Open Water SCUBA

Open Water SCUBA

Open Water SCUBA Course | Available

First SCUBA certification level
3/1/2025-4/27/2025
3:00 PM-6:30 PM on Sun Sat
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$500.00

Open Water SCUBA

Open Water SCUBA Course | Available

Open Water Scuba Course (Must be 15 years of age by March 1, 2025, 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. Any student under 17 must have their parent/guardian present for the entire duration of each part of course and may not be a participant!
Prior to registering, please review the Diver Medical Participant Questionnaire to verify that this is for you! This form will be addressed at the course orientation.

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 ExCL Center, downtown Oneonta on Saturday March 1, 2025, 10am-12pm
2. Self-Study of PADI Online Course - Fee $280.00 to be paid separately 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 $200.00 to be paid separately, prior to dive), Trip to Belize or Instructor referral to another dive location. (See details below)

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 $280, which will be paid at orientation on March 1st. SUNY Oneonta has limited wetsuits for use. Condition is okay and sizes are limited, so it is strongly recommended that you purchase a wetsuit, boots, and gloves. Prices range from $600-$800 for a wetsuit and hood, $100-$150 for boots, and $70-$120 for gloves. We suggest that you speak to instructor before making any purchases. 

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

    Orientation: 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM - Saturday, March 1, 2025. 

    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 additional fees for online learning materials at orientation. The fees due at orientation: $280.00 

    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, April12th, 13th, 26th, & 27th from 3:00-6:30 pm. (The 27th could be a makeup date 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 31st & June 1st or June 7th and 8th from 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. (Additional registration and payment of $200 is required)
    2. Instructor led trip to Belize completely separate from this course. All fees, Airfare, Accommodations, Meals, and Dive to be paid separately in coordination with instructor. Tentatively set for June 15th.
    3.Instructor referral to another dive location separate from 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 may want to purchase or rent separately:
    SUNY Oneonta has limited wetsuits for use. Condition is okay and sizes are limited, so it is strongly recommended that you purchase the following:
    Wetsuit, boots, and gloves. It is suggested that you speak to instructor before making purchases.
    Prices range from $600-$800 for a wetsuit and hood, $100-$150 for boots, and $70-$120 for gloves.

         Class materials covered in the $280 fee paid at Orientation are: 
    PADI eLearning w/ Digital Manual 
    Digital Recreational Dive Planner
    Student Skills Slate
    Certification Fee
Turner, David
David Turner

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.