Aquatic Adventures, Inc.

If you have ever talked to a diver, you have heard the word "certification" come up. Or you've asked about going out on a dive at a resort or dive center but were told you needed to be "certified" before you could go. Certification simply means that you have been professionally trained in the use of scuba equipment and the techniques of safe scuba diving. There are many different kinds of scuba certifications, but the certification most divers start with is the PADI Open Water Diver rating. This rating allows you to rent and buy scuba equipment, get air fills from dive centers, participate in professionally led dives, and dive in conditions that are like or better than the conditions you are trained in. For current pricing, see Aquatic Adventures Online.

In order to complete your PADI Open Water Diver certification, you must complete academic training (Aquatic Adventures uses the PADI online Touch program), 5 confined water dives, and 4 open water dives. The confined water dives are generally done in a swimming pool or a lake or ocean area that is similar to a swimming pool in terms of water clarity and access to shallow water. These dives can be completed in anywhere from one day to five days depending on how the dive center runs your training. During these sessions you will learn how to do basic diving skills such as mask clearing, regulator clearing, buoyancy control and air management. Weekend students at Aquatic Adventures generally finish their pool training on a Saturday and Sunday. Weekday students usually complete their training in 2 or 3 evening sessions. Academic training can take several different forms. Sessions involve viewing videos, reading a manual or online program, answering a series of questions based on the videos and readings, and successfully passing quizzes and an exam that verify your understanding of the material. Diving safely requires you to have a basic understanding of dive physics and physiology. You will be asked to apply that knowledge in the pool and in open water, so it's important to learn academic material. Fortunately, most of this work can be done independently in the comfort of your home. At Aquatic Adventures, classroom training starts with students completing the PADI Touch program. This system contains all the videos and readings that you need to complete the course. You can do the work by installing an app on your iOS or Android device or working from your home computer. Prior to going to the pool, we will give you a quick quiz to verify your online learning, issue equipment you will need for pool training and show you how to assemble the scuba kit. Then it's off to the pool for your first dive! The four open water dives are done in a lake or ocean where you demonstrate the skills you've learned for your instructor under the kinds of conditions you will be diving in. Because divers in training can only do three dives in a day, you will need at least two days to complete your open water dives. When you're done, you will be issued a certification card with your picture on it, proving that you are a certified diver! All together, your certification training will take about 35 hours of your time. If you are going on vacation and want to learn to dive before you go, start your training early. You will be less rushed and will enjoy your training much more.