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 four days. Classroom, Pool, 2 Ocean Days. Because you have chosen Private instruction we can break up the sessions to fit your schedule better.

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.

Once all the pool and classroom work is over, you move to the ocean for the open water dives. 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 can be conducted at your house or our dive shops! The pool training portions of your Open Water certification can be conducted at your pool (needs to be heated and minimum depth of 9 feet) or at one of our regular pools in Simi Valley or the San Fernando Valley.

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 time in Catalina and have a vacation while getting certified! We leave on the Catalina Express in Long Beach.

Your ocean dives in depth...

By coming to Catalina - there are no rushed mornings. Usually we are done early in the afternoon 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 in the afternoon. That leaves the 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…

 Pick the days that work for you! Contact us for scheduling.

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.