Frequently Asked Questions

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What is the difference between private and regular classes?

Regular classes at a dive shop are good classes. I actually teach at one of the local shops. The difference is that a dive class may have 10 to 12 complete strangers in the class. The dive shop and instructor are doing the very best they can to get you certified and give you a good experience. What i'v seen in regular classes is that people are reluctant to stop class with a question or to go back over something they didn't understand. With private classes, you paid for 100% of the instructors attention. Private classes are perfect if you have a family member that needs extra attention. Private classes are much more relaxed and on your schedule. Dive shops are structured on a strict schedule. It would be impossible for a dive shop to schedule classes that fit everyone's schedule. Some students need to get a whole lot in a short amount of time due to an upcoming vacation. Private classes can make that happen. 

What is PADI?

PADI is the Professional Association of Diving Instructors, the world’s largest diver training organization. A PADI Certification is the world’s most respected and sought after diving credential. You can be confident that your PADI certification will be recognized wherever you go diving.

How old do you have to be to get certified?

PADI requires you to be at least 10 years old to become a PADI certified Junior Open Water Scuba Diver. 10 and 11 year olds must dive with a scuba certified parent, guardian or PADI Professional to a maximum depth of 40 feet. 12 to 14 year olds must dive with a certified adult. At age 15, the Junior certification upgrades to a regular Open Water Diver certification.

Why do I have to get certified to dive?

In the scuba course you'll learn how to dive safely and correctly. Your PADI Scuba certification card is proof that you have taken and passed the Scuba course. No reputable Dive shop or PADI Instructor will rent you gear, fill your tank or let you dive at their facilities or from their boats unless you are a certified Scuba diver. This is an activity that you can not do safely without training. 

I work shifts and varying schedules and don't know if I have time?

Not a problem at all. Between work, family and everything else that takes up your valuable time, you may think you don't have time for scuba diving. PADI courses are all about convenience. The knowledge development  portion is done online (eLearning) at home in your spare time. Once you've finished the eLearning, we'll get together and find a day and time that's good for you to do the pool work. Your paying for private classes so anytime is good for us. After the pool work is done, then we'll figure out what two days are going to be good for you to go make your Open Water dives.

Do I have to be a great swimmer to be certified as a PADI Open Water Diver?

No. All you need to be is a reasonably proficient swimmer who is comfortable and relaxed in the water. If you can hang out in a pool without wearing a life jacket, then you'll do fine. If you can't swim, call me we need to get that fixed whether you plan on scuba diving or not.

My ears hurt when I dive to the bottom of a pool. Won't they hurt when I scuba dive?

Your ears hurt because water pressure pushes in on your ear drums. In the scuba course, you'll learn a simple technique to equalizing your ears to the surrounding pressure, much like you do when you land in an airplane, and they won't hurt at all.

How deep may I go?

PADI is a recreational Scuba organization. In the PADI Open Water Diver course you will be trained to dive to 60 feet. In the PADI Advanced Open Water course, divers are shown the correct and safe way to make deeper dives to recreational diving limits. The maximum depth for a recreational Scuba diver is 130 feet. While 130 feet is the recreational limit, divers should dive on the side of conservatism on all dives.

Is Scuba diving dangerous?

There are inherent risk within any sport. Whether it's baseball, water skiing, soccer, even golf. I've had more injuries from fishing than I've had from Scuba diving. To be honest, the real danger of diving is getting into your car and driving to the dive site. The Open water Diver course teaches you how to dive safely and what to do if a problem were to occur. With the invention of dive computers to monitor your dive times, air supply and built-in safety features on diving equipment it's extremely rare that a problem would arise. But if it does, you'll be ready to safely respond to the problem. But things do happen, I scratched my knee one time on a rock and had a few Jelly Fish stings. 

Will the fish bother me?

Most fish are afraid of you or will ignore you. Some fish will let you get close to them but will stay just a few inches out of your reach. Some fish are curious and will follow you around during the dive. Sharks are not the dangerous man eating devils of the sea. It's been my experience that they run as soon as they see us. If you are lucky enough to see one, the real danger will come from behind you from the mob of divers running over you to try and get a close up photo. The only real problem you will have is jelly fish from time to time. A thin exposure suit or rash guard will fix that problem.

How expensive is scuba diving?

It's like anything else, the biggest expense is buying the equipment and paying for Scuba certification. The good thing about Scuba equipment is if you take care of it, then you may never have to replace any of it. I still use most of the same diving equipment that I purchased in my first class. Scuba equipment cost are according to your budget. Cost range between $700 and $2500. The best way to explain the cost difference is, its the same as buying a new truck. For example, the base model Ford F150 with bench seats and plastic floors works great. The Ford King Ranch also works great. It just comes down to how much you want to spend. After certification and equipment purchase you can get tanks filled for around $10. A dive boat ride will cost around $80 to $90 for a 4 hour two tank dive. Even if you choose not to buy the equipment, you can always rent it. Most dive shops rent gear for $40 to $60 a day. If you have any questions about purchasing gear, please give me a call. I don't sell dive equipment, but I can tell you everything you need to know to make the best choice for you. Or maybe you've found something on the internet that your interested in, but have concerns. Call me we'll talk about it.

Is it hard to learn to Scuba dive? 

No, in fact its probably easier than you imagine, especially if you're already comfortable in the water. PADI's entry level diver course is split into knowledge development, confined water (pool) skill training and 4 scuba training dives. The course is performance based, meaning that you progress as you learn and demonstrate knowledge and skill. 

How long is my certification good for?

Your PADI scuba certification does not expire. If it's been a while since you've been diving, I recommend that you take a Scuba Tune Up from any PADI Instructor to re-familiarize you with safe diving practices. It is very inexpensive and just a few hours long.

I lost my certification card !!

No worries, any PADI Instructor can order you a new card. PADI charges a small card replacement fee.

Refund Policy

If for whatever reason you had to back out of class then we can give you a refund on some of the price. PADI knowledge development materials are non-refundable because they are purchased directly from PADI. Everything else I can refund. PADI eLearning and the crew pack cost around $250.