If you've always wondered what lies beneath the surface, now's the time to find out! Start the journey of a lifetime with the PADI Open Water Diver course. It will change you forever!
In the PADI Open Water Diver course, your PADI Instructor takes you through the basics of learning how to scuba dive.
The course encompasses three phases: Knowledge Development, Confined Water Dives and Open Water Training Dives.
Knowledge Development – This develops your familiarity with basic diving principles and procedures. You learn things like how pressure affects your body, how to choose the best gear, and what to consider when planning dives. With PADI eLearning, you have convenient online access to knowledge development course materials for one year. You’ll read and complete each of the five sections of the manual online, watching corresponding video clips along the way and completing the final exam online.
Confined Water Dives – This is what it’s all about – diving. You develop basic scuba skills in a pool. Here you’ll learn everything from setting up your gear to how to easily get water out of your mask without surfacing. You’ll also practice some emergency skills, like securing air from an alternate air source – just in case.
Open Water Training Dives – This is where you have fun putting it all together and fully experience the underwater adventure – at the beginner level, of course. You may make these dives locally or at a more exotic destination on vacation with what is called a referral. Consider Y-kiki's Dry Suit Option! Dive dry and warm in one of our DUI Dry Suits and earn your Dry Suit Diver certification the same weekend you complete your PADI Open Water certification dives.
To continue your adventure, consider the Advanced Open Water class and be sure and sign up to receive information on our Local Diving Adventures Group more commonly known as the Fun Diving Club. It's an opportunity to join Y-kiki's experienced staff and other local divers at a nearby dive site for diving, fellowship, and fun. Diving makes better divers... so let's go diving!
Prerequisites: 10 years old for Junior Open Water Diver and 15 years old for Open Water Diver. Good health, reasonable fitness, and comfort in the water. A Medical Questionnaire must be completed by all participants. Some participants may require their Physician’s approval prior to any in-water activities.
*Required equipment:
To ensure a successful experience, each student must own their own scuba-quality Mask, Snorkel, Fins, and Boots prior to class. We offer a student discount off the purchase of all four items when purchased prior to your class. Y-kiki staff will work with each student to ensure the best purchase. We’ll explain features, describe differences between brands and styles – and be mindful of your budget.
Referral: Going on vacation and want to learn to dive? Why waste vacation time sitting in a classroom? Complete your knowledge development sessions (eLearning) and confined open water dives with Y-kiki Divers, and then complete your open water training dives on vacation with another PADI dive center.
Open Water Training Dives only: If you’ve completed your knowledge development sessions and confined open water dives with another Dive Center and only need your four open water training dives to complete your certification, this option is for you. The Cost is $250. Includes equipment rental (excluding mask, fins, snorkel, and boots) and certification fees. Contact the shop to enroll in one of our training dive weekends only.
Dry Suit Option: Dry Suits keep you warm and dry. Since water wicks away our body temperature much faster than if our body were surrounded by air, the solution to staying warm is to wear a dry suit and an appropriate undergarment. Don't let our colder water stop you from diving! Dive in a Dry Suit, stay warm, and dive often. Do all your training dives using one of our dry suits and become PADI Dry Suit certified the same weekend you do your Open Water Diver certification dives.
Y-kiki's Dry Suit option includes the PADI Dry Suit Crew Pak, an orientation classroom session, one additional pool session for practice, use of our rental dry suit throughout your certification dives, one additional dive following your certification dives and your certification fees.
This Specialty course certification also counts as one of five Specialty certifications required for Master Scuba Diver certification. Take the Master Scuba Diver Challenge!
Private Open Water Scuba Diver Course: Contact one of our shops for more details.
For a complete certification, select a date for the Class & Pool portion and a date for the Checkout Dives portion below. If you're on mobile, scroll to the right to see the whole chart. The Class & Pool portion consists of about 3 hours at one of our stores on Saturday morning and pool time from 12-5 pm on Saturday and Sunday.