We received the following question:
Can anyone tell me the steps to get scuba-certified? I’ve looked online, but I need help finding the exact steps or what to do.
Robert Wilson, Marfa, Texas
I went to a local dive shop in El Paso (now in Las Cruces and am in Van Horn, Valentine, and Marfa often) and signed up for an open water class. The first weekend, we were between a classroom and a pool. The second weekend, we went to a lake in New Mexico. If I remember correctly, we had to make two dives per day for a total of four dives. I ended up making six.
I would suggest you find a PADI shop near you:
https://www.padi.com/courses/open-water-diver
- select a PADI dive shop near you or at a holiday destination
- book to do the Open Water Diver course with them
- do the course
- you are certified!
Or you might not want to go with PADI, and there are others e.g., RAID, SDI/TDI, SSI
https://www.divessi.com/en/home
https://www.tdisdi.com/
https://diveraid.com/
Things to know:
As a student, you must buy a mask, fins, and boots. You’ll most likely need a hood and gloves if you’re in cold waters. In the beginning, all my gear ran about $2,500.
Try to find a local dive shop with an onsite pool. Many shops have students go to a community pool or a hotel pool. It’s okay, but having one onsite is a huge convenience.
The class is to learn skills and make all your mistakes. Trust me, you’ll make many mistakes, and that’s the best place to have them.
Just go out there and have fun!
