Scuba Certification in the Tampa Bay Area

From the beauty of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, an underwater oasis off Key Largo, to northern Florida's caves and springs along the Suwannee River, Scuba diver certification provides access to a vast frontier of natural wonder and discovery in the waters in and around the Sunshine State. Scuba certified guests visiting Walt Disney World's EPCOT can enjoy DiveQuest, a three-hour experience that includes 40 minutes in the Caribbean Coral Reef Aquarium, home to over 6,000 different species of water creatures.

For those living in Tampa and the surrounding area, certification is easy and affordable with a multitude of dive shops and instructors offering group and individual instruction.

Several agencies offer diving certification, including the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), Scuba Diving International (SDI) - the recreational division of Technical Diving International, and Scuba Schools International (SSI)

Instruction is similar regardless of which certification program you choose.

Scuba Lesson One: Learn the Lingo

The first step in the process involves learning the basic principles of scuba diving, including how water pressure affects the body, things to look for in acquiring the required gear, and basic considerations for dive planning and safety.

My ex-husband and I took classroom instruction when we earned our Scuba certifications a little over 20 years ago. Classroom teaching is still available at some shops, but PADI, SSI, and SDI provide online learning modules that allow prospective divers to cover the book material on their own, at times that are convenient for their schedules.

PADI's eLearning course costs $120 and provides the Open Water Diving Manual, comprehensive knowledge development training, and online assessments. Materials are accessible for up to one year after purchase. Upon successful completion of the assessments, an eLearning Record is prepared that can be presented to any PADI-affiliated dive shop for certification completion. For those who prefer to study at their own pace off-line, PADI offers the manual and DVD instruction for $84.95 plus shipping. SDI offers a comparable online course for $109.95, which is accepted at all SDI/TDI affiliated dive shops. SSI provides its academic component free of charge to students registered for dive training with an SSI dive shop.

Scuba Lesson Two - Time to Get Wet

After completing the technical education, the next step is to practice hands-on skills training with a series of confined dives. Usually conducted in a swimming pool or a pool-like body of water, confined dives allow students to learn dive preparation techniques, acquire emergency skills like how to share air, and get familiar with the feel and function of scuba equipment - all in a safe environment . Most courses include five confined dives.

Students are usually required to provide their own masks, fins, fin booties, snorkels, and weights. Tanks and other dive gear, including wet suits and regulators, are usually provided by the instructor/dive shop. Most shops offer discounts on gear purchased in conjunction with certification courses.

Diver's Tip: For those who, like me, are visually impaired, I strongly suggest purchasing a prescription scuba mask. My prescription mask makes all the difference in making my underwater adventures more enjoyable - even when I am only snorkeling.

Scuba Lesson Three: Dive In!

The final phase of training involves getting out in an open body of water. This is where you combine the book learning and the pool practice and experience the real thing - an actual scuba dive. This is also where the excitement kicks in as you get up close and personal with the vast array of living life forms found under the seas.

Most courses include four open water dives.

Prices for basic Open Water Dive Certification are set by the dive shops but generally run from around $200 and up for group instruction to an average of $450 for individual (one-on-one) lessons.

A short list of Tampa area shops include:

Tampa Scuba Diving (SSI)
www.tampascubadiving.com
813-835-8200

Prices start at $189 plus materials and dive costs for group instruction
$450 for semi-private and $550 for private instruction
Prices include three in-class academic sessions, two pool sessions and five training dives over two days
(First day involves diving in a local spring; second day dives are in the Gulf of Mexico)

World of Water (PADI)
www.worldofwaterinc.com
813-286-3483

Courses start at $250 and are held on Tuesday and Thursday 6:15 pm - 9:30 pm for two weeks.
Three to four confined dives at University of Tampa pool
Four open water dives over two days at Weeki Wachee Springs (Requires $80 admission to Weeki Wachee)

Adventure Diving (SDI)
www.floridafundive.net
866-518-1530

Download a coupon from their website for a $245 price special on the Basic Open Water Certification, which includes at-home academic instruction via CD-Rom. (Online and textbook training available for additional cost) Adventure Diving also offers a brief (one to two hours) "Discover Scuba" lesson for only $99 for those who would like a sneak-peek at what Scuba is all about.

Mike's Private Scuba Lessons (PADI)
www.mikesprivatescubalessons.com
727-798-1269

For those who prefer individual lessons, instructor Mike Miller offers one-on-one classes for $495 for the Basic Open Water Course. He also trains for advanced certifications, including a night diver course. Out-of-towners can complete their academic instruction and confined dives at home and then contact Mike to meet open water dive requirements in Florida's west coast waters.

For a list of PADI-affiliated dive shops in your area, search online at www.padi.com. The world-wide list of SDI-affiliated dive shops is located at www.tdisdi.com. SSI dive shops can be found at www.divessi.com.

Certifications do not vary much between agencies and most will recognize equivalent certifications for advanced training. For those looking for more serious adventure than the basic open water certification allows, advanced, rescue, and master diver certification is available through many of the same dive shops. Certification is available to all physically able individuals 15 years of age and older. Those younger than 15 may be eligible to receive Junior Diver Certification. (Note: Due to international internet laws, online learning is only available to students over the age of 13.)

Technical and price information obtained from PADI, SSI, SDI, and dive shop websites. Other information from personal training and diving experience.