Learn To Scuba Dive

Learn to scuba dive with the SDI Open Water Diver certification course. There are three parts to the training including online pre-study, pool and classroom training over one weekend (offered throughout the year), then open water training over two days either on your vacation or during the summer at a local lake. Getting certified with The Dive Outfitters provides you with the most training hours and in-person interaction with your instructor during all phases of learning. Your safety, competence, and confidence in the water is our main focus during all training courses from beginner to advanced. Register with a buddy or as an individual.

Master all the important academic information online at your own pace, in the convenience of your home or office. A pdf version of the manual is available for download.		The next step will be to enhance your pre-study knowledge with some classroom training and in-water skill-development pool training.		The final step for certification is to complete your open water training. This part of the course may be completed at a local Alberta lake or in the ocean while you are on vacation.
$149.99 for online code		$299.99 per person or $249.99 Buddy Special		$299.99 per person (in Jasper or Twin Lakes)

Upcoming Courses

Classroom training is held at our store on the west end of Edmonton. Pool training is held at MacEwan University Sport and Wellness Centre. Open Water Training is held at either Jasper or Twin Lake (near Winfield). Courses held at other locations will be indicated next to the date.

You should complete your open water training within 6 months of completing your pool training. 

Course fees do not include travel, accommodations, air fills during the open water and snorkeling gear (mask, snorkel, fins, boots). Students will receive discounts on gear purchases up to 25% off.

Please refer to our Refund Policy for questions about rescheduling or canceling registration for a course. 

Why take the Open Water Course

As a certified Open Water Diver you are able to:

• Dive internationally with a dive buddy
• Rent dive gear
• Get air fills
• Dive off of a dive boat or from shore
• Dive to a maximum depth of 60ft/18m

Prerequisites for the Open Water Course

• Minimum age for certification is 15 years; Junior Scuba Diver available for ages 12 to 15 (it is STRONGLY recommended to wait until the child is at least 14 years old, here is a great article on "Children & Diving")
• Any students under 18 are considered a Minor and must be accompanied by an adult (parent/guardian) who is also registered and participating in the course 
• Students must be physically fit and able to handle the physical and psychological demands of scuba diving independent of an instructor
• Student must fill out the medical form and have signed approval from their doctor when necessary, prior to the start of the course
• Students must be comfortable in the water and will be required to successfully complete a swim test of 200m (any stroke, not timed) as well as a 10 minute survival float. (Training is not permitted to proceed until the swim and float test are satisfactorily completed. If you're unsure of your abilities, head to a local pool and give it a try prior to registering).

Classroom Topics

• The aquatic environment: vision, light, sound, heat loss, tides, currents, waves, surge, etc.
• Physics and physiology: buoyancy, pressure, air spaces, breathing compressed air, mixed gases, etc.
• Dive equipment: selection, assembly, use and maintenance
• Dive planning: dive computer use, dive tables, decompression theory, emergency procedures
• Communication: hand signals, diving with a buddy 

Water Skills

• Swim test of 200m and 10 min survival float
• Equipment assembly/disassembly
• Entries and exits
• Snorkeling techniques
• Regulator use, recovery, clearing
• Mask flood, removal, clearing
• Use of BCD (inflation/ deflation)
• Equalizing air spaces
• Decent and ascent techniques
• Sharing air and emergency ascents
• Finning techniques
• Underwater navigation
• Buddy towing and assistance
• Buoyancy control

*When you take the Open Water Diver course with The Dive Outfitters, you will automatically be enrolled in the Divers Alert Network (DAN) Student Medical Expense Coverage program. DAN Student Medical Expense Coverage is dive accident insurance specifically for new divers in training. You're covered during diving activity - in water or on land - necessary to meet the standards for entry-level scuba certification. "Diving activity" begins from the moment you put your dive gear on until the moment you take it off. Your coverage expires upon completion of your last certifying dive or 180 days after course registration, whichever comes first.

Still have questions? Check out our FAQ page