PADI Open Water Diver Course

Scuba Diving: Dive into Fun and Adventure for All Ages!

If you love the water and have the desire to explore, scuba diving is for you—whether you're 10 or 70+! You don't need to be an athlete or a competitive swimmer. You just need to:

• Swim 200 yards/meters (any stroke, no time limit) OR 300 yards/meters with a mask, fins, and snorkel (no time limit).
• Tread water or float in deep water for 10 minutes.

Most people find these requirements manageable. Even kids aged 10 to 14 can dive with Junior Certification, which lets them explore with an adult until they turn 15.

Worried about medical conditions? Only a few might disqualify you. As long as you're in good cardiovascular and respiratory health and not on any medication that could cause underwater complications, getting a doctor's approval is usually straightforward. If you can honestly answer NO to all the questions on the Medical History Form, you won't even need a doctor's note!

You'll be amazed at the diverse range of people who dive. There are even special programs for paraplegics and quadriplegics to experience the underwater world. More than anything, it just takes the desire to dive in!

Become a Certified Diver with Ease!

Getting your scuba certification is a breeze with our three-phase program: Self-Study, Academic Review/Pool Training, and Open Water Training.

Self-Study Gone are the days of dragging out scuba classes for weeks. With PADI’s unique self-study materials, your adventure begins the moment you sign up. You can complete the academic part of the course at your own pace, whenever and wherever it's convenient for you. PADI’s eLearning program combines text, photos, illustrations, charts, graphs, animations, and live-action videos to make learning easy and fun.

Academic Review/Pool Training After finishing your home study, you'll join us for an academic review and pool sessions. During the review, your instructor will go over the material you've learned, sharing real-life examples of how divers use this knowledge on dive trips. You'll also enjoy discussions with your instructor and fellow students, making the learning process more enjoyable.

In our heated pool, located on store premises, your instructor will demonstrate and help you practice the essential diving skills. These fun and enjoyable pool sessions will boost your confidence and make the transition to open water diving much smoother. Once you've completed the academic review and pool training, you'll be ready for the final phase: open water training dives.

Open Water Training This exciting part of the course consists of four dives over two days. Each dive is conducted under the direct supervision of your instructor, giving you the chance to apply the skills you mastered in the pool. Once you've completed your academic/pool sessions and open water training, you'll receive your PADI Open Water Diver certification!

But remember, this is just the beginning. Once you've experienced the underwater world, you'll be hooked! Many of our newly certified Open Water Divers quickly sign up for their Advanced Open Water Diver and Enriched Air Nitrox Diver courses, which allow you to participate in a wider range of activities both at home and on vacation.

Your learning opportunities don't stop there. Depending on your interests, you can further your training in specialties like underwater photography and wreck diving. By taking five Specialty Diver courses and earning your Rescue Diver certification, you can eventually achieve the prestigious Master Scuba Diver rating—the black belt of scuba diving.

Dive Right In at Squalo Divers!

At Squalo Divers, we’re proud to host all our pool sessions in our very own heated swimming pool. Living in sunny South Florida has its perks, like having some of the world’s best dive sites just around the corner.

We make sure our entry-level students get the opportunity to explore a variety of these fantastic locations, perfect for training new divers. The specific spots we visit each day depend on the weather, so you’ll always have the best and safest experience possible.

Start Your Scuba Adventure Anytime!

With our modern learning materials, you can kick off your PADI eLearning class as soon as you sign up! We offer regularly scheduled academic reviews, pool sessions, and open water training dives every week, all year round. Here’s a quick breakdown of the class:

Orientation: Schedule your orientation session with one of our friendly staff members as soon as possible. This can be done before or on the same day you start your class. The earlier you schedule, the better! During orientation, we’ll:

• Fill out waivers/releases and medical history forms.
• Discuss the required equipment.
• Provide an ideal opportunity to purchase all your personal gear.

Getting through the self-study materials and completing the required homework takes the average student about ten hours.

What's Included in Your Scuba Program:

• Comprehensive Study Materials: Dive into your learning with all the resources you need.
• Academic Session and Pool Practice: Get hands-on with both theory and pool training.
• Open Water Training: Experience real dives under supervision.
• Access to Necessary Equipment: We provide all the essential gear, with a few exceptions listed below.
• PADI Open Water Diver Digital Certification: Earn your certification upon successful completion of the course.

Participants Need to Provide:

• Transportation to and from dive and training sites.
• Meals and beverages.

Gear Up for Your Diving Adventure!

Diving is an equipment-intensive activity, and having the right gear can make all the difference in your comfort, safety, and overall enjoyment. We know how important this is, which is why we offer top-notch, meticulously maintained gear for your pool and open-water training dives, including BCDs, cylinders, regulators, dive computers, and weights.

For our introductory scuba courses, you'll need to bring the following items:

• Scuba mask, snorkel, and fins
• Wetsuits
• Signal marker tube
• Bathing suit and towel

We also recommend these additional items to enhance your experience:

• Mask defogger/scrub
• Silicone mouthpiece
• Gear bag
• Rash guard
• Neoprene mask strap

The fit and comfort of your personal gear are crucial, as these are items that dive operators expect you to have. As a certified diver, you wouldn't want to venture out without them.

It's essential to understand that scuba masks, snorkels, and fins have specific requirements that differ from casual snorkeling gear. So, we advise you to consult with us before making any purchases.

We offer a wide range of scuba masks, snorkels, booties, fins, signal marker tubes, silicone mouthpieces, rash guards, gear bags, and wetsuits for sale both online and in our physical store. We also have scuba masks, snorkels, fins, and wetsuits available for rental.