SDI Open Water Course
Earn your scuba certification and start diving the world. The SDI Open Water Scuba Diver course covers everything you need, e-learning on your schedule, pool skill sessions, and 4 open water dives, to earn your certification card. Ages 15 and up. Ages 10-14 earn a Junior certification!
Students must own their own mask, fins, boots, and snorkel for this course.
All students receive a discount on product purchases during enrollment of any one of our courses!
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SDI Open Water Scuba Diver Course
Your Open Water certification card is what unlocks everything. It's what gets you on the boat, into the water, and onto dive sites anywhere in the world. The SDI Open Water Scuba Diver course is how you earn it, and Dive Arizona runs it start to finish right here in Queen Creek.
The course combines online learning you can do on your own schedule with hands-on pool sessions and four open water dives. Most students complete it over a weekend. When you're done, you leave with an internationally recognized SDI certification and the skills to back it up.
How the Course Works
The SDI Open Water course has three parts, and you work through them in order.
E-Learning
You start with SDI's online learning program, which covers the knowledge side of diving: how pressure affects your body, how to read dive conditions, gear setup and care, dive planning, and the physics behind buoyancy. You go at your own pace and complete it before your first in-water session.
Pool Sessions
Once the e-learning is done, you come into the pool and start building the actual skills. Your instructor works through mask clearing, regulator recovery, buoyancy control, underwater navigation, and emergency procedures with you in a controlled environment before you ever get into open water.
Open Water Dives
The final step is four open water dives where you apply everything in a real dive environment. This is where it all comes together. By dive four, most students are moving through the water with real confidence and already thinking about where they want to go first.
What You'll Learn
The SDI Open Water Scuba Diver course covers:
- The aquatic environment: vision, light, heat loss, currents, waves, and surge
- Physics and physiology: pressure, buoyancy, air spaces, and breathing compressed air
- Dive equipment selection, assembly, use, and maintenance
- Dive planning and navigation
- Mask clearing, regulator recovery, and buoyancy control
- Basic rescue techniques and emergency procedures
Who Can Enroll
The SDI Open Water course is open to students 15 years of age and older. Students ages 10 to 14 can enroll through our Junior Open Water Diver program, call us at (480) 881-4013 for details on that program.
You need to be comfortable in the water and able to swim. You don't need prior diving experience. That's what the course is for.
About Gear and Equipment
Gear rental is included in the course and covers your tank, BCD, regulator, wetsuit, weights, and dive computer. Mask, fins, boots, and snorkel are not included in the rental and need to be purchased or brought from home. We carry all of these in the shop and students enrolled in any course receive a discount on purchases while they're enrolled.
If you're not sure what to buy or want a recommendation before you come in, call us at (480) 881-4013 and we'll point you in the right direction.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to get scuba certified?
Most students complete the SDI Open Water course over a long weekend. The e-learning is self-paced and typically takes four to eight hours depending on how quickly you work through it. Pool sessions and the four open water dives are then scheduled over three days. The full course can be done in as little as three days from start to certification card.
How many dives does open water certification require?
The SDI Open Water Scuba Diver course requires four open water training dives. These are conducted in two sessions of two dives each and are where you apply everything you practiced in the pool in a real dive environment.
Can I do part of the scuba course online?
Yes. The knowledge portion of the SDI Open Water course is completed through SDI's e-learning platform on your own schedule before your in-water sessions begin. The pool work and open water dives are done in person with your instructor.
How deep can you dive with an Open Water certification?
The SDI Open Water Scuba Diver certification clears you to dive to 60 feet (18 meters) in conditions similar to your training. With additional training through the SDI Advanced Diver course, you can extend that to 100 feet (30 meters).
What age do you have to be to get scuba certified?
The SDI Open Water Scuba Diver course requires students to be at least 15 years old. Students ages 10 to 14 can earn the SDI Junior Open Water Diver certification. Call us at (480) 881-4013 for information on the junior program.
Does my scuba certification expire?
No. Your SDI Open Water certification card does not expire. That said, if you go an extended period without diving, a refresher course is a smart step before getting back in open water.
Where do the open water dives take place?
Open water dives are scheduled at local Arizona dive sites, most commonly Lake Pleasant. Depending on scheduling and conditions, other sites may be used. Your instructor will confirm the location when your open water sessions are booked.
Private and Small-Group Classes
Private instruction is available for individuals or personal groups who want a dedicated session on their own schedule. Call us at (480) 881-4013 to discuss options and availability.
Ready to Earn Your Certification?
Open Water spots fill up faster than any other course we offer. Register today or call us at (480) 881-4013 to get on the schedule. We're open Monday through Saturday 11am to 6pm and Sunday 11am to 5pm, located at 18618 S 186th Way, Queen Creek, inside The Shooting Range. Stop by and we'll walk you through everything before you commit.
