PADI Open Water Course
Learn to Dive & Get Your Scuba Diving Certification
You’ve always wanted to learn how to scuba dive, discover new adventures, and see the wondrous world beneath the waves – this is where it starts. The PADI Open Water Diver course is the world’s most popular scuba course and has introduced millions of people to the adventurous diving lifestyle
Course Information
What’s different?
To serve our clients better and provide high-quality, in-depth scuba training, we offer only private and semi-private scuba instruction. This way, we can create a more comfortable and confident scuba diver and ensure each student has a complete understanding of all concepts and masters the necessary skills to become certified as a scuba diver. All our Open Water Diver courses are internationally recognized and will allow you to rent scuba gear, dive on boats, and any dive operation worldwide.
Course Itinerary
Our course dates are flexible and, by request, can be anywhere from 3 to 5 days to accommodate your busy work schedule. (Some dates will depend on training pool availability.)
- Online Knowledge Development: Learn the scuba diving principles from the comfort of your home.
- Confined Water Diving/Pool Training: Learn & practice the scuba skills in our training pool
- Open Water Dives: Complete four (4) shore dives at a local dive site to demonstrate your skills.
Health & Safety
If you currently suffer from asthma, heart or brain problems, high blood pressure, lung injuries, diabetes, epilepsy, or any recent injury or are taking any kind of prescription medication (except birth control or anti-malarial drugs other than mefloquine/Lariam), you will not be able to dive with us without the signature of a physician’s authorization. Without this, your activity may be canceled without a refund on the day of your activity.
What’s Included:
- Private / Semi-Private Instruction
- All necessary scuba equipment: Mask, Snorkel, Boots, Fins, Wetsuit, Gloves, BCD, Regulator, Tanks, Weights
- Free use of a dive computer
- PADI Certification after successful course completion
- 2 days/nights of pool training
- 4 open water/ocean training dives over 2 days with your instructor
- The instructor will transport all dive gear to the training sites
Course Prerequisites & Minimum Age:
- Due to the more challenging Southern California water conditions, we only accept ages 13 and up.
- Be able to swim 200 yards without stopping; there is no time limit, and you may use any swimming strokes you want. You must also be able to tread water for 10 minutes without touching the sides of the pool.
- Be medically fit to dive. Download and review the Diver Medical Form to ensure you won’t need a physician’s approval to dive before enrolling in a scuba course.
- If you (or your physician) have questions about medical fitness to dive, contact the experts at Divers Alert Network (DAN).
Like most scuba training centers, we do not require you to purchase your own snorkel gear package, like other shops do. However, owning your own mask, snorkel, boots, and gloves will make your diving experience much more comfortable!
What’s NOT Included:
- PADI eLearning $250
- Transport to and from training sites
Course Fee:
- Private one-on-one course fee $1795 (does not include PADI eLearning)
- Semi-Private (maximum 2 students) course fee $1295 per person (does not include PADI eLearning)
- Semi-Private (maximum 4 students) course fee $1095 per person
- Both Semi-Private courses are great for couples, family members, and friends.
Confined Water / Pool Session
This session will focus on the Knowledge Review as well as learning and mastering the skills and techniques needed for your certification. Through a process of demonstration and repetition, the instructors will walk students through all essential skills, as outlined by PADI. Here you get to learn how to set up your diving equipment, clear your mask of water, control your underwater buoyancy, and perform various important and fun skills.
Open Water Dives
The open water training dives will focus on taking the learned skills out into a real scuba diving environment. You get comfortable at first to a maximum of 20 feet and slowly progress to dives of a maximum depth of up to 60 feet. Here, the students will begin to demonstrate mastery of selected skills from their pool session.
The instructor will be evaluating proficiency and comfort in the water. Completing the course requires a total of four (4) dives in an actual scuba diving environment. These dives are designed to encourage confidence in the student through the demonstration of previously learned skills and the science of scuba diving. After successful completion of all skills and open water dives, the student will be eligible to receive the PADI Open Water Diver certification.
PADI certifications are accepted worldwide, and do not expire — your certification will last a lifetime. There are no renewal or subscription fees. Come join a fun and international community of scuba divers and freedivers!
What You'll Need
- Completed PADI eLearning course (separate purchase upon sign up)
- Completed medical questionnaire
- Basic scuba equipment: Tanks, wetsuit, weight, regulator, BCD (included)
- Personal gear: Mask, snorkel, fins, boots, gloves (included)
- Swimsuit, towel, water bottle
- Your good vibes!
PADI eLearning | Independent Study from the Comfort of Your Home
This course requires both knowledge development and in-water training for certification. When you purchase a PADI eLearning course, the cost covers the knowledge development portion only, not the course tuition. You will purchase the eLearning materials directly from the PADI website. You can order the PADI eLearning and start your “Home Study” today. All Open Water Diver candidates are required to complete all the Knowledge Reviews and Final Exam before arriving for the course.
Click here to purchase your PADI eLearning!
Paperwork & Forms
- PADI Liability Release
- PADI Safe Diving Statement
- PADI Medical Statement Questionaire
- Dive California Scuba Diver Information Form
FAQs
- Confined Water Pool Session: West Hills High School, Santee (unless scheduled otherwise)
- Open Water Certification Dives: Kellogg Park, La Jolla Shores, La Jolla, or Mission Point Park, San Diego.
That will depend on your comfort level and progress during the confined water/pool training. Usually, we can complete the course over 4 days, but some students may need some additional pool practice.
No. Being a good swimmer will definitely make you more comfortable in the water, but PADI’s swimming requirements are very modest.
Dive California supplies all the necessary scuba diving equipment you need for this course. Like other dive shops, we do not require you to purchase your personal snorkel gear package, but owning your own mask, snorkel, fins, boots, and gloves will surely make your diving experience more comfortable.
Equipment is an important part of scuba diving. High-quality, properly maintained equipment not only provides us with the ability to visit the underwater world, but also keeps us safe while doing it.
You probably will not be much of a serious scuba diver without your own set of diving equipment, just like a snowboarder who doesn’t own his own snowboard and boots. You will have to rent scuba gear each time you go diving, which always fits differently, and you will have to deal with various brands and models, and have a harder time staying comfortable, rather than diving in your own gear that you are used to. After all, scuba gear is life support equipment, and owning your gear setup will surely make your diving experience more comfortable.
But don’t worry! We recommend that you fall in love with the diving first and then start to purchase the items that make the most sense to you and fit into your personal budget.
- PADI eLearning allows you to work instead of a boring classroom session at your convenience from the convenience of your home or favorite coffee shop. You can get started on this program whenever you are ready. Click any of the PADI E-Learning links to start your course today!
- After successful completion, you will take a short quiz on your first pool session date with your instructor to ensure your knowledge.
- This eLearning session will typically take 8-10 hours.
If you live in a cold climate and can’t do the open water dives during the winter, you might consider doing a referral course. Here at DIVE CALIFORNIA, we offer a referral program where you can complete the eLearning and pool portions of your certification course and then complete the 4 open water dives with another PADI Dive Center during your vacation.
To learn more about the DIVE CALIFORNIA referral program, see our PADI Referral Program webpage. By deselecting the Certification Dives option, the course fee will be reduced to cover just the classroom and pool portions of the course. You can complete this work in one weekend or 2 days.
- No refunds will be issued for PRIVATE COURSE CANCELLATIONS, because we have booked and held those specific dates for you or your private group. (If you must change/cancel the course and we can fill the date, we will move the deposit/full payment to the new date, minus the 20% administration fee.
- NO REFUNDS will be issued for any PADI digital e-Learning Materials, used or unused.
- A full refund is given if the course is cancelled/rescheduled 72 hours before the dive date or if the course is cancelled by the instructor due to unforeseen events, adverse weather/ocean conditions, or unsafe diving conditions.
- Less than 7 days’ notice, before the start of the course, you may move into another course schedule with a 50% administration fee of the total course cost.
- DIVE CALIFORNIA cancellation policy supersedes all previous credit card agreements you have with your credit card company. Cancellations will only be accepted during business hours, 9 AM to 6 PM. We are open 7 Days A Week. Messages left on voicemail do not constitute an accepted cancellation!
- If you are required to have a doctor’s excuse for a “YES” answer on the medical waiver for any Scuba Dive or Certification class, and if you fail to provide it BEFORE the start of your course, you WILL NOT be permitted to dive and you WILL NOT receive a refund for the booking. Additionally, if you cannot swim and cannot complete your dives, you will not be given a refund.
- There are no refunds once the course has started, the participant does not show up to the appointment without proper notice, decides to quit or cancel before the completion of the scheduled course.
Please Understand That By Purchasing This Course, You Have Read And Agreed To Our Cancellation & Refund Policy.