People aren’t born hitting home runs and we’re not born hovering motionless inches above reefs 60 feet underwater for an hour (with the possible exception of Jacques Cousteau). We feel it is important that we not just certify safe divers, but we want to work hard to make sure that you are a GOOD diver too, and the way that happens is through practice, practice, practice.

A good diver is known not by how many dives they have, or the cost and shininess of their equipment. A good diver is known by the quality of their buoyancy control. To help really get you up to speed fast in your new sport, we offer a combined package of the Peak Performance Buoyancy class and the single most popular continuing education class, Enriched Air Nitrox to our Open Water students for an additional $299. These two classes together, focus entirely on the quality of your diving, and extending your time under water. The best part is that we can structure your training so that you can accomplish all of it, Open Water, Peak and Nitrox, right in the two weekend time schedule of your Open Water class with only a minimal amount of extra work! If you upgrade your open water class with Peak and Nitrox, you won’t incur any extra travel or equipment rental costs that you would if you took those classes later, and if you choose to use Nitrox that weekend, we can arrange to have Nitrox tanks ready for you at a small cost.

Your Open Water Diver Course Information:

Open Water Diver training is your gateway to the world of scuba, providing you with full PADI certification that qualifies you to dive with a buddy to depths of 60'. In the dive park, where we train, those first 60' contain almost all the kelp forests, fish and reefs, and even a few wrecks!

In the span of two weekends, you’ll go from your first introduction to dive theory, all the way to making free open ocean descents surrounded by the world famous kelp forests of California. Once you've completed your certification, you’ll be ready to start exploring the waters right off the coast on any of the dive boats that we charter regularly.

Who can participate…

Anyone 10 years of age or older in good health is qualified to begin Open Water training. For prospective divers between the ages of 10 and 14, they may participate in the Junior Open Water Program. You will be required to verify your health by signing the standard medical statement before class begins.

What is the class like…

The class is conducted over the course of two consecutive weekends. The first weekend is classroom and pool practice, the second weekend is ocean diving.

You’ll begin in the classroom, meeting your instructors and receiving an introduction to dive theory. It’s nice to know why it is that we do certain things underwater, like equalizing our ears. Your work in the classroom is coupled with learning in the pool. We’ll cover everything from what each piece of equipment is called, to teaching you the basics of neutral buoyancy. The pool we train at is the gorgeous $14.5 million San Fernando Valley Regional Pool facility with fantastic locker rooms, showers and changing areas. Everyone is encouraged to participate and ask questions during the class so you’ll know how it all works inside and out by the end of that first weekend.

Once all the pool and classroom work is over, you move to the ocean for the second weekend. With your instructor watching, you'll demonstrate all the skills you practiced in the pool and spend a part of each dive exploring the underwater world right off the coast. On your dives you may see anything from schools of mackerel to sea lions, rock crabs to lobster. The Open Water program requires you to complete four dives in the ocean, and we'll be with you the entire time, coaching you along the way. You won't do anything in the ocean that you didn't do in the pool, so by the time you get to the ocean, you'll be rock solid with all your skills.

Where will you learn…

The knowledge development portion is conducted at our dive shop in Agoura Hills, CA or Palmdale, CA. The pool training portions of your Open Water certification are all conducted at the San Fernando Regional Pool.

The ocean dives are done in Catalina Island at Casino Point Dive Park. This offers us the opportunity to complete the dives at the the easiest shore dive location in Southern California: concrete steps and hand rails right into water teeming with life! You don't have to worry about big waves, classes getting canceled due to big surf, or poor visibility upon entry. You get to spend the weekend in Catalina and have a weekend vacation while getting certified! We leave on the Catalina Express in Long Beach on Friday night, always the last ferry out. We return back to Long Beach Sunday evening.

Your ocean dives in depth...

By coming to Catalina for the weekend- there are no rushed mornings. Usually we are done early in the afternoon on Saturday, so you'll have time to get back to the hotel, shower, relax and grab a bite to eat. Students that participate in our Open Water Upgrade will start their Nitrox training right in the hotel conference room on Saturday afternoon. That leaves Saturday night free to go out and grab dinner and have a blast on the island! The ferry ride to and from the island is the only time spent on a boat, so divers sensitive to motion illness might want to consider this. It really is a vacation mixed with dive training!

When is the class offered…

Open Water classes are offered every other weekend February-December with the exception of major holidays. We are never on the island during a major holiday but we will start class and pool that weekend. Summer classes tend to sell out fast, so booking a spot early is highly advised. All you need to get started are two weekends.

You will need to provide your own mask and snorkel (we can take care of this during the classroom portion. No need to purchase ahead of time. We need to make sure your mask fits so there is no leaking in the water. We offer a new student discount on all equipment in the shop) All of the rest of your equipment is provided in the class. That includes: fins, boots, wetsuit, regulator, computer and BCD.