Beginner SCUBA Courses - LEARN TO DIVE - SCUBA LESSONS

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. PADI dive shops offer this program either in a pool, off a beach or from a dive boat. You can try scuba close to home or while you’re on vacation at a dive destination. While not a scuba certification course, Discover Scuba Diving is a quick and easy introduction to what it takes to explore the underwater world. To sign up for a PADI Discover Scuba Diving experience, you must be at least 10 years old. No prior experience with scuba diving is necessary, but you need to be in reasonable physical health. Are you ready to try it out? Use the event locator to find and schedule a Discover Scuba Diving experience near you.

You will:
- Learn what wearing scuba equipment feels like and how easy it is to move around underwater while wearing it
- Find out what it's like to breathe underwater and learn whether you can be comfortable there
- Learn some basic skills and safety rules that will carry over to your full scuba certification course when you take the next step

The scuba gear you'll use:

Southern Maryland Divers provides ALL the gear you will need for this course. Just bring your bathing suit, a towel, and a change of clothes.

You'll use all the basic scuba gear including a mask , snorkel and fins, a buoyancy compensating jacket that also carries your scuba tank, a scuba regulator to breathe from and instrumentation to monitor depth and air supply. 

Schedule:

We offer the PADI Discover Scuba Course during the first pool session of any of our scheduled Open Water Scuba classes. 

Prerequisites:

To take the PADI Discover Scuba course you must be at least 10 years of age and have a completed PADI Medical Waiver.

Course Fee: - $100.00

Contact us to get signed up!

CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING CLASS DATES!!

The PADI Open Water Diver Certification course consists of 3 steps. Each step MUST be completed in its entirety before the next step can be started.

Step 1 - Academic Work  

Utilizing the PADI E-Learning online course, you will learn all academic material to prepare you to dive safely. The E-learning course is a very thorough and multimedia rich course designed to keep your attention and make this process fun! The course can take anywhere from 12-16 hours and you can start and stop as often as you like. This step MUST be completed before you head into step 2. Please make sure you obtain your PADI E-learning course code from us when you sign up for the course.

Not sure about the E-learning online content? Try it FREE HERE!

Ready to DIVE IN NOW? Get started on the E-learning content now by CLICKING HERE!

Step 2 - Pool "Confined Water" Sessions

After you have completed the online course, it's time to get wet! Depending on which pool sessions you choose with us, you will complete at least 8 hours of in-water "pool" time with your instructor over either a Saturday and Sunday at a local indoor pool or over four evenings at our on-site pool located at our dive shop. You will be learning all the skills required to venture into the open water environment and conduct safe dives. Your pool sessions MUST be completed before continuing on to the final and third step.

Step 3 - Checkout Weekend - "Open Water Dives"

This is the final step in your Open Water Class. You will join us on one of our scheduled weekends (Saturday and Sunday) to demonstrate everything you have learned over the period of (4) Open Water Dives. Your instructor will be by your side evaluating you and the best part is we will have a ton of fun! After your fourth dive, you will be certified as a PADI Open Water Diver. 

Course Fee: $695.00 

(E-learning is included and will be issued after payment is made)

If you've come to us with your E-learning already purchased directly through PADI, we will deduct $100 from the above course fee.

***NOTE!***

Our course fee is ALL INCLUSIVE with the exception of personal gear which consists of your mask, snorkel, fins, and fin boots. It's extremely important that those items fit you properly and everyone fits a little different. We provide our students with a 10% discount on those items in the shop along with custom fitting by one of our highly qualified staff members. 

Our ALL INCLUSIVE course fee means you won't pay a single cent more for your training. We cover everything to include pool fee's, all other required gear, tank air fills, quarry entry fee's, and everything in-between. We don't believe in suckering you in with a low cost just to tag on additional fee's along the way. 

CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING CLASS DATES AND SCHEDULE!

Contact us to get signed up!

Southern Maryland Divers understands a busy schedule. That is why we offer the PADI Open Water certification course in a compressed three day course. How can we do this you ask? It's easy! Keep in mind, this price includes EVERYTHING! Quarry entry fees, *complete gear rental, and even air fills! No surprise fees or other costs. No interaction in person at our shop is required for this course. You can complete EVERYTHING via email, phone, fax before your weekend at the quarry. This option is attractive to busy schedules. 

This class is taught using the PADI "E-Learning" option where all of your classroom content is completed online. You will need to complete the online course in its entirety before you arrive at the quarry. Over three full days at the quarry, we will complete all of the required skills and knowledge content needed to certify you as an Open Water Diver. 

Day 1 (Friday)
Starting bright and early, we will meet under a shelter and review all of the knowledge reviews you have already completed. We will then take the final exam and review it as well. After that, we spend the rest of the day working on confined water (pool) skills in the area of the quarry that qualifies as confined water. This will be the longest day of the weekend. 

Day 2 (Saturday)
Starting bright and early, we begin with a briefing and some topside skills. We then head to the water and complete open water dive one. After a short break, we will complete open water dive two. We will break for lunch and then complete open water divethree and finish the day with a final post dive debriefing. Students are always welcome to join us around the campfire for some "Chapter six" content after dinner. 

Day 3 (Sunday)
Starting bright and early, we will head to the water for the fourth and final dive of the class. After a post dive debriefing, we will have graduation, and class pictures. We are usually done before lunch. At this point you are free to head home! Depending on interest, we will offer students the opportunity to have an additional dive or two that can count towards your PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certification.​

Course Fee: $895.00

***NOTE!***

Our course fee is ALL INCLUSIVE with the exception of personal gear which consists of your mask, snorkel, fins, and fin boots. It's extremely important that those items fit you properly and everyone fits a little different. We provide our students with a 10% discount on those items in the shop along with custom fitting by one of our highly qualified staff members. 

Our ALL INCLUSIVE course fee means you won't pay a single cent more for your training. We cover everything to include pool fee's, all other required gear, tank air fills, quarry entry fee's, and everything in-between. We don't believe in suckering you in with a low cost just to tag on additional fee's along the way. 

You might consider starting your PADI Advanced Open Water Course during your open water checkout weekend. Checkout this VIDEO explaining how you can SAVE money and time by starting your Advanced Course the same weekend you complete your Open Water Course.

Contact us to get signed up!

At Southern Maryland Divers, we understand your time and money is valuable. That is why we have created several "core packages" which allows you to get the most our of your time and finances. These courses were designed around the most popular classes that we see students take after getting certified as a PADI Open Water Diver. By combining the courses and completing them together, you get the benefits of saving money and time.

What's included? - (4) Certifications!

PADI Open Water Diver Course

PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Course

PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty Course

PADI Delayed Surface Marker Buoy Specialty Course

Gear rental, Quarry Fee's AND air fills for the entire (4) days of training

Core Package Fee: $1350

These courses taken separately would cost $1530 and require the student to rent gear, cover quarry entry and air fill fees. By completing the core package with us, you save over $425 versus taking the courses separately. (Quarry entry fee's, gear rental, and air fills are taken into consideration when calculating the total savings of $425)

What is the benefit of taking these courses?

• Most shops and charters that offer dives deeper than 60ft require the diver be certified as an Advanced Open Water Diver
• Buoyancy is one of the hardest skills to master. Some extra time working on it with an instructor will help you get there
• Suface marker buoy use is a tricky skill to master but essential when ocean diving. You will be a pro by the end of class
• You get extra time in the water with one of our highly qualified instructors. This ensures your ready to start your diving adventure!

Combining these courses requires two full weekends of training at the quarry. A sample schedule is below but each instructor may choose to run the order differently. 

Quarry Weekend #1

Saturday - Open Water Dives 1, 2, and 3

Sunday - Open Water Dive 4, Advanced Open Water Dives 1 (Peak Buoyancy)  and 2 (Delayed Surface Marker Buoy)

Quarry Weekend #2

Saturday - Advanced Open Water Dives 3 (Deep), 4 (Navigation), and 5 (Wreck)

Sunday - Delayed Surface Marker Buoy Dive 2 (Dive 1 completed in Advanced Open Water) Peak Performance Buoyancy Dive 2 (Dive 1 completed in Advanced Open Water).

Contact us to get signed up!

Want to get scuba certified in a destination location? Who doesn't? 

While we always suggest getting certified here so you can enjoy every day of diving during your vacation, we also understand that there are circumstances that might keep you from being able to complete your "Checkout" dives here with us. In this case, you can complete the academic work and pool work with us and then complete your certification process during your vacation!

Step 1 - Academic Work  

Utilizing the PADI E-Learning online course, you will learn all academic material to prepare you to dive safely. The E-learning course is a very thorough and multimedia rich course designed to keep your attention and make this process fun! The course can take anywhere from 12-16 hours and you can start and stop as often as you like. This step MUST be completed before you head into step 2. Please make sure you obtain your PADI E-learning course code from us when you sign up for the course.

Step 2 - Pool "Confined Water" Sessions

After you have completed the online course, it's time to get wet! Depending on which pool sessions you choose with us, you will complete at least 8 hours of in-water "pool" time with your instructor over either a Saturday and Sunday at the Edward T. Hall Aquatic Center or over four evenings at our on-site pool located at our dive shop. You will be learning all the skills required to venture into the open water environment and conduct safe dives. Your pool sessions MUST be completed before continuing on to the final and third step.

Step 3 - Checkout Weekend - "Open Water Dives"

This is the final step in your Open Water Class. Since you have chosen the referral option, we will complete the PADI referral form showing that you have completed the first two steps and you will then take that form to any PADI shop or instructor to take the final steps in getting certified. 

Course Fee: $295.00

Contact us to get signed up!

If your'e a student coming to us to finish your course via referral, we can accommodate you on any of our Quarry Checkout Weekends. You must have a valid PADI referral with the knowledge development, swim tests, and pool sessions completed and signed off by a certified, current, and valid instructor. Referral forms must be provided to us prior to the weekend for verification. 

You show up and complete the 4 Open Water checkout dives and we certify you. We take care of your gear rental, tanks / air fills, and quarry entry fee's. 

You must provide your own mask, snorkel, fin booties and fins which we can provide to our students at a 10% discount in our shop

Course Fee: $400.00

Contact us to get signed up!