Open Water SCUBA Course

PADI^® Open Water Diver is the first SCUBA certification level. A highly trained PADI^® Instructor will teach you how to SCUBA dive in a relaxed, supportive learning environment. By the end of the course, you'll have the skills and knowledge to dive at home or abroad.

Requirements

Must be 15 years of age by March 1, 2025, and in good health
Students under 17 must have their parent/guardian present for the entire duration of each part of the course and may not be a participant
Must be comfortable in the water and able to swim 200 yards and float for 10 minutes
Prior to registering, please review the Diver Medical Participant Questionnaire to verify that this is for you

Costs

$500 for course instruction, diving equipment and maintenance and lifeguard (due at registration)
$280 for PADI^® course materials (due at orientation)
$200+ for open water dive (multiple options--see Cost Details below)
$180+ for exposure equipment (wetsuit, boots, gloves--see Cost Details below)

Course Cost

$500, paid at time of registration, includes:

Course cost
3 pool sessions
Lifeguard
Diving equipment and supplies:
- Buoyancy Compensation Device (BCD)
- Regulator
- Mask/Snorkel
- Fins
- Weights
- Cylinders
- Hooded vest (exposure equipment)

PADI^® Course Materials

$280, paid at orientation, includes:

PADI^® eLearning with Digital Manual
Digital Recreational Dive Planner
Student Skills Slate
Certification Fee

Open Water Dive

Amount varies based on dive location:

Instructor-led dive locally at Otsego Lake, $200 - choose two of the following tentative dates (10 a.m. to mid-afternoon): May 31, June 1, June 7 or June 8. Additional registration and payment will be sent to students choosing this option.
Instructor referral to another dive location, separate from this SUNY Oneonta course, anywhere in the world that offers the certification. Cost of this is dependent on the referral dive operator. Typical cost ranges from $250 to $350.
Trip to Belize in June with Instructor, separate from this SUNY Oneonta course. All expenses to be paid by student.

Exposure Equipment

SUNY Oneonta has limited wetsuits for use. Condition is okay and sizes are limited, so it is strongly recommended that you purchase or rent the following:

Wetsuit
Boots
Gloves

Prices range from $600-$800 for a wetsuit and hood, $100-$150 for boots, and $70-$120 for gloves. It is suggested that you speak to the instructor before making purchases.

Schedule

The next course begins in March, and has four components:

Orientation: held at the SUNY Oneonta Extended and Community Learning (ExCL) Center, Saturday, March 1, 2025, 10 a.m.- 12 p.m. During orientation, we will answer all your questions about the course, complete paperwork (medical and liability forms, including the Diver Medical Participant Questionnaire), and register for the online learning. Bring a laptop, tablet, or smartphone to ensure that you can access the class materials. Fees due at orientation: $280
Self-study of PADI^® course: self-paced online learning, consists of five modules and takes approximately 12-15 hours to complete. The first module must be completed before the first pool session on April 12.
Pool Sessions: 3 required sessions are held at the SUNY Oneonta pool on the following dates from 3-6:30 p.m.: Saturday, April 12, Sunday, April 13, and Saturday, April 26.
There will be a makeup day on Sunday, April 27 for a student who may face an extenuating circumstance causing a missed pool class. If a makeup pool class is required, the cost to cover a lifeguard will be absorbed by the student needing the makeup class. Communication is required in advance if a make-up pool session is required.
Open Water Dive: An Open Water Dive is required for certification; pick one of the following options:
- Instructor-led dive locally at Otsego Lake - Choose two of the following tentative dates (10 a.m. to mid-afternoon): Saturday, May 31, Sunday, June 1, Saturday, June 7 or Sunday, June 8. Additional registration and payment of $200 is required and will be sent to students choosing this option.
- Instructor referral to another dive location, separate from this SUNY Oneonta course, anywhere in the world that offers the certification. Cost of this is dependent on the referral dive operator. Typical cost ranges from $250 to $350.
- Trip to Belize in June with Instructor, separate from this SUNY Oneonta course. All expenses to be paid by student.

Note: This course requires a minimum of two students to run

Registration

Review the Diver Medical Participant Questionnaire to verify that this is for you.

A payment of $500 (the course cost) is due at the time of registration.

Register now

About the Instructor

Having learned to dive himself in a similar course over 30 years ago, David Turner enjoys nothing more than sharing his passion with others through teaching them to dive. He has been a SCUBA instructor for over 10 years. He earned instructor certifications from Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI^®), Divers Alert Network (DAN), and Disabled Divers International (DDI), and has helped hundreds of new divers reach their goals for entry and advancement in the sport of SCUBA.