PADI Open Water Diver Course
PADI Open Water Diver Course
Let the adventure begin
This is by far our most popular course. The PADI Open Water Diver Course is the first full certification course in the PADI diving education system. During this course you will learn all the skills needed to dive confidently, independently of a dive professional.
This course, is run by our highly qualified instructors and is divided into 3 areas:
- Academic Training (classroom and independent study)
- Confined Water Training (swimming pool sessions)
- Open Water Training (lake or quarry sessions)
After purchasing this course, bring your receipt with you to our store to receive your 10% discount on the purchase of your fins, mask, snorkel, and boots (snorkeling gear). There is some paperwork for you to fill out before class! There are 5 chapter reviews to complete before class and we will also have you look over the PADI Medical form in case you need to get a doctor's approval before any in-water training. Don't forget your swimsuit, towel, and snorkeling gear the first day of class.
Benefits
- Lifetime certification
- You won't spend valuable vacation time learning to dive
- Gain the skills and experience to dive safely
- Prepare for the Adventures in Diving Course
POPULAR DIVING CLASSES
SPACE AVAILABLE - CLASSES FORMING NOW
OPEN WATER DIVER
EVENINGS AND WEEKENDS
PRIVATE SCHEDULE AVAILABLE
$580
The World's most popular recreational SCUBA diving certification. Complete your lifetime PADI Open Water Diver certification in two weekends or 4 evenings and a weekend. Start Today!
ADVANCED DIVER
WEEKENDS
PRIVATE SCHEDULE AVAILABLE
$500
Gain experience deep diving, night diving, navigating underwater, and more. The PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certification course includes 5 specialty dives. Start Today!
NITROX DIVER
EVENINGS AND WEEKENDS
PRIVATE SCHEDULE AVAILABLE
$225
Get ready for Nitrox with the PADI Enriched Air Diver certification. Extend your bottom time and learn to use your dive computer. Checkout dives are available but optional. Start Today!
Scheduling Options
Standard courses normally take about a week to complete.
Have a difficult schedule or would you just prefer to work one-on-one with your Instructor? That's easy enough. We will create a private class for you and your Instructor on a schedule that is convenient for you.
All of our standard course schedules complete the course in about a week. All classes are performance based, not time based so the times can vary. We want you to be comfortable with a skill before we move on to the next skill.
Weekend
This schedule is completed over two consecutive weekends. The first weekend we do classroom and pool work and the second weekend we do the checkout the dives. The first weekend is approximately 9AM to 5PM both days. The second weekend takes about 4 hours each day and start times may vary.
Evening
This schedule is 4 evenings plus a weekend. Monday and Thursday are the classroom days and Tuesday and Wednesday are the pool days. Classes normally run 7PM to 10:00PM. Bring your swimsuit and towel with you on Monday as some classes will complete their swim test on Monday evening. Ask your instructor for details. The following weekend is the checkout dives, about 4 hours each day and start times may vary.
Daytime
This course is conducted between Monday and Thursday between the hours of 9AM and 5PM. Your instructor will provide the exact schedule.
Traditional materials or eLearning Touch?
PADI has known for a long time now that different people learn in different ways.
They were the first training agency to offer color reproduction in their print materials, slide carousels, VHS and then DVD videos, powerpoint presentations, web based eLearning, and now digital platform independent eLearning!
PADI's standard crewpacks, books, and other supporting printed materials have always been the best in the industry and remain popular today. For the average student these materials are highly effective and deliver a substantial cost savings over digital eLearning Touch materials.
Of course, using the standard materials is kind of like watching a fireworks display in black and white compared to using the eLearning Touch products! PADI's new digital products offer an entirely different experience. The Touch products combine text, graphics, videos, and animations in a fun and easy to use product that is platform independent.
Some of the advantages of eLearning Touch product
- Supports both iOS and Android devices
- Does not expire and updates are free
- Available and useable both online and offline
- Provides feedback on learning through quick quizzes
- Records progress and completion of learning modules
- Multi-media experience is engaging and effective
The eLearning Touch products are not for everyone. They are for those student divers who are looking for a multimedia immersive learning experience. Ask one of our training counselors for more information about eLearning Touch products. You can purchase access codes in the Scubaland Adventures physical or online store, or you can purchase them directly from PADI.com.
The right gear matters
Most SCUBA divers end up owning all their own gear eventually. The most important gear you will own is your snorkeling gear. It's hard to enjoy SCUBA diving or snorkeling if your mask is always full of water or your fins hurt your feet.
At Scubaland we're all divers and/or dive instructors so we understand the importance of snorkeling gear that fits you the way it's supposed to. In fact, we're serious enough about this to give you a fit guarantee. If you are having a problem with any piece of your snorkeling gear during class bring it back to us for an immediate exchange. We will do this as many times as we need to in order to get it right!
We guarantee that you will be happy with your
snorkeling gear
and that it will fit you properly!
Some of the items you will need...
Mask
If you want to see anything underwater, you need a good mask! With masks, it's all about fit. Does it seal properly? Can you exhale through your nose so you can equalize your mask? Is it comfortable on the bridge of your nose or does it pinch? Our equipment counselors are very good at finding you mask options that fit properly. However, we won't know for sure until you actually get in the water. This is why masks are the item that we exchange the most!
Masks come a staggering number of models, colors, and sizes. Some have one window, some have two or three. Some masks have replaceable lenses for vision correction (like readers). Other masks we can get lenses created with your exact vision prescription. If you are interested in getting vision correction for your mask, let us know and we'll find you a mask that makes it possible!
Fins
SCUBA fins are not the same thing as snorkeling or swimming fins. A SCUBA diver straps on close to 40 pounds of gear and is shaped more like a truck than sports car when we're underwater. In other words, you need an engine that's going to give you the power you need to get where you're going.
A good set of SCUBA fins is open-heeled so you can wear a dive boot. They are stiff enough to give you the propulsion you need without being so stiff that they wear your legs out when you use them. Scubaland carries both standard paddle fins and the more advanced and more comfortable split fin designs. We'll find you a couple models of fins that fit you properly and then you can choose the most comfortable combination of fins, boot, and feet!
Snorkel
All of the snorkels that we carry will work just as well for snorkeling as they will for diving. They all have purge valves on the bottom so that they will clear water easily. The big difference between snorkels is what's on the top. Some snorkels are open ended (just the tube), while some have splash guards that direct water away from the top of the snorkel.
Probably the most comfortable snorkel to use is a dry valve snorkel. This type of snorkel has a valve at the top that closes when water gets too close to the top of the snorkel. This prevents the snorkel from filling up with water and you inadvertently inhaling water when you were expecting air!
Most students will invest between $200 and $300 in a good set of basic snorkeling gear. All of the gear we sell is backed by both a shop and a manufacturer warranty and will last many years with the proper care.
Boots
Dive boots are kind of like tennis shoes. They come in high tops and low tops. A good set of dive boots fits your foot snugly but doesn't cramp your toes. Dive boots come in a variety of shapes and sizes just like feet do. We usually will find you a couple of good options for your dive boots so that you can find the boot that creates the best combination of boot, fin, and foot.
Dive boots have a variety of different soles. Some are thinner and feel more like wearing a soft shoe and other are thicker and feel more like wearing a tennis shoe. Thicker soles are better for areas where you might have rocky shore lines for shore dives. Lake Travis and Bonaire are two good examples.
Snorkeling gear is available for rent for Open Water Diver certification courses for $150. However we do not recommend this as an option because we cannot guarantee you a proper fit with rental gear. If improperly fitting gear prevents you from completing your certification course there will be a rescheduling fee to complete your certification.
What is a referral?
Occasionally a student starts an Open Water Diver course in one location and completes it in another. This is known as a referral. PADI dive centers have an established procedure to hand off a student from one operator to another. This process reduces stress and frustration for the students.
Scenario 1: Local classroom/pool and remote checkouts
You start your PADI Open Water Diver certification course with Scubaland Adventures in Austin, Texas. You complete the pool work and course work and would like to do your checkout dives in Puerto Aventuras, Mexico. We will document the portions of the course you have completed and give you a referral form along with a copy of your medical statement.
You will take that paperwork to a PADI Instructor or dive center at your destination and make arrangements for your checkout dives. The dive center and instructor that completes your checkout dives will be the certifying dive center and instructor and will be responsible for processing your certification.
If you inform us that your intention is to do a referral then we will charge you the referral rate when you sign up for class. If we are giving you a referral because you were unable to complete your checkout dives before your trip departure date there are no refunds for the checkout dives but we do not charge for the referral.
Scenario 2: Remote classroom/pool and local checkouts
If you started a PADI Open Water Diver certification course at another dive center and would like to complete your checkout dives with Scubaland Adventures in Austin, Texas we will review your referral paperwork and determine if a referral is appropriate. You have one year to complete your certification course from the time you start. If more than a year has passed you will need start the course again from the beginning.
Depending on how much time has passed you may be required to enroll in a refresher course before proceeding to checkout dives. We want to make sure that you have the best possible experience and that you are prepared for your checkout dives and sometimes that requires some review. A refresher gives you a chance to meet your instructor and it gives your an instructor the opportunity to review with you the skills you will need for your checkout dives.
Note:
Referrals offer flexibility and convenience and are a great options for divers who do not want to dive in Lake Travis. However, referrals almost always add to the cost of a certification course. Please ask one of our training counselors for more details if you think you may need a referral.
Popular Questions
Got a question? We’re here to help.
After you are certified
PADI Open Water Diver Refresher
The SCUBA refresher course is conducted at our training facility on Anderson Lane. Some time is spent in the classroom reviewing and refreshing your knowledge of SCUBA diving. Most of the time is spent in our in-door heated pool reviewing basic skills, practicing buoyancy control, and refamiliarizing yourself with SCUBA equipment. Our private course option allows you to pick any available pool time to receive one on one instruction. Our Instructors and Divemasters will work with you to tailor your experience so that you get exactly what you need to be prepared for your next SCUBA trip.
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PADI Discover Local Diving
Want to get back in the water or see some of the local sites available to you? Many people believe that the tropical overseas offers more than what there is available locally. In some aspects they are right but if you really enjoy diving and are limited by budget our discover local diving sessions would be perfect for you. The PADI Discover Local Diving program is a PADI supervised underwater tour designed to orientate certified divers to unfamiliar aquatic conditions and environments. It may also be used to re-introduce divers to the open water environment after a period of diving inactivity.
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