Open Water Diver

The best way to start your adventure into scuba!

If you've always wanted to take scuba diving lessons, experience unparalleled adventure, and see the world beneath the waves, this is where it starts. Learn to dive at Marin Diving Center with the PADI Open Water Scuba Diver course. The PADI Open Water certification is internationally recognized and ranked as the best introductory scuba certification program in the world. Our goal is to train divers to be both safe and competent for maximum enjoyment of the underwater world. To enroll in a PADI Open Water Diver course, you must be 10 years or older. You need adequate swimming skills and need to be in good physical health. No prior experience with scuba diving is required. Class sizes are limited to 4 students to allow for the best quality of training.

Step 1 - Home Study:  
Begin your certification training by completing the PADI e-learning course, a 10-12 hour interactive online independent study course that will prepare you for your classroom and pool session. The PADI Open Water eLearning course is $217.00 and can be completed at your own pace. A textbook and DVD option are available for those who do not have access to a computer, tablet, or smartphone.  

Step 2 - Classroom & Pool:
After completing your independent study at home, you will spend a full day (10 am - 7 pm) in our classroom and onsite, comfortably heated pool. With the guidance of one of our experienced instructors, you will learn the basics of diving, including equipment assembly/disassembly, how to maintain good buoyancy, important safety procedures, and more! The cost of the classroom and pool session is $229 if you join us on a Saturday or Sunday, or you can take advantage of our weekday special of $149! Private classes are available.

Step 3 - Open Water Dives:
After completing steps one and two, students are then required to demonstrate their understanding of the materials and skills they learned in confined water in the open water. We offer trips to Monterey and Lake Tahoe.  Our tuition for the four open water dives is $100 (covers all four dives). Alternatively, Marin Diving Center will issue you the proper referral paperwork if you'd prefer to complete your Open Water dives in a warm water setting. 

Not included in the cost of the class: 

Each student needs a PADI Logbook and must provide their own personal snorkeling equipment - mask, snorkel, fins, boots, signaling tube, and auditory signaling device (such as a plastic whistle). If you are planning on doing your open water dives with Marin Diving Center, you will also need gloves as the water in Califorina can be very cold. We also highly recommend that you consider purchasing your own dive computer as this is a dive-computer oriented course. You may want to buy other scuba gear too and we have great options for every diver. We sell a variety of major brands of scuba equipment, and our staff will be happy to assist you in selecting the proper equipment for you. Marin Diving Center will supply the rest of the scuba equipment for the pool training sessions. We offer a STUDENT DISCOUNT and a full exchange privilege on all purchases.

• Rental of the scuba equipment for the Open Water Dives is available for $100. This rental package includes a BCD, regulator, wetsuit, hooded vest, tanks, and weights.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call or visit us at the store. Our staff will be happy to assist you with your diving needs. Please be sure of your dates before you enroll.