What Are the Requirements for Getting Scuba Certified?
Scuba diving is a fun and exciting activity that can be enjoyed by just about anyone - as long as they have the proper certifications. If you do not have your Certification card or C-card, you should not attempt to dive on your own for the sake of your own safety. If you are interested in receiving your certification, Scubadelphia Diveseekers is a PADI 5-star instructor development center, offering courses for anyone ages ten and up in the Greater Philadelphia Area. The process involves a few steps, all of which are important for ensuring that you are safe and adequately skilled when exploring the underwater world.
Online Learning
Before we get you into the open water to start diving, we need to make sure you are trained on the ins and outs of scuba safety as well as some of the theory behind diving. Typically, this information can be covered throughout the course of a few days. The PADI e-learning course will explain the theory behind scuba diving, the practical skills you will learn in the water as well as the reasons for each of the skills you will be taught. There will be an exam, so make sure you are doing your homework so you are prepared!
Confined Water Pool Sessions
The practical part of the course will be working in the water. Every student is required to have their own quality mask, snorkel, scuba diving fins and booties. Our staff will assist you in picking out and trying on these items so you can purchase the equipment that best fits you. During the pool sessions, we will teach skills such as mask removal, regulator clearing and donning gear as well as ensuring you are comfortable using all of your equipment. There is also a swim test, which requires students to swim 200 yards and tread water for ten minutes. There is no time limit for the swimming portion, and you can use whatever methods you want for both swimming and treading water. If you successfully complete all confined water skills and meet the swim test requirements, you will be able to move forward to your training dives!
Certification Completion
Once you’ve passed your confined water and e-learning, you’re ready to get certified. You can do this anywhere; locally at Dutch Springs lake in Bethlehem, PA, or somewhere else. If you’re going on vacation to an exotic location, such as the Caribbean, you can arrange to get certified during your time there! These dive sessions typically span over 2 days. Over these 2 days, you will need to complete four Open Water dives, all supervised by our team. These dives are the final steps you need to take before obtaining your C-card and being able to go diving whenever you want!
Scubadelphia Diveseekers has been helping Philadelphians receive their scuba certification for years, and we can do the same for anyone interested in exploring the underwater world and discovering new experiences. To learn more about how to sign up for our certification courses, contact us or give us a call at 267-343-5590 today!