We are happy to welcome divers from all over the country and world to finish their Open Water training here in sunny San Diego!
We have year-round diving and are happy to complete your training. We can take divers at any stage of training, including conducting the full course, all in-water training, or just the ocean dives!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why should I take the Open Water class with Beyond Land Adventures?
Great question! We pride ourselves on producing excellent divers who are trained to explore the underwater world. We have the highest quality rental gear and only hire exceptional dive professionals. We commit ourselves to small class sizes to maintain a good relationship between instructors and students. We are instructor owned and operated, so our focus is and always will be on diver education.Learn more about what makes us excpetional!
What certification will I earn by completing of the course?
Upon successful completion of the course, you will be certified as an Open Water Diver, which means you can dive down to 60 feet. Your certification is valid all across the world and does not expire (if you do not dive for a long period of time, such as more than a year, dive boats and resorts may require that you take a refresher course before joining them on dives).
How good of a swimmer do I have to be to participate in SCUBA diving?
Most divers are not competing with Michael Phelps, but diving does require basic swimming skills and comfort in the water. All divers must complete a 200 yard swim and a 10 minute tread / float.
I really want to become a diver, but I have some fears about the water; what can I do to work through my fears?
SCUBA Diving does have inherent risks. We spend many hours covering how to dive recreationally to teach you how to dive in the safe manner that thousands of divers, all over the world, use every year.
How intense is SCUBA Diving?
Recreational SCUBA Diving is most akin to hiking. It's a calm exploration of the awe-inspiring beauty of nature. When diving, we are not swimming rapidly or working hard as this would disrupt the enviornment we are trying to observe. There are specialized sub-sports within diving, such as Cave Diving and Extended Range Diving, that can be more intense, but few divers participate in those relative to the millions that dive recreationally.
What about sharks?
We have many native sharks in San Diego, but they're probably not the ones you're thinking of. The sharks we most commonly encounter are small, bottom-feeder sharks that are terrified of us. As a diver, you will learn how much of a challenge it is to find sharks underwater. Thousands of divers share the ocean with sharks every day by being respectful of the ocean and its inhabitants. Shark attacks among divers are incredibly rare, even more rare than among surfers, and usually provoked by the human doing something that defies common sense. Want to learn more about sharks? Take our Shark Ecology Specialty!
Is the water much colder in the winter?
This is a pretty common misconception, but water temperature varies much less drastically than land temperatures in the San Diego area. While there are fluctuations and the winter is usually a little colder, we wear 7mm thick wetsuits to keep us comfortable year-round.
I have a particular health condition that I am concerned about. Can I SCUBA dive?
There are many conditions that may be affected by SCUBA diving and the best course of action is to check with your physician. If you would like to check whether you are medically fit to dive, have your physician complete this form.
Why do you suggest students purchase their own mask, snorkel, fins, gloves and boots?
Safety and comfort. A diver's mask is her or his window to the underwater world, but the window does not work well when there is water inside it. A well fitting mask is essential to being able to dive safely and the best way to find one is to be professionally fitted for a mask by one of our dive professionals. Additionally, good gear allows divers with differing sensitivities to cold, differing body types, and differing swimming abilities to all dive comfortably and enjoy the underwater world. We do our best to help our students find the right gear and offer 10% off all personal gear purchased for the course!
I started the course, but did not complete my training. Do I need to start over?
Divers may not have longer than a year gap in their training, so if it has been more than a year, you will have to start the course from the beginning. If it has been less than a year, simply bring us a referral form from your previous instructor and we can guide you on the next steps to getting certified!
How old do you have to be get certified?
8 year olds may participate in the SCUBA Rangers program
10 year olds may participate in the Junior Open Water program
12 year olds may participate in the standard Open Water course with some considerations
15 year olds may participate in the standard Open Water program
There are no waivers for age. All participants must be the minimum age for the program they are in on the day the sign up for the program.
I have some friends who say they were certified under SSI, others that say PADI, and others say something else. What is the difference and what do you teach?
Here at Beyond Land Adventures, we are certified to train new divers all the way through dive professionals under both SSI and PADI. We primarily train divers in SSI and all our group courses are offered as SSI courses. We offer PADI courses as private courses for those who are specifically interested in getting the PADI certification. We strongly believe in our courses and look forward to teaching you! Learn more about certification agencies here.
How soon after the course may I get on an airplane?
You should plan to board your flight no sooner than 24 hours after the end of your final day of training.
COSTS
Ocean Dives Only:
1 Diver: $459
2 or More Divers: $329 per person
Classroom, Pool, and Ocean Dives: