What will I learn?

With more than 1,800 professional retail dive stores in the US alone, finding a place to learn how to dive is pretty simple. You can click here to find a dive center near you.

The key word in “recreational scuba diving” is “recreational,” and like everything else in diving, learning to dive is fun. Your open-water dive class is not just the prelude to an enjoyable activity; it’s an enjoyable activity in and of itself.

You can generally take as much or as little time as you need to learn. You can even decide just how much time you want to spend in a classroom versus learning at home. Almost every retail dive center offers scuba classes, and you can even take the information development portions of a scuba class online, if that’s your learning style.

The people you meet in your open-water class are people just like you; interested in nature and the outdoors, with an adventurous spirit and a beyond-the-next horizon perspective on life. You’re probably going to make more than a few friends over the next few weeks or days – it’s not uncommon at all for people who meet in dive classes to become friends who dive together for years and years to come.

Discover Scuba

For those who have never tried scuba and are unsure whether they would want to learn more, a ‘discover scuba’ program is a great way to “get your feet wet.” Either check the Be A Diver Pool Schedule for an appearance near you, or search for a professional dive center near you and enquire about discover scuba programs. Learn more about what to expect in a Discover Scuba program >>

Open Water Certification

For those ready to begin the full adventure, the first step toward becoming a diver is to enlist in a certification course. Some students will complete their pool and classroom training locally and travel for their certification dives, while others might complete the entire certification locally. Learn more about what to expect in an Open Water Certification course >>

Specialty Courses

Specialty courses are offered to build experience and to provide more activity-specific skills as needed. For example, learning to use a dry suit or explore a shipwreck will take additional training to do those things safely. Learn more about specialty courses >>