PADI Open Water Diver

The cost for the full open water course is $629. This is all-inclusive and covers pool dives, pool entry fees, use of ALL gear (most shops require the purchase of mask, snorkel, and fins - we do not but have them available for purchase), open water dives, eLearning, and processing of your certification.

The cost for the referral open water course is $440. This is also all-inclusive for the above-mentioned things but removes the open water certification dives. This will allow you to train in the pool, do the eLearning, and then complete your four open water dives at your dive destination. It's a great option if you don't want to do open water in Navajo Lake, but rather do them wherever you are going! We do many OW Referral Courses, especially in the winter months when people anticipate taking their families on vacation in the summer when school is out. Very easy, very fun, and less time working while on vacation!

The course can be purchased with the button at the top of the page.

When attending pool classes, you just need swimwear and a towel. We provide everything else!

eLearning is done online at your convenience. All you need is an internet connection and computer or tablet.

During our open water dives, typically everyone brings something for a pot luck lunch, including the instructors! You will need swimwear and a towel at minimum. We highly recommend bringing a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, some bottles of water, snacks, etc.

To an extent. PADI does require that students show basic water skills for safety. This requires a 200 meter swim and a 10 minute survival float. These are typically conducted on the second of three Saturdays.

There are five pool dives in which you will learn all of the basic skills for diving. These 5 dives are condensed into 3 Saturday mornings from 8:30am to 11:30am.

The academic portion (eLearning) depends upon an individual's speed when it comes to reading. PADI suggests the course takes about 8 hours.

The certification dives involve four dives in open water over the course of two days.

Your certification is lifelong. You do not need to pay any fees, annual dues, nothing. We do highly recommend that you attend a review to get you back into the water and comfortable with your skills if you haven't been in the water for a while.

PADI is the world's most common issuing agency of scuba certifications. So, yes. Our staff would not dive with a shop on vacation that did not recognize a PADI certification. With a combined century of diving, none of us have seen a shop that would not recognize a PADI certification anywhere in the world (and we've been around!) We have also never heard of such a thing happening.

As a general rule, Open Water Diver unlocks a depth of 60 feet. Advanced OW extends that to 100 feet. The additional Deep Diver specialty opens up the 130 foot recreational dive limit. We have encountered shops that will take guests on dives who only have an Open Water certification over 60 feet. For safety reasons, we do not recommend this practice (though it does occur.)

Diving beyond 130 feet is definitely possible, however that is when it becomes much more technical due to the use of gas blending and staged decompression. Technical diving is in a category of its own and there are several certification agencies, including PADI, who offer it. Trinity Diving focuses solely on recreational diving (130 ft. max depth.)

As a fun fact, the recognized world record for depth on an open circuit scuba system is 1,082 feet.

It doesn't really apply in diving. In fact, you have more freedom of movement underwater than you do on the surface. On the surface you can move in the x and y axis. Essentially, walking forward/backward and side to side. In the water you have full ability to move in the z axis: which is up and down. On the surface, using the z axis would be jumping up and down. So, you have more freedom of movement when diving!

Is anything? You could be hurt driving, cooking, even walking. If you aren't careful, you could crash your car, cut yourself slicing a vegetable, or trip on a curb. We teach you how to safely dive and we always make safety our top priority. If you pay attention to what you are doing and use the skills you are taught, you will be just fine! Just like learning to drive, cook, or walk.. 

Yes. Minimum age for certification is 10 years old. There is no upper age limit. Be aware that we do assess a child's maturity and ability to focus and perform skills prior to starting. Although 10 years of age is permitted, we do reserve the right to decline young children if they lack the maturity and focus required for diving.

Depending on class size, weather, and so forth, certification dives happen at Navajo Lake off a houseboat, typically in Francis Canyon, or by walk-in at Farmington Lake. Be aware there are parking/entry fees at both which are the dive student's responsibility.

The Farmington Aquatic Center at 1151 Sullivan Ave in Farmington, NM. Our contract with the pool allows for us to be there from 8:30 am to 11:30 am. It is closed to the public during our time there. Students will need to enter at the back of the building (north side) to park and enter as the main doors on the south side will be closed and locked.

Yes. We conduct open water courses in "blocks" of 4 Saturdays. This allows students who who need extra time in the pool or for those who miss a Saturday to be able to make up a class.

We understand that many people here in San Juan County have erratic schedules as most are employed in the oil/gas industry, medical professions, and law enforcement/fire/EMS (lead instructor Jesse is a former LEO and EMT so this is understood on a personal level.) We do however require that students are able to attend three of the four weeks in a block. If you cannot do so, we will integrate you where you left off in a new block.