busy schedule and you'll most likely end up with private or semi-private instruction for the same price as most shops charge for group instruction.

We recommend you download and complete page 1 on the medical form before class. Answer each question with a 'YES' or 'NO', abbreviations or lines are not acceptable. If you have any 'YES' answers on the form, you must take all six pages to your physician for approval before any in-water training. Download the form here: PADI_Medical_v2.pdf [282 KB]

Also look for Diver's Descent Scuba group classes at local pools and facilities.

During the winter months we'll be running classes at local indoor pools. Just call the shop for dates and venues or check here.

Fees

Pricing for our Open Water Class is broken down as follows:

PADI CrewPak
(training manual, logbook and RDP)
approx. $55

Classroom & Confined Water Training (same price for eLearners)
(includes scuba equipment rental and instructor fees)
- $Price Set By Facility (typically$150 - $170) - Please Call

Open Water Certification Dives
(includes scuba equipment rental, wetsuit rental, instructor fees, certification card and open water site entrance fee*)
approx. $245.00

*Site entrance fee is subject to change without notice. Transportation and meals are not included.

Additional Items to Consider:

  1. You'll need to watch the Open Water Video as part of your training. You are welcome to watch the videos at our shop, otherwise you'll need to rent ($10/week) or purchase (approx $35) your own set. We have them available in DVD or VHS formats.

  2. You’ll need to provide your own scuba quality personal gear, i.e. mask, snorkel, fins and booties. If you don’t already have these items you can purchase them at our shop. We offer discounts on these packages for our students. A typical price range for these items is $140 - $225.

  3. Though not required, you might consider a 3mm wetsuit for your pool sessions which will also be perfect for most warm water vacation diving. Spending a couple hours in 80° water can leave you chilled.
   
© Diver's Descent Scuba, Inc. 2004