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Rather you are new to diving or looking to improve your skills, Justin will ensure enjoyment and comfort throughout your training. All courses are Private and schedules are decided by the students. Justin will do everything possible to accommodate the needs or challenges of all students.
Book a Private San Diego Scuba Course today!
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A Breakdown Of The Open Water Scuba Certification
Are you thinking about getting your Open Water scuba diving certification? Youre not alone as you embark on this quest to explore the underwater realm.
Ive been certified for over ten years and counting and let me tell you it was the best decision of my life.
Every year thousands of people all over the world get scuba certified. Scuba diving is a fast growing hobby that has captivated the hearts of many. With seventy percent of the planet resting underwater, youve got to dive in to truly see what the world has to offer.
The Cost Of Your Open Water Course
Start saving your pocket change future divers taking a scuba diving course can be pretty expensive. Getting your Open Water scuba diving certificate can cost anywhere from $150.00 to $600.00 depending on how you go about deciding to complete your course. The average cost is about $250.00 to $300.00 per student. This price usually includes all the course material including a logbook, bumper sticker, eRDPML calculator and your Open Water Diver manual.
In addition to paying for your Open Water course, most dive centers require student divers to have their own mask, snorkel, boots and open heeled fins. These items can cost a surplus of approximately $250.00 so make sure you budget that into your total cost as well.
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The First Thing You Need To Decide
PADI vs SSI. This was the big question for us. SSI seemed to be cheaper everywhere we looked and they had more deals. We have friends who are certified in both and they are both recognized around the world. We were told its more about the instructor than the course, which we lucked out on. We also heard people say PADI is still more widely recognized and easier to access. We decided, just to be safe, to go with PADI.
Discover Scuba Diving Class

The Discover Scuba Diving Class is a fast and easy introduction into the exploration of the underwater world. This class is not a certification course, however, you will learn various skills that are necessary to become a PADI certified diver. No prior experience with scuba diving is necessary, all you need is a sense of adventure and be in reasonable physical health. You will learn the basics of scuba diving, and then take a 30-45 minute tour in the open water where you will see various types of aquatic life. You will learn some of the physics of diving, the physiological effects of diving, learn about the scuba equipment, breath underwater, learn key skills for diving, and most of all have fun while exploring the underwater world. If you decide that diving is for you, then your DSD cost will be credited toward the cost of becoming a full fledged Padi Open Water Scuba Diver. Book now to begin your scuba adventure!
What Is The Cost?
Confined Water & Open Water, : $200.00 Per Person.
What Days Are The Discover Scuba Diving Classes Available?
Monday thru Sundays.
Discover Scuba Diving Class days and time vary depending on instructor and pool availability.
Contact us and we will schedule a day and time that will cater to your schedule.
How Many Divers Are Necessary To Participate?
The minimum participation is two, with a maximum of four new divers.
What We Provide
We provide a certified instructor. ALL DIVING GEAR INCLUDED.
What We Need From You
Payment Requirements
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Enjoy The Natural Wonders Of San Diego With A Scuba Trip
San Diego is known for its ocean exposure and its great reefs that lie just off the shore. There are plenty of beaches that have reef exposure and give guests a chance to see into the life of a marine plant or animal. These reefs make for extremely unique and amazing San Diego scuba diving locations. If you are looking to plan a trip to go scuba diving in San Diego, make sure you check out these must-see scuba locations during your stay.
Private La Jolla Cove Scuba Diving Tour
Take a private 2-Tank Guided Dive at La Jolla Cove without the distraction of other divers.
This is the perfect scuba tour for:
- Beginning divers who want to hone their skills
- Traveling photographers / videographers
- Divers with any specific needs or sightseeing interests
Well cater this tour to your needs.
Price: $350
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Do I Have To Be A Good Swimmer To Become A Scuba Diver
Youll be more comfortable in the water if youre a proficient swimmer. However, the swimming requirements for the PADI / SSI Open Water Course are modest. You must be able to perform a 200-yard swim without stopping, but you may choose any swim style. You must also be able to tread water for 10 minutes .
Where To Get Dive Certified
You can get dive certified at any local dive shop. If youre in the SoCal area, we highly recommend House of Scuba. Otherwise, you can google your area to see what they have available or even use the PADI dive shop locator. If any of you are deal hunters out there, be wary of groupon or living social deals that look really cheap. Sometimes they have hidden fees or charge you for stuff they may have normally included. We stopped by House of Scuba where they walked us through the whole process and got us scheduled for our classes.
Also if you can help it, dont get certified while youre on vacation. We think its a waste of vacation time. Its better to get certified at home and spend your valuable time exploring the amazing destination you traveled to.
If youre unsure about the whole thing, a lot of shops offer an intro class that gives you a chance to get your feet wet . You basically get to play in a pool and see if you even like the scuba diving sensation. Keep in mind that time doesnt count towards your certification!
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House Of Scuba Is A Padi 5 Star Idc Facility
- House of Scuba is a PADI 5 Star IDC Dive Facility and is the fastest growing PADI Scuba instructional facility in San Diego with premiere scuba instructors that offer decades of experience. Additionally, we offer competitive pricing, top quality rental gear and overall great customer service with Guaranteed Customer Satisfaction
- Instructional staff with over 30 years of Diving Experience
- Class size limited to 6 students to ensure the best overall educational experience.
- Comprehensive Training that prepares divers to be their best in a variety of dive environments
- Scuba Instructors who are friendly and truly enjoy teaching which will make your Scuba Certification that much more enjoyable!
- Packaged, Competitive Pricing
- Our rental fleet is only high-end, quality gear that is maintained at the highest standards.
Are you ready to experience one of the most adventurous activities possible? Submit the form below or give us a call at 858-581-2800 and ask to speak with one of our Scuba Instructors!
Are The Dives Very Strenuous
Our scuba tours are enjoyed by divers of all ages and experience levels, but its always best to do your own homework. California diving does not equal your average boat diving in tropical waters. Youll have to access the water by walking down a set of stairs and over some sand. You must also be comfortable entering through low surf, on certain days. Most often, dives require only a short swim to the point of descent.
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Padi San Diego Scuba Certifications
San Diego scuba lessons offers the highest quality PADI certified private scuba instruction in San Diego. With over 20 years experience of diving and teaching in San Diego, Justin has certified over 500 hundred divers from around the world. Many imitate but none can duplicate our hands on, attentive, laid back approach to SCUBA instruction. Learn to Scuba San Diego today and enjoy many years of wonderful dive experiences around the world.
Do I Have To Be Certified To Take A Guided Scuba Tour

Due to the ocean conditions in Southern California, we require all participants to show proof of a scuba diver certification from an internationally recognized scuba training agency. We accept certifications from SSI, PADI, SDI/TDI, NAUI, and others. If your training agency is not listed here, please inquire directly with us.
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Picking A Dive Institution
For a newbie diver that has finally decided to bite the bullet and take an Open Water scuba course, it can be very overwhelming trying to determine which institution to get certified with. PADI, NAUI, SSI there are over 50 options to choose from when it comes to diving!
Professional Association of Diving Instructors :
PADI is the largest dive organization worldwide. Every year this for-profit company trains tons of scuba divers, from beginner all the way up to the professional level. PADI has recognized dive shops all over the world.
National Association of Underwater Instructors :
NAUI is a not for profit organization that prides itself on the educational aspect of diving. They have one of the highest training standards in the recreational diving industry and have had scuba diving pioneers like Jacques-Yves Cousteau on their Board of Directors.
What Is The Cancellation Policy
A full refund will be given for reservations canceled/rescheduled 72 hours prior to the dive, or if the dive is canceled by the guide due to unsafe diving conditions.
- Reservations canceled within 48 hours of the scheduled dive day will be charged 50% of the rate
- Reservations canceled within 24 to 12 hours will be charged 75% of the rate
- No refunds are issued for reservations canceled less than 12 hours prior to the dive, or if the diver decides not to complete the dives at the time of diving
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Scuba Diving Lessons For Kids
With their natural curiosity and affinity to learn new skills, children can make some of the best scuba divers. Introducing kids to scuba diving is something worth looking forward to, especially for parents who love diving. If youre that kind of parent, chances are youre just looking for the right opportunity to share your passion for the underwater world with your kid. This article includes a list of all the scuba diving courses kids can take and the minimum age for scuba lessons.
So what are you waiting for? Read on and find out more about getting your little ones underwater and unlocking a lifetime of family scuba diving adventures!
The Open Water Course Structure And Duration
The Open Water course structure consists of a theoretical section, pool section, and open water section. In total this course takes about three to five days to complete. If you consider yourself a fish underwater, the intensive three-day course will likely be perfect for you. If you are a little more nervous in the water, the four or five-day course is a more reasonable length for practice and better instructor coaching.
In the theoretical section students hit the books and learn all about the underwater world. This section can be completed online, studied independently or acquired in a classroom. Throughout the theoretical part, student familiarizes themselves with the basic principles of scuba diving . At the end of the theoretical section, students complete a multiple choice test from which they must pass to move on to the hands-on portion of the course.
The final part of the course is, in my opinion, the most exciting part! Rookie divers will finally get to use all their skill to venture out into the real world and explore. In the open water sessions, students must complete four-five dives in which they redemonstrate the skills learned in the pool. Typically the first, second and third dive is dedicated to orientation and scuba skills, and the last dives are more relaxed allowing you to bring everything together.
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Why Take A Private Scuba Course
Heres why you might want to take a private or semi-private scuba course:
- You have a busy or complicated schedule
- You want to get certified within a short amount of time
- You want a more individualized learning experience with more attention from your instructor
- Youre nervous about scuba diving and want the most stress-free training experience possible
Scuba diving is a safe sport when youre properly trained. Sometimes, beginning scuba divers receive poor training because of:
- Large Class Sizes: When your scuba class has more than 4 students, youll receive far less guidance from your instructor and it will be more difficult to master your basic skills.
- Rushed Courses: Some scuba diving instructors want to rush through your training as quickly as possible so they can book the next group of students.
At Dive California, we want you to feel safe and confident when you head off on your own dive adventures. Thats why we only offer private and semi-private scuba courses. A small class size ensures that youre going to get the best scuba training possible.
Picking And Instructor/dive Shop To Certify You
There are three ways to get scuba certified locally, on vacation, or a combination of both.
1. Getting your Scuba Certification Locally
Have some friends that already have their scuba certification? Talk to them and get some feedback. Find out how they liked their course and the instructor.
If youre coming into diving with no prior connections or knowledge, take a trip to your local dive shop. Nothing beats a good old face to face meeting with a future instructor. Many sure to ask lots of questions about the length of the course, dates of the course, cost of the course, scuba institution you will become certified with, the maximum number of students in the class, what kind of material you need read before the course starts.
2. Getting your Scuba Certification while on Vacation
If getting certified at a local dive shop is not for you, or your hometown doesnt have a scuba center, you can opt to do your Open Water diving certification on vacation. Lots of southern dive locations have courses offered on a regular basis, and you can complete your certification in as little as three to four days.
Make sure to check in with PADI, NAUI or SSI and find out which dive centers they would recommend so you can ensure that your training is conducted safely and professionally.
3. Getting your Scuba Certification Locally and on Vacation
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Scuba Diving San Diego Legend The Giant Kelp Forest
Scuba Diving San Diego is famous worldwide for the vast forests of giant kelp. While there are plenty of dive sites to encounter these huge forests, diving at La Jolla Cove from Shore is the best location. Wandering into the water of the sandy beach, this relatively shallow site is perfect for divers and snorkelers.
Diving La Jolla Cove, you will spend most of your time in the shallows. Atypical dive around here varies in depth between 10ft/3m and 45ft/13.5m. Although it can venture a little deeper to around 60ft/18m, most of the action and the enormous kelp forests are in the shallows. One thing to remember is that access to the beach is via a set of stairs, so ensure you are comfortable going up and down stairs with your scuba gear on.
Underwater the are lots of fascinating things to see. While the giant kelp, which can reach lengths of 100ft/30m, is the main attraction, other marine life is aplenty. Checking out the rocky reef on the bottom, there are many critters. Amongst the kelp, you have a good chance of encountering harbor seals and curious sealions who can be very friendly and curious about divers.
Post Open Water Scuba Certification

Youve passed your theory with flying colors, aced all your underwater skills and logged all the bottom time required to complete your Open Water certification. Way to go you are now part of the club!
But your scuba diving should not stop there. Once you become a diver, its important to keep active in the diving industry and perfect all those skills you learned during the course. Try and find a local club to join and sign up for their online scuba diving newsletter to stay current in the diving world. Keeping your diving skills sharp and your scuba diving knowledge cutting edge will ensure that you have a fabulous and safe dive!
For all those non-divers contemplating getting their certification what is the one thing holding you back from taking the plunge into the world of scuba diving?
Writers Note: This post was created in collaboration with Globo Surf. Globo Surf is a website for snow, land and water sports equipment and reviews. Their mission is to personally help as many people as possible to get the right gear in order to have the best day out in the water as possible.
Additionally, this post may contain affiliate links. We will make a small commission if you make a purchase through one of these links, at no extra cost to you. See full disclosure and disclaimer policy here.
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Organizing a dive vacation can be a challenge. To help, keep these four questions in mind when planning your next scuba diving vacation.
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What To Think About Before Diving Into Your Open Water Certification
Learning to scuba dive is an adventure that will change your world. Bridging the gap between swimming and snorkeling to full-fledged scuba diving is a big step. Its also a pretty expensive endeavor.
I was a swimmer my entire life before I became a scuba diver. I could never get enough of the underwater world. As a kid I use to spend hours in the water pretending I was a mermaid. By the time I finished elementary school I knew I wanted to get into something ocean related. In high school I geared all of my studies towards conquering my dream and becoming a marine biologist.
A post shared by Travel Buddies 4 Life on May 17, 2018 at 8:08am PDT
To make sure you are ready to take the plunge into the beautiful world of diving here are a few questions to keep in mind: