OPEN WATER DIVER CERTIFICATION
Your decision to become a SCUBA diver will lead you on many exciting and exotic adventures in the underwater world. Becoming a certified Open Water Diver is your first and most important step toward all your adventures to come.
Denver Divers’ training philosophy is designed to insure your self-confidence and safety in the water through focused personalized instruction. Proper training will teach you all the rules associated with being a scuba diver during this process.
You will find we offer several additional training benefits that will insure that you learn how to dive safely and comfortably, allowing you to enjoy a lifetime of dives!
Learn to dive with us and you will enjoy:
- A low 4-to-1 student to instructor ratio allowing for quality individual training and plenty of practice time underwater
- A warm 86 degree salt water pool, designed specifically for teaching scuba diving
- FREE pool practices every Monday with one of our qualified instructors to get ready for your final certification dives in the open water
- FREE use of the pool once you are certified (Our Denver Divers students enjoy this benefit for a lifetime!)
To insure proper training and comfort, we teach in high quality equipment from our major manufacturers including ScubaPro, Tusa, Oceanic, and Henderson. Since children can become Open Water Certified Divers by age 10, we offer our younger, smaller students brand-name equipment and wetsuits scaled to size. For the same reasons – comfort and safety – students should have their own mask and snorkel. Further, we strongly encourage our students to purchase their own fins, but can make store equipment available during your classes.
Regular Open Water Diver class and pool sessions are offered either over a weekend – Friday night, all day Saturday and all day Sunday; or Monday and Wednesday evenings over three weeks. Click HERE for our class schedules.
Open Water student groups of four or more can request classes tailored to their own schedules and needs, depending upon instructor availability, at the same price as group classes. We also can easily tailor classes for the private or semi-private student.
Costs include $225 for the academic and pool work and $100 for the student kit which includes your student manual, DVD, professional dive log, and class materials bag. That’s It! During your class and pool sessions, Denver Divers will provide equipment for you and help you decide what equipment will make your diving experiences comfortable and fun!
As an SSI training facility, our instructors are all directly affiliated with Denver Divers. Because SSI instructors cannot teach as independent agents, affiliation allows Denver Divers to provide instructors with oversight, insurance and continuing education.
SSI HOME STUDY COURSE
Step 1: Orientation and Sign Up. To start your scuba adventure, we first ask you to come in to our training facility and register for the class. You will complete a medical form and student folder at this time. You will then receive your student kit and we will schedule with you an hour-long orientation for your upcoming class.
Orientations are every Saturday from 10am-11am. So, what are you waiting for? Call us at 303-399-2877 to sign up and start your underwater adventure!
Step 2: Homework. Once you have received your student materials, you are ready to begin your homework for class. By allowing you to complete your reading and watch the DVD at home, you will be able to spend most your your time with us underwater.
Please expect to devote approximately six to eight hours to this process.
Step 3: SCUBA Training. Your training includes an academic review in the class room, as well as in-water skills development training in Denver Divers’ indoor, heated, salt water pool – our “ocean simulator”. Most of the time spent with our qualified instructors will be in the pool gaining the skills and confidence necessary for diving in the open water. At the end of your course you will take a 50-question certification exam.
Please expect to devote approximately 16 hours to this process.
Step 4: Open Water Certification Dives. In order to become certified, you will need to complete at least four open water certification dives under the direct supervision of a qulaified instructor. Your instructor will evaluate your skills as you apply what you have learned during your academic and pool training to an open water environment. You will also learn practical lessons that can only be gained through real-world experience. Options for your certification dives will be discussed with your instructor or Denver Divers staff member.
In order to complete your open water dives, you can travel with Denver Divers to any one of a number of sites, depending on your budget and schedule. Every month a certification trip is scheduled either to the Blue Hole in New Mexico; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Cozumel, Mexico; or Aurora Reservoir. Alternatively, if you are planning your own trip, we can arrange your open water dives at your destination through a Universal Referral. Open Water Certification dive costs range from $175 to $200 plus rental equipment, any required park fees, travel and lodging.
*We provide additional FREE pool skill development sessions with one of our instructors prior to your certification dives. Please call Denver Divers for more information about our FREE pool practice session, held every Monday for our students!
