The Dive Otter

During Open Water Training

[ Divers Ready YouTube ]
Classes
You will generally have two choices to make when you signup for your Open Water Certification as it pertains to the "book work" that is required: Every scuba agency has different quality of study material as they are commercial entities and what/how they prioritize what they spend their revenue on is up to them. Every agency will, generally, teach the same basic material. However, they are free to conduct that training however they want and with whatever technology they believe their customers want. I personally do not like sitting in classes, so I chose the Online + Classroom option.

Your first 8 dives (4 confined + 4 open water) are generally going to going something like...

In The Water
  • Pool Dive 1 : Get comfortable under water
  • Pool Dive 2 : Do basic skills
  • Pool Dive 3 : Do more basic skills
  • Pool Dive 4 : More of the same to get comfortable
You will then generally do exactly the same things you did in the pool, in the open water.

  • OW Dive 1 : Get comfortable under water
  • OW Dive 2 : Do basic skills
  • OW Dive 3 : Do more basic skills
  • OW Dive 4 : Fun dive or any basic skills you didn't have time for before
Open Water Class in a Pool
Crystal Blue Diving OW Class

Stay Calm - You've Got This


I know this is easier said than done. Everyone is nervous, uncertain, and at some level of scared the first dozen times they go under water on compressed gas. Yes...even me. I was born and raised around water, played water polo and I have no problem dorking around in the water, having water splashed in my face, water up my nose, etc. Scuba diving is a new thing that is not natural. Try not to be hard on yourself. If you need more time or multiple attempts at a skill to feel comfortable with it...so be it.

On my second open water dive I was asked to flood my mask and clear it. Something that doesn't bother me and I had done multiple times in the pool and frankly, I've done it dozens of times while snorkeling. I did the skill and for some reason, I didn't blow air out of my nose...I sucked it in...water and all. I immediately started coughing through my regulator. Now remember...my mask is full of water, my eyes are shut and my instructor is 2 feet from me. My brain started yelling STAY CALM...and this is the key. With my eyes closed I gave my instructor the OK signal with my right hand and held it there while I kept coughing through my regulator until I had recovered. THEN I did the mask clear. Do one thing at a time. When one thing goes sideways...fix that one thing. Come back to the skill when you are calm. There are no bonus points for going fast.
Happy face of a scuba diver finishing their Open Water Certification dives
* Just finished their final OW dive with Crystal Blue Diving on a dive trip to Cozumel