You can start today!  You can begin the knowledge development of your course via eLearning, and once complete we will schedule you for the in-water portion of your training.

The time can vary by person.  The course is performance based and not time based.  

On average it takes 8-15 hours to complete the online knowledge development.  We can typically complete all in-water requirements over the course of one weekend.  We keep our class sizes small to ensure that you get the attention needed to succeed, and so that we can complete the course on schedule.

We start early Saturday morning with our pool session.  Typically this takes 3-4 hours based on your ability to master the performance requirements.

After lunch we head out for 1-2 open water dives before the end of the day.

On Sunday we will complete any remaining open water dives needed to complete certification requirements.

We conduct our courses in Anilao, Batangas.

We have several preferred resort options in Anilao.  Full board accommodation ranges between PHP3,000 – PHP6,000 depending on number of participants sharing the accommodation.  

We have both luxury and budget accommodation options available.  Contact us to discuss your specific needs.

Yes!  We can arrange a pool session for you in Manila to get you in the ocean faster in Anilao.  There is an additional fee of PHP2,000 for Manila pool sessions.

The minimum is one night (Saturday), however we recommend arriving Friday night if possible to ensure you are rested and ready to go Saturday morning for your course.

You will need to complete sections 1-5 and the Open Water Diver Exam.  

We will be planning our dives using dive computers so the Recreational Dive Planner section is optional.

Some swimming ability is required. You need to have basic swim skills and be able to comfortably maintain yourself in the water. Your PADI Instructor will assess this by having you:

• Swim 200 metres/yards (or 300 metres/yards in mask, fins and snorkel). There is no time limit for this, and you may use any swimming strokes you want.
• Float or tread water for 10 minutes, again using any methods you want.

Any individual who can meet the performance requirements of the course qualifies for certification. There are many adaptive techniques that allow individuals with physical challenges to meet these requirements. People with paraplegia, amputations and other challenges commonly earn the PADI Open Water Diver certification. Even individuals with more significant physical challenges participate in diving.

No, assuming you have no irregularities in your ears and sinuses. The discomfort is the normal effect of water pressure pressing in on your ear drums. Fortunately, our bodies are designed to adjust for pressure changes in our ears – you just need to learn how. If you have no difficulties adjusting to air pressure during flying, you’ll probably experience no problem learning to adjust to water pressure while diving.

If you have recurring issues with your ears you may need to consult your physician before scuba diving.

Compared with other popular adventure sports and outdoor activities, learning to scuba dive isn’t expensive. For example, you can expect to pay about the same as you would for:

• a full day of surfing lessons.
• a weekend of rock climbing lessons.
• a weekend of kayaking lessons.
• a weekend of fly-fishing lessons.
• about three hours of private golf lessons.
• about three hours of private water skiing lessons.
• one amazing night out at the pub!

Learning to scuba dive is a great value when you consider that you learn to dive under the guidance and attention of a highly trained, experienced professional – your PADI Instructor. What’s more, you receive a certification to scuba dive at the end of a PADI Open Water Diver course (few other activities can offer that).

Absolutely not – we are very up front about our pricing.  All of our courses include materials, instruction, boat fees, rental gear, and certification card.  If there are additional costs involved we call that out in the course description.  We will always be honest and transparent with you – your experience is important and our goal is to make you a diver for life!

Absolutely not, but like any other activity, if scuba diving is something you do regularly you could possibly save money and be more comfortable by owning your own equipment.  Until you are ready to invest in your own gear we have a full selection of gear available for rent.

When you are ready we are happy to help you determine the gear that is best for you.  While we do not have a retail presence, we can guide you through the process, discuss the different types of gear and options available, and refer you to a local shop for purchases.  We have partnerships with select local retail locations that offer our students discounts on gear purchases.

The short answer is you can dive practically anywhere there’s water  – from a swimming pool to the ocean and all points in between, including quarries, lakes, rivers and springs.  Just ensure that the location where you will be diving is within the limits of your training and experience.

Your PADI certification allows you to rent gear, tanks, and air fills around the world. 

Your Open Water Diver certification will never expire. However, if you go several months or longer without making a dive, we highly recommend the ReActivate program to brush up those rusty scuba skills before your next big adventure. Or, you might consider adding some new skills in the process and opt for the Advanced Open Water Diver course.  Keep your skills current by joining our Fun Dives!

Being able to see clearly underwater is important, for avoiding injury, for being able to read your dive gauges, and to see directions from your instructor. If you wear glasses, then we recommend having prescription lenses installed in your dive mask before you begin the confined water portion of your training. There are many options for prescription dive masks. Allow ample time for lenses to be ordered, cut, and installed in your dive mask. This is not something to leave until the week you start your class.

If you wear contacts, most modern soft contacts can be worn while scuba diving. However, you should consult with your optometrist or ophthalmologist before using your contacts underwater.  If you are wearing contacts advise your Instructor so that we can advise how to make some of the exercises more comfortable for you.

That depends on multiple factors – your breathing patterns, how deep you go, the size of your tank, etc.  In training you will learn how to manage your air consumption and safely plan your dives.

With practice you will get better at managing air consumption.  You can also help conserve air by maintaining proper buoyancy.  The Peak Performance Buoyancy course is great for helping new divers learn to be more streamlined and conserve air.

If you follow the lessons we teach you during training that is a very unlikely scenario.  That’s because you have a gauge that tells you how much air you have at all times. This way, you can return to the surface with a safety reserve remaining. But to answer the question, if you run out of air, your buddy has a spare mouthpiece that allows you to share a single air supply while swimming to the surface. You will learn and practice this and other options in training.

When you’re lucky, you get to see a shark. Although incidents with sharks can occur, they are very, very, very rare and with respect to diving, primarily involve spear fishing or feeding sharks, both of which trigger feeding behavior. Most of the time, if you see a shark it’s passing through and a beautiful sight to enjoy. 

In training we will teach you how to safely approach and observe marine life.  This allows you to enjoy the beauty of the underwater world while protecting ocean inhabitants and yourself.

Marine life injuries are quite rare, considering how many creatures there are in the ocean that can cause harm to us. There are two main reasons that they occur.  1. We’ve provoked the animal, either by getting too close or harassing them. In these cases, the animal feels threatened and defends itself. 2. We were not paying enough attention to our surroundings and may have accidentally brushed against, touched or stepped on a hazardous animal.  

The important thing to understand is that it is extremely rare to be attacked by an unprovoked marine animal and that we are often the ones at fault for sustaining a marine life injury. 

DAN Student Medical Expense Coverage is dive accident insurance specifically for new divers in training. You’re covered during diving activity – in water or on land – necessary to meet the standards for entry-level scuba or breath-hold certification. “Diving activity” begins from the moment you put your dive gear on until the moment you take it off. Your coverage expires upon completion of your last certifying dive or 180 days after course registration, whichever comes first.  You can get complete coverage details here.

Your coverage in entry level training is free of charge.  If you wish to extend your coverage, you can do so through DAN.  We highly recommend dive insurance to all divers.