What Is The cost Of A PADI Openwater Diver Course?
Research has shown that the PADI Open Water Diver Course offered in America costs between $500-675 dollars USD and $199 - $400 for specialty certification depending on the specialty some carry additional costs like a dive boat or extra equipment.
In Canada, the price of a PADI Open Water Dive Course ranges between $700-$995 with the average price being around $825, again prices vary based on location, access to pool training, instructor availability and what's included in the course and other factors.
Even though there is a variance in price it is very location-specific and prices can be affected by the cost of available pool time, as well as easy or difficult access to open water and escalating Canadian administrative costs like learning materials, Dive Centre and Instructor insurance, etc.
Look for Scuba Course Deals
Like anything else, you can look for and get deals on scuba classes.
For example, you could purchase a course bundle (Openwater and Advanced or Advanced and Rescue or even a scuba course and equipment bundle, which could reduce the overall cost of your course.
If you are a university or college student your school may have a scuba club or you may get student discounts at the local dive centre.
You could also look for holiday specials, event specials like Black Friday or get reduced pricing groups. While none of this is a guarantee I have seen these types of promotions out there many times in many different countries
PADI Open Water Diver Course is Great Starting point to your Scuba Diving Career
The PADI Open Water Dive Course is a great way to get started in the wonderful world of diving. Because it is so well structured, with focus on a positive beginner diver experience and so well supported by a professional training agency.
The average price is relatively affordable and is comparable snow skiing, and other types of water sports. The certification process is not too difficult. However, the main advantage of taking this course is that it provides you with all of the basic knowledge and skills that you need to start diving safely and have fun.
If you are interested in becoming a certified diver, there are three primary options for courses available. Most people go for the PADI Open Water Dive Course because it offers the best initial foundation for learning to dive. Once you have completed this course, you can then take more advanced courses to master different techniques and progress on to diving deeper waters.
How can I enroll in the PADI beginner's scuba course?
If you’re interested in learning more about scuba diving, check out Larry's article which goes into much more detail about the certification process and about our training agency and why it is the preferred training agency by 84% of the world's divers. You can also find out more about the different certification levels here.
Also, if you are in the Edmonton, Alberta area and you would like to learn to scuba dive you can register for your course with Larry Wedgewood Scuba Instruction.
How Long Does The Open water Divers Course Take?
The PADI Open Water Diving course can be done in as little as 5 days depending on your location. In western Canada a 3-weekend course or weekday/weekend course is popular. I have listed a couple of course schedule examples below.
When you take a PADI open water dive course it includes knowledge development sessions, pool training, and a minimum of 4 open-water dives
Example's of a dive course schedules
Consecutive Weekend Schedule
e-Learning/knowledge dev, approximately 12-15 hours, done during the week.
Weekend 1: Saturday knowledge review session with instructor and Pool training. Sunday knowledge review session with instructor and Pool training.
Weekend 2: Saturday knowledge review session and Pool training. *Sunday is for any make-up or extra pool training that may be needed & Final Exam.
Weekend 3: Saturday open water dives 1 & 2 Sunday open water dives 3 & 4
Example of a Consecutive Day Schedule (typical for resorts)
Day 1: The morning is e-Learning & knowledge review, in the afternoon is pool training
Day 2: The morning is e-Learning & knowledge review, in the afternoon is pool training
Day 3: The morning is e-Learning & knowledge review, in the afternoon is pool training,
Final Exam
Day 4: Openwater dives 1 and 2
Day 5: Openwater dives 3 and 4
Example of a Weekday/Weekend Schedule
Friday evening - classroom orientation session
Monday evening - pool dive
Tuesday evening - classroom only
Wednesday evening - pool dive
Thursday evening- pool dive
Saturday - ocean dives 1 & 2
Sunday - ocean dives 3 & 4
The bottom line is there is usually pretty good flexibility to match people's busy schedules.
What Should I Look For In A PADI Instructor?
You should choose a PADI instructor based on his/her qualifications, certifications, and experience. If possible, ask friends and family members who have taken similar courses with other instructors. Larry Wedgewood as a PADI Course Director has the highest level of instructor certification, he has taught in both cold water and tropical environments with hundreds of students to his credit from certifying beginners to certifying Instructors.
If you would like more information about learning to dive in Edmonton, Alberta or on Vancouver Island please reach out.
