PADI Open Water Referral
Why train with us?
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Low student to instructor ratios : 3 or 4 students per instructor both in the pool and ocean
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Our retail store is located downtown.
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Diving courses available all year-round. Private courses available.
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We teach children 10 years and older.
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Passionate team of Instructors and Divemasters who love to teach.
At Diving Sports we believe in making sure all our students receive the highest quality instruction and customer service. We are in the business of training, mentoring, and supporting people to become safe, skillful and confident divers and in doing so, we know we are certifying divers who are able to continue to enjoy the sport incident free for many years.
We also believe in supporting those in the industry who make it as great as it is. We find that the common course structure of shortening class times to lower cost doesn’t benefit our students or our staff. We are changing how we do things to give students the time to excel in all the areas in diving so they can be proud about achieving their certification. This does mean that training will take longer and cost a little bit more than what some other dive companies may be offering. Our instructional staff have decades of experience between them and when you take dive training with us, you will be able to benefit from all that experience. We believe that the way we structure our courses has the most benefit to our students to set them up for continued success in diving.
We begin by scheduling our courses with the number of classes it typically takes most students to master the knowledge and skills, not simply the minimum recommended training hours set by the agencies. Our instructors are open and honest about your progress during each part of the course. Students may need to schedule additional pool or ocean training dives prior to certification. While not very common, it does happen occasionally as many divers take more time on certain skills than others. This ensures our students complete their courses with all the skills and knowledge they need to be safe and enjoy their future dives and courses. When you take a course with Diving Sports, you are welcomed into a passionate and inclusive community of divers eager to support your diving journey well beyond the duration of your class. We do offer private instruction for those needing more one-on-one time with their instructor.
What is Included
Learn how to dive in Vancouver with our Diving Sports Team. We offer the most comprehensive courses. The PADI Open Water Course is the gateway to what is often a life changing experience. Explore our local diving in Vancouver and around the world. Your adventure begins sooner than you think!
Course Description
To enroll in the PADI Open Water Referral course with Diving Sports you must be 12 years old or older. Students WILL be required to demonstrate the ability to swim 200 meters without stopping and treading water/floating for 10 minutes prior to any SCUBA training as it is a prerequisite for the course. Throughout your course you will learn all the required scuba skills to plan and execute dives without a Divemaster or Instructor. On completion you will be issued the necessary paperwork confirming you are ready to do your ocean dives at any PADI dive shop around the world.
The Open Water Referral Program requires you to complete 2 components for your certification:
- 1: eLearning/Knowledge Development. We are doing all of our courses with the online theory so you can go learn at your own pace, however all students are required to complete ALL sections and the final exam before the start of the Confined Water (pool) sessions, otherwise we will ask to reschedule the start date. On the first evening of your course, students will meet at Diving Sports to receive a full orientation, equipment fitting, and theory review before going to the pool.
- 2: Confined Water Sessions. All new divers will begin learning their skills in a pool first. We have a semi-flexible system of 6 nights to complete all the required skills before going to the ocean. Although we have 6 nights scheduled, some divers require more training sessions before they have mastered the skills required for the course, so be sure to ask your instructor how you are progressing along the way!
Prior to signing up, we encourage everyone to look over the Diver Medical Form to make sure they will be cleared to dive.
Student Discount :
When you enroll in your PADI Open Water Course, you’ll automatically receive 10% off a customized Mask, Snorkel, and Fins package of your choosing if you purchase all items together!
Equipment Rental :
Diving Sports includes all the basic gear included in our Wetsuit rental packages. Mask and snorkel are not included.
Transportation :
Transport can be provided from our shop to the dive site. We have our shop van (limited to a 6 passenger maximum capacity). Available passenger places in the shop van will be provided on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Please see our Cancellation and Refund Policy for Courses and Trips here:
Cancellation and Refund Policy
Commitment to Safety and Enjoyment
At Diving Sports we believe in making sure all our divers (Scuba and Freedivers) receive the best possible experience while maintaining a high standard for safety, both for the divers, the guide, and the environment we are visiting. Our dive guides have many years of experience diving locally in cold water. All Dive guides are trained in first aid and oxygen delivery. First Aid kits and DAN Oxygen Kits are present on all trips and courses. Dive sites or dive plans may be changed due to weather conditions or experience level of the group, as well as anyone not adhering to proper dive practices will politely be asked to adapt to better interact with the underwater environment.
