Scuba
1. Become certified as an Open Water Diver by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) or
the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI).
If PADI or NAUI instruction and certification are not available, certification may be
accepted from other agencies that comply with the Recreational Scuba Training Council
(RSTC) guidelines, provided that such acceptance has been expressly approved by your local
BSA council in consultation with the BSA national Health and Safety Service.
2. Make a presentation to your crew, another crew, or a Cub or Boy Scout group on
what it takes to become certified and some other subject related to scuba diving.
3. Assist with a Discover Scuba program. (Note: An Open Water Diver may
assist with logistics under the guidance of the instructor conducting the program, but is
not qualified to and is not expected to perform as a professional-level assistant such as
a divemaster or assistant instructor.)
Overview of an Open Water Diver Course
(The following information is provided by PADI)
To get started, contact a local dive center, resort, or diving instructor. The course
normally meets five or six times. Depending upon the time available and your schedule, you
may complete the program as quickly as over a couple of weekends, or as long as several
weeks. There are three basic parts to the course.
Basic knowledge development. By reading and watching a video, or using a CD-ROM,
you learn the basic rules and principles required for diving. You will complete a brief
knowledge review to discuss with your instructor prior to each pool diving session,
followed by a short quiz. This process is typically divided into five sessions, with a
longer, more comprehensive quiz following the fifth one.
Pool diving. You'll dive in a pool to practice scuba diving skills such as swimming
while breathing under water, clearing water from a flooded mask, and sharing air with
another diver. There are five pool diving sessions, each of which typically immediately
follows a knowledge development review. In some areas, pool diving may be in shallow lake
or ocean water with conditions comparable to a pool.
Open water diving. After you complete the knowledge development and pool diving
sessions, you'll make four or more dives in open water with your instructor. During these
dives, you will practice the skills you learned while pool diving, and you'll learn to
interact with the local diving environment.
Scuba Price Ranges
Scuba certification courses range from $150 to $300 depending on location and access
to pool and open-water dive sites. Scuba equipment basics of mask, fins, and snorkel range
from $100 to $300. Most training facilities provide scuba rental equipment for training at
reasonable prices.
Scholarships
PADI offers a multilevel scholarship program to introduce Venturers to the underwater
frontier. Scuba diving is an exciting avocation or vocation that can be enjoyed in just
about every part of the country. For scholarship details, contact the Venturing Division,
S210, P.O. Box 152079, Irving TX 75015-2079.
Resources
- Scuba Diving First Aid, National Safety Council, Jones & Bartlett Publishers, 1996 Buy the Book Today!
- Church, Wendy Canning, Aqua Expeditions: A Global Travel Guide for the Scuba Diver and Snorkeler, Heathcoat Publishing, 1995 Buy the Book Today!
- Graver, Dennis, Scuba Diving, Human Kinetics, 1993 Buy the Book Today!
For More Information
Florida Sea Base
P.O. Box 1906
Islamorada, FL 33036-1906
NAUI Worldwide (National Association of Underwater
Instructors)
9942 Currie Davis Drive, Suite H
Tampa, FL 33619-2667
PADI International (Professional Association of Diving
Instructors)
1251 East Dyer Road, No. 100
Santa Ana, CA 92705-5605