SSI Open Water Diver

If you've always wanted to learn to SCUBA dive, experience unparalleled adventure, and see the world beneath the waves, this is where it all starts! Obtain your SCUBA diving certification with the Open Water Diver course – the world’s most popular and widely recognized scuba course - and experience the world in a brand new way. Millions of people have learned to SCUBA dive and gone on to discover the wonders of the marine and aquatic realms with this certification.

To enroll in a SSI Open Water Diver course you must be at least 15 years old, have adequate swimming skills, and need to be in good physical health, and must complete the SSI Medical Questionnaire. No prior experience with SCUBA diving is required. (We have options for younger family members interested in SCUBA diving - ask us about the SCUBA Explorers program and the Junior Open Water Diver program!) Please call the shop at 916-929-8188 for additional requirements and scheduling options.

Here at Dolphin Scuba Center, the course can be completed in as a little as two weeks! The class is broken into 2 parts.

Part 1

Part 1 is home study (digital study materials should to be done before the class meets), class, and pool sessions.

• Weeknight classes start at 6:30pm and go until about 10:00pm. Class will meet two nights a week for two weeks. (Mondays & Wednesdays or Tuesdays & Thursdays for a total of four class/pool sessions)
• Weekend classes are from 9:00am to about 4:00pm on Saturday and Sunday normally. Weekend sessions may start a little earlier or run a little later at the Instructor's discretion based on class size - your Instructor will communicate directly with you after registering for class.

Part 2

Part 2 consists of the four Open Water dives done over the course of two days. There are typical 3 venues for the dives varying with conditions and time of year: one of Northern California's local lakes, Lake Tahoe, or Monterey. You must successfully complete Part 1 and Part 2 to become a certified SSI Open Water Diver.

Costs based on selections for: Tuition, Academic Materials, Required Equipment, and Rentals. Choosing Part 1 and Part 2 above will pay your Tuition and reserve your class dates. You will need to purchase your class materials before class to complete the required home study. Please stop by the shop, give us a call at 916-929-8188, or email us at Training@DolphinScuba.com to purchase and load your SSI Online Learning materials to your SSI account

Required Personal Equipment: You will need to own your own mask, snorkel, fins, neoprene boots, underwater compass, whistle, and alternate air source retainer. We have a wide selection of equipment with great prices with student and package discounts. Expect to pay from $150 to $300 for your customized set-up.

SCUBA equipment needed for the SSI Open Water Diver course not mentioned above is available for rental or purchase. Students will need to have a regulator with dive computer, buoyancy compensation device, tanks (two for ocean checkout dives, four for lake checkout dives), wetsuit, hood, gloves, and weights. While you are enrolled in any class at Dolphin, you will receive a special student rate for rentals! A rental package is about $85.00 for Ocean dives and about $95.00 for Lake dives.

Important Links:

• Click here for more class info!
• All students must fill out the SSI Medical questionnaire.

Rescheduling/Cancellation Policy:
Classes begin promptly at their scheduled time, please check your itinerary or contact us any time with your questions. You must complete all of Part 1 (class and pool sessions) before you are eligible for Part 2 (open water dives). However, if it becomes necessary to cancel a lesson, make-up sessions can be scheduled with an Instructor for an additional cost of $30.00 per hour. A seven-days notice is required to cancel or reschedule a class without penalty. Cancellations less than seven days before class will incur a charge of 50% tuition. Cancellations less than three days before class will forfeit all tuition paid. All tuition is non-refundable after class begins, whether course is completed or not. Rescheduling due to needing a physician's release is still subject to our rescheduling policy above.