Open Water

The Open Water Scuba Diver course is your entry-level certification to explore the underwater world safely and confidently. Designed with modern training methods and real-world diving scenarios, this course combines online eLearning with hands-on training in confined and open water environments.

You’ll learn essential scuba skills, dive planning, equipment use, and emergency procedures under the guidance of a professional SDI Instructor. Upon successful completion, you’ll be certified to dive with a buddy to depths of up to 60 feet (18 meters) anywhere in the world — no supervision required.

What you can expect to learn

• The SDI Open Water Scuba Diver Course will cover all of the necessary skills and knowledge for open water scuba diving, including:
• The aquatic environment: vision, light, sound, heat loss, tides, currents, waves, surge, etc.
• Physics and physiology: buoyancy, pressure, air spaces, breathing compressed air, mixed gases, etc.
• Dive equipment selection, assembly, use and maintenance
• Dive planning
• Basic scuba skills including mask and regulator skills, swimming underwater, buoyancy control, basic rescue techniques, and emergency procedures
• And much more!

Course equipment requirements

• Basic SCUBA Equipment
• SDI Open Water Scuba Diver Manual and associated SDI Knowledge Quest Book (or SDI Open Water Diver Online Training course)
• SDI Open Water Scuba Diver Instructor Guide

The following material is available and recommended:

• SDI Log Book
• SDI Open Water Scuba Diver Video or DVD
• SDI Open Water Scuba Diver PowerPoint Presentation
• SDI Confined Water / Open Water Teaching slates
• SDI Skill Check-off slate

Course prerequisites

• Minimum age 18, 15 with parental consent

(10 – 14 years old for Junior Open Water Diver course)