SDI Open Water Diver - 3 day course

Join New Zealand Diving on an SDI open water course. Did you know that our Planet Earth’s surface is covered by over 70% of water? Our oceans and water systems that include lakes and rivers controlling our climates and temperatures, move weather patterns and supports living organisms is still unexplored territory with 95% of it unseen by the eyes of humans. You may have gone swimming in the ocean or snorkeled over a reef, but now, it is time to take it one step further. See the underwater world as it is meant to be experienced – underwater. Become a part of an eco-system that supports so much of our life and take it to your limits; whether they may be interacting with colorful schools of fish over a peaceful sea mount or diving alongside a pod of dolphins that have come to take a closer look at you. Dive with sharks, dive in caves or dive some of the most historic wrecks. Whatever direction you may want to take your new life-style; it all begins here. The SDI Open Water course is an entry-level certification course designed to give you the necessary skills to safely conduct open water dives. Some of the skills you will learn include buoyancy, proper weighting, marine conservation, equipment assembly, proper dive planning, and maintenance. It covers all the basic knowledge about equipment, physiology and the marine environment while training students to perform basic skills underwater.

The SDI Open Water Scuba Diver Course will cover all of the necessary skills and knowledge for open water scuba diving, including:

- The aquatic environment: vision, light, sound, heat loss, tides, currents, waves, surge, etc.
- Physics and physiology: buoyancy, pressure, air spaces, breathing compressed air, mixed gases, etc.
- Dive equipment selection, assembly, use and maintenance
- Dive planning
- Basic scuba skills including mask and regulator skills, swimming underwater, buoyancy control, basic rescue techniques, and emergency procedures
- And much more!

Minimum Age: 10
Days: 3
Course is usually done in 3 consecutive days, but can be run over 2 weekends or over several weeks. Our scheduling is flexible - please contact us for alternative schedules.

Overview of the course

- Day 1: Skill practice & water fitness evaluation
We usually meet at Newmarket Olympic Pool in Auckland at 10am, and we will be finished at 3pm. On a Saturday or Sunday we'll usually do our pool training between 1pm and 6pm. We will confirm this after booking, as it might change depending on the pools availability. 
- Day 2: Open water dives 1 & 2
We'll meet at our dive shop in Warkworth at 8:30am. Here we will get our gear ready, brief you for the dives and you will complete the theory exam. Afterwards we'll head to one of our local marine reserves for 2 dives, with a surface interval on the beach in between dives. We expect to finish around 3pm.
- Day 3: Open water dives 3 & 4
We'll meet at our dive shop in Warkworth at 8:30. After getting our gear ready, we'll head to the dive site for the last 2 dives of the course. We expect to finish between 2 and 3pm.

Included

- Dive instructor
- E-learning
- Dive equipment
- Pool skill session and 4 open water dives
- Certification after completing the course successfully

Please bring

- Swimsuit & towel
- Dry and warm clothing for after the dive
- Water, snacks and lunch

Important
- E-learning needs to be completed before the course. We will give you access when signing up, and it can be completed on a laptop, computer or online app (phone).
- You need to be able to swim 200m unassisted and tread water for 10 minutes. If you're unable to do this, you can't start the course and are not eligible for a refund.
- We offer SSI and SDI open water courses. If you have a preference for a specific agency - let us know after booking. 

TERMS & CONDITIONS

Please read our terms & conditions found on our website page, frequently asked questions before booking: https://nzdiving.co.nz/faq/

Sometimes our activities may have to be rescheduled due to situations outside of our control, such as poor weather. Please note we reschedule in such situations, as described in our terms and conditions.

Please note that NZ Diving will offer alternate dates if conditions do not allow for safe travel or if minimum numbers are not met. In case of a cancellation we will reschedule the charter, we can put you on a different dive charter, you can use the amount paid as credit, transfer the credit to a different person or help with a letter for your travel insurance. The sign up, online theory and certification costs will be paid to the training agency when booking in the course. We won't be able to include these costs in the credit, but we can release your course to a different training center if needed. Overseas participants are advised to carry travel insurance in case rescheduling is unsuitable.

All participants must be of good health and complete a medical declaration. This is available on our website: https://nzdiving.co.nz/faq/

All participants must be able to swim a minimum of 200m, unassisted.