|Beginners: SCUBA Open Water Certification
You aren't sure if it was the dive photos a friend emailed you or one business meeting too many, but you've finally decided to learn how to SCUBA. Congratulations! And welcome to Open Water Certification - your ticket to the most spectacular adventures on earth. SPE Dive School offers the best beginner SCUBA diving lessons in the D.C. metro area. To get certified, there are three simple steps to complete:
- Satisfy written course requirements and pass the exam
- Demonstrate pool skills
- Complete four open water check-out dives
We have made it easy for our students to complete all three steps with us. Our classes have been specifically tailored for busy professionals, allowing for "mixing and matching" to ensure you complete your beginner open water SCUBA certification and join the SPE Dive School community of outstanding divers!
Orientation
Check the calendar for one of our monthly orientation meetings, which are free of charge, last about 1½ hours and are conveniently located on the red line at the Friendship Heights metro stop. Attending an orientation session prior to participation in the open water course is required, as:
- Important information regarding the dive course is presented in detail
- Valuable tips and information are presented regarding diving gear selection (mask, snorkel, fins, fin booties, and weight belt) that is not covered in regular class meetings
It is not necessary to register for attending the orientation or to bring swimsuits or dive equipment with you. However, we highly recommend that you do not purchase any diving equipment before attending the orientation. As a service ONLY available to our students, a very large selection of gear is available for purchase at discount prices. It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that you purchase your open water book and DVD at the end of your orientation session.
Completing Steps 1 and 2
Lecture Course: the Ultimate Educational Experience
Our complete SCUBA certification lecture courses are not only fun and interactive, with videos, slides and real diving experiences shared by staff instructors, but our courses give you additional information not found in the typical textbooks and videos. We consistently exceed industry standards to ensure our students have the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to be excellent, safe divers.
After the lecture, you will trade in your books and notes for fins! You will never forget that first underwater breath during pool training - it's like flying underwater. All pool work is conducted in heated pools with the highest quality diving gear provided for you. Students are divided into small groups to receive personalized instruction from staff members. We make sure our beginner SCUBA diving lessons are fun and focused on you.
The full lecture course with pool training is offered on either select weekends or weeknights.
- Weekend Course
- Choose between 2-day intensive weekend courses which meet from 9AM until 9PM during those months without a Federal holiday, or 3-day holiday weekend courses which meet from 10AM to 8PM (9AM on the first day).
- All weekend courses include classroom meetings during the day (with a 1-hour lunch break), followed by pool training in the evening, on each day.
Check the calendar for the next available course.
The weekend courses in particular fill very quickly and dive class size is limited, so you must guarantee a space in a weekend course by registering.
- Weeknight Course
- Meets two nights a week from 7:00pm to approximately 10:30pm, for a total of 6 meetings over 3 weeks (at the first meeting, the students decide together on which two nights of the week they prefer to meet to make it more convenient).
- The first two meetings take place entirely in the classroom, the next two in the pool and the last two meetings in the classroom.
Again, you can always "mix and match" if you have to miss any parts of the courses.
Check the calendar for the next available course.
Self-Study
If you are unable to participate in the lecture course, we have two options available for self-study so that you can still complete your certification.
- Option 1: Full Self-Study Course
- This course is designed for those unable to attend the SCUBA certification lectures but would like to participate in pool training. To sign up, fill out the required forms and make arrangements with us to pick up or have the textbook and video material (DVD, video, or CD-ROM) mailed to you once the registration payment has been made.
- After you have viewed the video material and studied the textbook, make an appointment to take the written quizzes, final exam and participate in the required pool training. To register for the pool training, you MUST select and register for a scheduled course listed in our Course Calendar.
- Option 2: Partial Self-Study
- This is suitable for those who seek an "open water student referral" certificate for an upcoming dive vacation, but who cannot participate in the lecture courses or the pool training. In this case, you will make arrangements to get the textbook and video material from us (DVD, video, or CD-ROM) and take the required quizzes/final exam. If you pass the exam, you will make your own arrangements to perform required pool skills during your vacation, as well as the open water training dives.
- NOTE: This option will reduce the local training time to a fraction of the lecture and partial courses, but will greatly increase the required training time during your vacation. To fully enjoy your vacation, we highly recommend completing Steps 1 and 2 before you travel.
Check the calendar for the next available course.
To participate in the partial self-study course, contact us to make arrangements.
Private Dive Classes
Private SCUBA certification classes are also available for individuals, families or groups, conducted at your preferred location and schedule by appointment only. Contact us with any questions about private training and to make arrangements.
Step 3
Open Water Certification Dives
Once you have completed the classroom and pool work, the only remaining step is the best one of all: it's time to go diving! To complete the check-out dive required for certification, we offer three options:
- Complete the dives locally over two half-days on a weekend in a quarry;
- Join us on one of our monthly SCUBA open water certification dive trips to Grand Cayman Island - offered at the end of each course for finishing requirements in the ultimate diving environment;
- Complete the dives on your personal vacation at your preferred destination by obtaining a student referral form from your instructor.
To fulfill all requirements, you also must complete and turn in the PADI Medical Form.
Grand Cayman Island Diving
The majority of our students complete their SCUBA beginner certification dives with us in the Grand Cayman Island. Why? Because it's the ideal diving experience. Visit our dive travel page to learn more about why Grand Cayman is the ideal dive destination or download our Cayman Islands itinerary and cost sheet to start planning your trip today!
Check the calendar for our next Grand Cayman trip.
If you don't complete your check-out dives with us, be sure to let us know where you end up traveling. Check out some of the dive destinations where SPE Dive School, LLC students have completed their dives:
Great Barrier Reef, Heron Island, Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, Japan, China, Vietnam, Bali, Thailand, Indonesia, The Philippines, India, Maldives, Persian Gulf, Kuwait, The Red Sea, Egypt, Israel, Mediterranean Sea, Aegean Sea, Greece, Crete, Mikonos, France, The North Sea, South Africa, Mozambique, Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands, Brazil, Venezuela, Margarita Islands, Caribbean Sea, Greater Antilles, Lesser Antilles, Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, Cayman Brac, Jamaica, ABC Islands, Bonaire, Curacao, Aruba, Tobago, Trinidad, Martinique, Dominica, Guadeloupe, St. Lucia, St. Eustatia, Saba, St. Kitts, Nevis, St. Maarten, St. Martin, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. John, Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Bermuda, Galapagos, Costa Rica, Belize, Bay Islands, Honduras, Ecuador, Roatan, Cancun, Cozumel, Akumal, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Hawaii, Truk, Yap, Chuk, Micronesia, Channel Islands, California, Great Lakes, Florida Keys, Miami, Ft. Myers, Ft. Lauderdale Florida, North Carolina, Canada, Turkey, Italy.
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