Scuba Lessons

PADI Discover Scuba

Have you always wondered what it's like to breathe underwater? If you want to try scuba diving, but aren't quite ready to take the plunge into a certification course, Discover Scuba Diving is for you. While not a scuba certification course, Discover Scuba Diving is a quick and easy introduction to what it takes to explore the underwater world. No prior experience with scuba diving is necessary, but you need to be in reasonable physical health. All equipment will be provided. You learn the basic safety guidelines and skills needed to dive under the direct supervision of a PADI Professional. Are you ready to try it out?

Prerequisites: none

Minimum age: 10 years or older

Total time: 1 hour eLearning, 1-2 Hours in the pool

Cost: $50*- UMD Students/ RecWell Members, $60* - Community Members

 email for info and scheduling: scuba@umd.edu 

ReActivate is the engaging, efficient way to refresh your scuba skills. Move quickly through topics you know well, dive deeper on topics where your knowledge may have lapsed. In water practice with a dive professional and receive a new card that recognizes your new "ReActivated" date. Your PADI certification never expires; but if you haven't been diving in a while, it's better to be over-prepared than risk a problem because you forget something important. Take this course if you want to refresh you skills before a trip, prepare for your next course, get an updated certification card.
 

Learn How to: Assemble a scuba unit, Handle common problems, Perform basic skills with ease

eLearning time commitment: 2-3 hours

Pool time commitment: 1-2 hours

Minimum age: 10 years or older

Cost: $100*- UMD Students/ RecWell Members, $120* - Community Members

Knowledge And Confined Water Skill Development

There are 3 parts to becoming a certified PADI scuba diver: Knowledge Development via independent e-Learning, skill development in confined water (pool) and open water checkout dives (quarry or open water). This class satisfies the first 2 requirements. . To complete your PADi Open Water Diver certification, you must complete the open water checkout dives.

The PADI eLearning system is a comprehensive multimedia knowledge development system that will present and teach core scuba concepts, skills and principles necessary to scuba dive safely. The PADI eLearning material has 5 sections covering equipment, skills and basic dive physics and physiology. Each topic has a knowledge review to reinforce your learning and each section has a quiz to test your understanding of the material. There is an Open Water Diver Exam after completing all the material to test your knowledge of the presented material. After completing the eLearning material and completing all the required forms you will be ready to jump in the pool. Your instructor will meet with you to answer any questions, brief you on the water skills confined water portion of the class and provide a review of the eLearning material.

Your pool time will be spent learning basic scuba skills and techniques that are the core of safe diving. It will start with a water skills assessment consisting of a 200 yard swim (not timed) and a 10 minute water tread (float). The water skills development will be conducted over 5 dives, practicing and mastering the required skills. These skills will thoroughly prepare you for the Open Water Checkout dives in the follow on class. UMD RECWELL will provide all equipment for the confined water portion of the class. It is strongly recommended that students purchase mask, snorkel, fins and boots for the open water checkout dive portion of the next class.

Open water checkout dives are scheduled during the spring/summer/fall timeframe at a local quarry. An Open Water Referral will be provided at the completion of this class so you can complete your certification Open Water checkout dives at any PADI facility anywhere in the world.

Did you know you can earn college credits learning how to scuba dive? Email us at scuba@umd.edu to sign up and find out how!

Time commitment:  ELearning 5-10 hours and Pool 16 hours

Minimum age: 10 years old

Cost: Cost: $380*- UMD Students/ RecWell Members, $450* - Community Members

*Registration closes a week prior to start date to allow time for online learning to be completed.

*This does not include fees for the open water certification dives. 

Congratulations on completing the pool and online session of your Open Water Class!

Now it’s time to complete your certification dives. This will be four dives done over the course of two days at one of the local quarries. In these four dives, you will demonstrate mastery of the skills learned in the pool in an open water setting, be involved in dive planning, practice equalizing your ears and practice different methods of safe entries and exits.

Class dates are held in late spring, summer, and early fall- upcoming dates TBD.

• Prerequisites: Must have completed the Open Water Pool portion and the online learning.
• Equipment Needed/Provided: You will need to bring with you a bathing suit, towel, mask, snorkel, fins, and boots. All other dive equipment will be provided. 
• Paperwork: If you are coming from another dive facility or haven’t been in the water in over a year, you will need to fill out all new paperwork which will be sent to you.
• Schedule: Meet at the Quarry Saturday morning. The Quarry is approximately three hours so plan to stay overnight. The quarries do have camping and there are hotels nearby that we can recommend. We will finish the dives late Sunday afternoon.
• Cost: $275*

*This does not include entrance fees into the Quarries (around $30/day.)

Interested in camping during your certification, rental gear is available through the RecWell Adventure Program!

Exploration, excitement, and experiences are what scuba diving is all about. The Advanced Open Water Diver course is designed to advance your diving, so you can start right after earning your PADI Open Water Diver certification. The course helps build confidence and expand your scuba skills through different Adventure Dives. You try out different specialties while gaining experience under the supervision of your PADI Instructor. You log dives and develop capabilities as you find new ways to have fun scuba diving.

You’ll plan your learning path with your instructor by choosing from a long list of Adventure Dives, there are two required dives – Deep and Underwater Navigation – and you and your instructor choose the other three based on your interests, for a total of five dives. 

1. During the Deep Adventure Dive, you learn how to plan dives to deal with the physiological effects and challenges of deeper scuba diving.
2. The Underwater Navigation Adventure Dive refines your compass navigation skills and helps you better navigate using kick-cycles, visual landmarks and time.
3. The other knowledge and skills you get to vary with your interest and the adventures you have – photography, buoyancy control, fish identification, exploring wrecks and many more.

Class dates are held in late spring, summer, and early fall- upcoming dates TBD.

Please review the following details prior to your course:

• Equipment Needed: You will need your own mask, snorkel, fins, and boots. All other gear will be provided.
• Paperwork: If you are coming from another dive facility or haven’t been in the water in over a year, you will need to fill out all the new paperwork which will be sent to you.
• Schedule: Meet at the Quarry Saturday morning. The Quarry is approximately three hours so plan to stay overnight. The quarries do have camping and there are hotels nearby that we can recommend. We will finish the dives late Sunday afternoon.
• Cost: $275*

*This does not include entrance fees into the Quarries (around $30/day.)

PADI Enriched Air (NITROX) Diver

Enriched air, also known as NITROX or EANx, contains less nitrogen than regular air. Breathing less nitrogen means you can enjoy longer dives and shorter surface intervals. No wonder Enriched Air Diver is the most popular PADI® specialty. Take this course if you want to: get NITROX air fills, stay at depth longer, enjoy shorter surface intervals

Learn how to: Dive with NITROX, Use an oxygen air analyzer, set your computer for NITROX

After finishing your independent study (eLearning), you'll learn how to analyze a tank, fill out an enriched air log, and set your dive computer for NITROX.

Prerequisites: PADI Open Water Diver (or qualifying certification)

Time Commitment: eLearning 2-4 hours and classroom 1 hour

Minimum age: 12 years or older

Cost: $180*- UMD Students/ RecWell Members, $215* - Community Members

email for info and scheduling: scuba@umd.edu

Equipment Specialist

Don't miss a dive due to minor issues with your scuba diving equipment. Whether it's a missing o-ring, wetsuit tear or a broken fin strap, the PADI Equipment Specialist course teaches you to manage basic repairs and adjustments. You'll also learn more about how your gear works, making you more comfortable with it and better prepared to take care of your investment. Take this course if you want to: Make minor gear repairs, Avoid missing dives due to gear issues, Maximize the life of your equipment

PADI eLearning- Through animations and interactive diagrams, you’ll peek under the hood and learn how your scuba gear works. Complete the independent study portion of the course at your own pace, online or offline, using a computer or mobile device. Connect with your instructor for hands-on training, or whenever you have a question.

With Your Instructor in the classroom- Get hands-on experience making minor equipment repairs and learn about different types of dive gear. Learn how to properly clean and maintain gear, and how to create a save-a-dive kit.

Prerequisites: PADI (Junior) Scuba Diver (or qualifying entry-level certification

Time commitment:  elearning 2-4 hours and classroom time 2 hours

Minimum age: 10 years or older

Cost: $150*- UMD Students/ RecWell Members, $180* - Community Members

email for info and scheduling: scuba@umd.edu

• The minimum age to take all SCUBA courses is 10 years old. 
• Please complete the Required Paperwork and bring with you to your first lesson. 
• Make sure that when you fill out the dates on the forms, you write it as DAY/MONTH/YEAR.
• On the Medical Statement, you must answer YES or NO on each line. If you have a YES, you must have a doctor sign off on your medical before you are allowed into the water.
• Refresher Course Only: Certified as a PADI (junior) Scuba Diver or Entry-level diver certification from another training organization (with a minimum of four (4) open water training dives)
• Once you register for a class, you will recievea link for online training that must be completed prior to the first class date. The online learning is PADI Open Water Diver elearning.

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For your pool sessions you will need to bring a bathing suit and towel. We will provide all equipment for your pool session. It is highly recommended that you purchase a mask, fins, snorkel, and possibly dive boots (depending on the fins you have).

For the refresher class only, you will also need BCD, regulator, and a dive computer or timing device. You will need those items for your certification dives, and practicing in the pool is the best place to do this. We can recommend dive shops in the area where you can purchase these items.