When you learn privately, you aren’t just part of a group rotation. You are working directly with me, someone who understands you, your goals, and your comfort level in the water.

Even after you’re certified, you’re not on your own. Whether you’re planning a dive trip, choosing gear, or looking for trusted dive operators, you’ll have a direct line to someone you already know and trust. You’ll have the ability to reach out anytime for personalized guidance and recommendations tailored to your experience and goals as a diver.

In a traditional group setting, students often move through large classes at dive shops, and once the course ends, it can be difficult to reconnect with the same instructor. Private training gives you a consistent point of contact and ongoing support as you continue your diving journey.

Becoming a certified scuba diver is a three step process designed to build your knowledge, skills, and confidence in the water.

1. Online course – You’ll complete the PADI eLearning at your own pace, typically it takes people about 6–8 hours. You’ll work through reading, videos, quizzes, and a final test that covers dive planning, gear, safety, and how diving works so you feel confident and prepared before getting in the water.

2. Pool session – We’ll spend 3-4 hours practicing essential skills like setting up your gear, clearing your mask, controlling your buoyancy, and moving comfortably underwater.

3. Open water dives – You’ll complete your certification with four ocean dives, where you put everything you’ve learned together and start exploring. The Catalina trip is a full day (typically 8am–6pm) where we complete three dives. On a separate day, we’ll complete your final dive, with about one hour spent in the water. Plan for a few hours total for the full session, including gear setup, a dive briefing, the dive itself, and gear breakdown afterward.

Most people complete their certification over three days once the online course is finished. Everything is performance based, so we only move on to the next step once you feel comfortable and confident.

To enroll in the PADI Open Water Diver course, you’ll need to:

— Be at least 12 years old

— Be able to swim and be comfortable in the water:

• Swim 200 meters without stopping (no time limit)

• Tread water or float for 10 minutes

• Be in generally good health for diving

• Complete the Diver Medical form before starting the course. If you answer “yes” to some of the questions you may need your doctor’s approval before diving.

Certification levels are based on age:

• Ages 12–14: Earn a Junior Open Water certification and can dive to a maximum depth of 60 feet with a certified adult (either parent, guardian, or dive professional)

• Ages 15+: Earn a full Open Water certification and can dive to a maximum depth of 60 feet with a dive buddy

Very! Tell me what you’re thinking and we’ll build it from there. Whether that’s training near home, at a specific dive site, or joining a dive boat, I’ll work with your schedule and preferred learning environment. We can shape the whole experience around what you want out of it.

Yes, all rental scuba gear comes with the course. I do recommend a small personal setup for comfort and reliability - I recommend having your own mask and snorkel since fit and comfort are everything underwater. I have lots of mask options but it’s definitely a good idea to have your own since an improperly fitting mask will quickly ruin a dive! After that, boots and fins are the next step so your core gear stays consistent on every dive.

PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) is the world’s largest scuba diving training organization and the most widely recognized dive certification in the world, with 30 million PADI certified divers and counting. PADI sets the standard for the highest quality dive training, underwater safety, and conservation initiatives while promoting the benefits of underwater connection.

With a PADI Open Water Diver certification, you can dive anywhere in the world up to 60ft, book dive excursions with boats or resorts, get air fills and rent scuba tanks, rent scuba gear, and meet fellow ocean lovers from the world’s largest diver community.

From here, most people start building experience through travel, fun dives, and eventually move into more advanced certifications to dive deeper and expand their skills.

Your scuba diving certification is for life! However, diving regularly is highly recommended to maintain your dive skills and knowledge. Try to avoid long periods without diving (6 months or longer). If you haven’t been scuba diving recently, a Refresher class is recommended.

Yes. I offer flexible payment options to help make your certification more accessible. If you’d like to split your course into payments, reach out to me at 404-964-8898 or fill out the form on the Contact page and we can set it up.