Course Description

Diver certification begins here. To enrol in the PADI Open Water Diver scuba diving course with Toronto Scuba Centre you must be 10 years old or older. You need adequate swimming skills, but no prior experience with scuba diving is required. During your course you will learn all the scuba skills required to complete your open water certification. On completion of the full course you will be issued with your certification card and will be allowed to present your card anywhere in the world and dive to a depth of 18 metres (60 feet).

The Open Water Diver course consists of three main phases all of which need to be completed to receive certification:

1. Knowledge Development to understand basic principles of scuba diving. You can choose to participate in the instructor-led classroom with textbook or self-learning with the PADI eLearning platform.
2. Confined Water Dives to learn basic scuba skills. Completed in the pool over approximately 5 hours.
3. 4 Open Water Dives to use your skills and explore! Completed with us during the summer or on your planned Scuba Getaway trip.

What You Will Learn

At Toronto Scuba Centre you will learn how to safely use the very latest scuba diving equipment including a scuba mask, snorkel, fins, regulator, buoyancy compensator device and a tank. You even get to use a dive computer during the certification dives. Wetsuits are available to rent if you are concerned about temperature.

Classroom vs eLearning

The first step in your scuba training is the academic component, where you learn about the science of scuba diving, equipment selection and care, and various safety considerations. TSC offers two options for the academic training: instructor-led classroom sessions in our dedicated classroom at the dive shop in Leslieville, or self-directed eLearning using the PADI eLearning platform. Both options teach the exact same material, so choose whichever option is best for your learning style and schedule. For those joining us in the classroom, we start at 11am. Those choosing eLearning complete the training on their own time ahead of the pool training, and visit the shop at 2:30pm on the day of their pool training to complete paperwork, attend a gear setup demonstration, and get fitted for their rental equipment. The higher fee for eLearning simply reflects our higher costs to offer this option compared to the physical manual.

Full Course

The full course includes all components for your Open Water certification: the academic training (classroom or eLearning, pool training and certification dives). You will log your open water training dives in the PADI app and upon completion of all requirements, your PADI digital Open Water certification card will be issued. Pool training is available all-year round, open water certification dives are available from June to September. The full course is completed over 4 days (two weekends). Date changes can be accommodated, subject to availability, if you provide at least 2 weeks’ notice. Private courses are available.

Academic and Pool Training Only

If you are planning to complete your open water certification dives abroad, you can choose to complete your academic and pool training locally with TSC. This means more time for relaxing and fun diving while on vacation. Academic and pool training is available all-year round. This course is completed over 2 days, on a weekend. TSC provides paperwork indicating that you’ve completed this training; give this paperwork to your PADI dive centre abroad and they’ll finalize your certification. Private courses are available on weekends at our public pool, or anytime in a student’s private pool with a deep end.

The certification dives must be completed within 12 months of the pool training. If this time lapses, you will need to refresh your skills with additional pool training.

Certification Dives

Four certification dives are conducted only after the academic and pool training have been completed. TSC is happy to enrol any student who presents a PADI referral form dated within the past 12 months from another training facility. This course is completed over 2 days, on weekends, but can also be completed privately mid-week. Certifications dives take place at Gulliver’s Lake (Sun Retreats RV Park), in Millgrove.

Download and complete the Gulliver’s Lake park waiver before your visit

Prerequisites

Absolutely no prior experience with scuba diving is required!

• 10 years of age or older (divers under 15 years will receive a PADI Junior Open Water certification)
• Ability to swim and comfortable in deep water
• Medically fit for diving (review and complete the medication questionnaire here)

What does TSC Include – The most asked question.

TSC includes all scuba gear for training in-pool training. Mask, fins and snorkel are considered personal items in diving but TSC does include these for the pool training so students can experience a high quality product before committing to purchasing. Wetsuits are optional for the pool, but recommended and available for rental. Students will, however, be asked to rent or purchase these personal items for the Open Water certification dives if they haven’t purchased their own by this time. Students are required to take their equipment to the pool and lake, although accommodations can usually be arranged if planned in advance.