Open Water Scuba Certification Classes

 

Adventure Outfitters Dive Center is a family-run, Veteran-owned, business that prides itself on quality private and small-class sizes with personalized instruction. Our independent instructors are SDI/TDI and IANTD Scuba Trainers. By teaching multiple certifying agencies, leading in safe practices and standards in diving worldwide, we can customize your experience even further. We make sure that each diver receives personalized attention, high-quality rental gear, explores unique dive sites, and has the best experience possible. We devote as much time as it takes to ensure that you not only master each skill, but become a confident, informed diver, ready for today’s high-tech dive scene.

How It Works

Independent Study

Once you have paid your deposit through Adventure Outfitters, we email you your eLearning. Students will complete the eLearning prior to pool and OW sessions. Your deposit goes toward the remaining balance of your course fee. If you prefer a classroom setting instead of eLearning, you can independently read an Open Water Scuba manual and attend a private classroom session. Additional fees are required for the classroom based on time.

Confined (Pool) Session

As part of your Open Water Scuba certification, you are required to complete a confined session. This is the most important part, as we go over your skills for the open water, equipment, academics, and more. For your convenience, we have a large, indoor, heated, private pool, making it easy to attend your pool session focused around you. This allows us to review and practice skills in a calm environment without having to dive around other swimmers or the general public. Since we only have private and semi-private lessons, this is usually accomplished in roughly 7 hours or less. If you are in the group course and cannot make the group pool session, you may schedule a private pool session based on your schedule for an additional fee. On occasion, divers prefer a private pool option and then participate in the group open water course.

Open Water Scuba Sessions

Over the course of two days, we always go to two different dive sites for your 4 open water dives. On the first day we typically go to a Florida freshwater site so we can have an ideal area to complete skills while avoiding disruption to nature or dealing with ocean currents or saltwater conditions on a boat. Weather permitting, we have the option to go on a chartered boat or another freshwater spring on the second day, as we do not typically have as many skills on this day. This allows you to experience different types of dive sites that our area has to offer while also completing your certification with an instructor. We base our dive sites on weather, conditions, scheduling, and budget.

Course Dates and Number of Students

We offer 1-person, private courses (based on your schedule, as long as it works with our calendar), 2-person or semi-private courses (also based on your schedule, permitting), and 4–6-person group courses (scheduled on our website monthly). We do offer larger group courses for family and friends. Please reach out to coordinate so we can have enough instructors and professionals to make it a great experience!

Optional Nitrox Course

To help our students continue their diving education, we offer a discounted rate for taking Nitrox in conjunction with their Open Water Course. This is the most popular specialty class, as it offers more bottom time and can be great for continuous diving. We offer the added Nitrox Course at a discounted rate.

What is Included in Your Course

• All rental scuba equipment is included during your entire course including a BCD, wetsuit, regulator, computer, tanks, weights, compass and more.
• If you purchase your personal gear with us, we give you a detailed free course on your personal gear to ensure fit, comfort and size, while also keeping your budget top-of-mind.
• All study materials / eLearning, pool / heater fees, course instruction and certification processing fees
• Pre-course orientation–this is held prior to your pool session and required for all students – this is the time we will go over your eLearning and academics, paperwork, class schedule, required personal gear and details of your specific course.

What You Will Need For Your Course

Paperwork

With your eLearning, you should receive online paperwork, or digital documents, to sign including a liability waiver and a medical form. On the medical questionnaire, if you have a “yes” on any of the questions, you will be required to have a physician sign off on your medical form. If you have any questions about this, please reach out as soon as possible. On the medical questionnaire, you must write, “yes” or “no” to the answers. If you are 17 or younger, there are several youth forms that will need to be filled out and signed by a parent. Paperwork is also required for any rental equipment, dive site entry, and charter entry. Please reach out to any questions about this. Diving is a high-risk sport and therefore always requires paperwork. Make sure you are fit to dive prior to your course and that you are a confident swimmer and comfortable in the water.

Equipment

We have hand-selected the equipment at our shop based on price, quality, warranty, and safety. We want our students to have access to the best personal equipment while also meeting their budget. ASK ABOUT OUR STUDENT PACKAGES!

Mask, Scrub/DeFog, snorkel, fins, boots, SMB/whistle, and Student Logbook: Every diver needs their own personal gear. Prior to your class, we will walk you through the different types of appropriate gear and what you will need for diving. You will have an opportunity to try on different types of personal gear to ensure a proper and safe fit. Our gear is competitively priced, and hand selected by our instructors and service technicians to get you the best gear for the best price. You will need to have a well-fitting scuba mask that you are able to wear for long periods of time, a functioning snorkel, a pair of boots and fins, an appropriate 5’ or larger submersible marker buoy or SMB, whistle, student training logbook specific for your course agency, and mask scrub/defog to complete the course. These are all personal items you will use during your underwater adventures. We match online prices from verified authorized dealers of our brands! Please consider your local, small business dive shop for your equipment needs.

What To Bring During Your Pool and Open Water Session

Please bring your personal gear, swimwear, towel, snack/sack lunch, water in your reusable container, and sunscreen. Group open water students are required to pick up their rental gear prior to all sessions of their course. If you need someone to bring it for you, no problem! We charge a transport fee. Please arrange with the shop prior to your dives. To fit into your wetsuit, we recommend a long-sleeve rash guard or sports shirt and either long rash guard pants / leggings or shorts. Please be sure that any hair is out of your face so you can seal and see out of your mask. Feel free to ask any questions about this!

Rental Gear

Your course fees include study materials, all rental gear, tanks, and weights, compass, certification fee, pool entry fee, and instruction: You never have to pay for rental gear and tanks during any portion of your open water course. We do require you to pick up your rental gear for your course the day prior. We do have a concierge service for a nominal fee if you choose.

Entry Fees

The entry fees for dive sites range from $20 - $69, and the boat charter fees range from $175 - $210. This is a fee that is charged by the operator of the dive site or vessel. Possible shore dive options are available but only during optimal conditions. The dive sites we choose for your class will be based on site availability, visibility, and weather conditions and are up to the discretion of your instructor.

Transportation

Dive sites are typically at least 30 minutes from Tampa. Because we want to have safe, ideal conditions, we must go to dive sites that are further than the city. Unfortunately, we cannot offer transportation to the dive site due to our insurance. If you do not have transportation, we can help you arrange a carpool or an alternative option. We cannot drive your child to a dive site. Parents must arrange transportation for your child.

What Is Next After You Complete Your Course

We will always be here for you for your Scuba journey! During your course, we teach you how to fill out your logbook and register your certification with the certifying agency. Our course includes a free digital certification card. If you wish to purchase a physical card (sometimes nice for travelling), we can arrange that for you.

Once you have become a certified diver, we will add you to our email newsletter so you can be caught up with our current local dive trips, cleanup dives, continuing education courses, sales, and free guest speakers!

Like us on social media to keep up with the latest events, sales, trips and continuing education courses.

Important Reasons To Support Yout Local Dive Shop

• Your local dive shop is the only place where you can take courses, see and try on gear, learn about trips, local dives, and learn about your equipment based on your diving needs and budget.
• Your local dive shops are also where you can get your tanks filled or get tank rentals for your local trips!!!
• We spend a lot of time researching and educating ourselves on all the latest technologies, safety measures and updates in the dive community – we like sharing our accurate knowledge and latest industry news! We sell what we wear!
• We can help you select the proper dive gear that fits you and your budget – the internet can’t do that! We also match all legitimate online or sale prices. PLEASE have us be the first place you look for gear – we want you to base your decision with the proper knowledge.
• Members of the dive community are fun and interesting, just hang out at the shop when you have a little time and get to know us and all our friends and fellow divers – it’s a great place to learn new things and find a dive buddy!
• We have many local guided trips each month, free guest lecture series every six weeks, cleanup dives 6 times a year, huge sales, and much more!

Open Water Referral Program

Adventure Outfitters is proud to dive and instruct students from all over the globe – from Sweden, to Canada, to Wisconsin to Oregon and even North Florida! We look forward to meeting divers from all over the world and offer a referral program to student divers looking to complete your open water dives.

Here are the steps to assist you with your trip to Florida:

1. Bring all of your referral paperwork, student record file and logbook with you and we will take care of the rest.
2. Let us know if you are bringing your personal gear – mask, snorkel, fins and boots. We will need to inspect them for safety and fit prior to entering the water. If you aren’t bringing any personal gear due to travel constraints, we will make sure that we have the appropriate, properly fitting for you. If you must rent personal gear, this will be in addition to the Open Water rental fee but at a great discount.
3. Florida has a variety of wonderful dive sites but keep in mind that some driving or travel may be required. We try our best to accommodate you with convenient dive sites. However, we are beholden to the weather, dive conditions and geographical constraints. Let us know where you are staying, what airport you are coming from/going to and we will do our best to accommodate you.
4. We only teach private and semi-private lessons and therefore, you will have a lot of personal attention and plenty of time to practice your skills and to dive!
5. We encourage family members and friends who dive to join us during your last dive. You should definitely dive with future dive buddies! Dive buddies can tag along but are not to interfere with the course. Dive buddies are part of Adventure Outfitter’s student count / insurance and that is why we require a $50 charge to join in. Rental gear is available.
6. Remember, you have one year to complete your certification from the time you start your e-learning or classroom session.

Prior to booking, please review the Cancellation & Deposit Policies on the FAQs Page.

For more information or to book this course, please contact us at info@adventuretampa.com or call 813-832-6669.