Open Water SCUBA

Open Water SCUBA

Open Water SCUBA Course | Registration closed 3/1/2024

First SCUBA certification level

3/3/2024-5/19/2024

1:30 PM-12:00 AM on Sun

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$500.00

Open Water Scuba Course (Must be 17 years of age by March 2, 2024, and in good health. Must be comfortable in the water and able to swim 200 yards and float for 10 mins) Course requires a minimum of 2 students to run. 

PADI® Open Water Diver is the first scuba certification level. A highly trained PADI Instructor will teach you how to scuba dive in a relaxed, supportive learning environment.

By the end of the course, you'll have the skills and knowledge to dive at home or abroad and be an ambassador for the underwater world.

There are four components to this course:
1. Orientation - SUNY Oneonta Classroom Sunday, March 3, 2024, 10am-12pm
2. Self-Study of PADI Online Course - Fee $260.00 to be paid at Orientation! Module 1 must be completed before the first pool session.
3. 3 Pool Sessions - SUNY Oneonta Pool - covered in registration fee of $500.00.
4. Open Water Dive - Otsego Lake - (instructor fee of $150.00 to be paid separately, prior to dive)

Please see all course details and required supply list on the SCUBA page of our website!

The course cost is $500 at time of registration, (includes diving equipment and maintenance, instruction, and lifeguard) plus PADI course materials of $260, which will be paid at orientation on March 3rd. You are responsible for the cost of your wetsuit, boots, and gloves, which range in price from $225-$330 for a 7mm suit or $180-$400 for a 5mm suit.

  • Course Schedule:
    Registration: Online registration and payment of $500.00 due at time of registration.

    Orientation: 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM - Sunday, March 3, 2024. 

    During orientation we will answer all your questions about the course, complete paperwork (medical and liability forms) and register for the on-line learning. Bring a laptop, tablet, or smartphone to ensure that you are able to access the class materials. We will also collect the fees for learning materials at orientation. The fees due at orientation: $260.00 

    Self-study of PADI course: On-line learning self-paced, (5 modules) 12 to 15 hours. The first module must be completed before first pool session.

    Pool Sessions: There are three required pool sessions on the following Saturdays & Sundays, March 23rd from1:30-5:00 pm and March 24th and 30th from 10:00 am - 1:30 pm. (There will be a makeup date on March 31 for a student who may face an extenuating circumstance causing a missed pool class.) If a makeup pool class is required, the cost to cover a lifeguard will be absorbed by the student needing the makeup class.  Communication is required in advance if a make-up pool session is required!

    Open Water Dive:  Tentatively May 11th and 12th of May 18th and 19th form 10:00 AM to mid-afternoon both days. 
    * There are 3 options to complete the Open Water Dive
    1.Instructor lead dive at Otsego Lake on two of the dates listed above.
    2. Instructor lead dive trip to Curacao, completely separate from this SUNY Oneonta course! See websites for all details. 
    3. Instructor referral to another dive location completely separate form this SUNY Oneonta course anywhere in the world that offers certification. Cost depends on the referral dive operator. Typically, $250 to $350.
  • The following supplies and diving equipment are provided by the course instructor and or SUNY Oneonta:

    • Buoyancy Compensation Device (BCD)
    • Regulator
    • Mask/Snorkel
    • Fins
    • Weights
    • Cylinders
    • Hooded vest (exposure equipment)

    The following supplies and equipment you must purchase or rent separately:
    • Exposure equipment (Wetsuit, boots, gloves) (5mm for a traditional wet suit runs $180-$400 or a 7mm if easily chilled or intend to dive cold water runs $225-$330)

    Class materials covered in the $260 fee paid at Orientation are: 

    • PADI eLearning w/ Digital Manual
    • Digital Recreational Dive Planner
    • Student Skills Slate
    • Certification Fee
Turner, David

Having learned to dive himself in a similar course over 30 years ago, David Turner enjoys nothing more than sharing his passion with others through teaching them to dive. He has been a SCUBA instructor for over 10 years. He earned instructor certifications from Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), Divers Alert Network (DAN), and Disabled Divers International (DDI), and has helped hundreds of new divers reach their goals for entry and advancement in the sport of SCUBA.