Scuba Diving in California

The warm and hospitable Pacific Ocean lines the entire 770 miles of western coastline of California. Scuba diving is one of the many popular water sports in California: it is best enjoyed in the ocean settings where coral reefs, and exotic marine life live in a vast and alien world; a place we can only visit with an air tank on our back. In order to dive you need scuba diving certification to prove you know how to survive in the deep blue sea.

Who Can Get Certified?

Open water certification, meaning the ability to dive unassisted divers must be at least 13 years of age. Younger children from 10 to 13 can get junior scuba certification in order to dive with a parent or instructor. Younger children can begin training at the age of 8 in a pool setting, but not in open water.

Classes

Classes for a scuba diving certification consist of several levels of training starting with passing a written test either online or in person at the diving center of your choice. The next level is pool training where divers where appropriate equipment in a controlled, pool setting. Finally, open ocean diving with instructors.

Length of Training

After written work, the physical water training consists of two or more weekends of physical in the water training depending on the school’s schedule. First water dives take place in a pool with full gear, and students must also prove a proficiency in the water. Later dives occur in open water ocean settings.

Cost

Scuba diving certification courses are expensive due to the very nature of the training. All necessary gear is usually purchased by the students, but tanks are issued for each dive by the school. Open water diving training requires open water boats and a crew to pilot it. Scuba schools in California routinely charge $250 to $500 for a basic course. Some offer extra training for additional fees.

Licenses

Make sure any Californian scuba training company offers licensed instructors. There are several affiliations that train the qualified professional divers who teach the courses. Those professional organizations are PADI, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors, for accrediting instructors such as NAUI, National Association of Underwater Instructors, and SSI, Scuba Schools International. Anyone taking an accredited course receives a life-time PADI C-card. There are two levels of licenses, a basic license that gives divers the fundamental approval to dive with an instructor or professional diving coach on hand, and an open water license that means they are capable of diving alone without supervision.

Schools

Near Los Angeles:
Eco Dive Center
4027 Sepulveda Blvd.
West Los Angeles, California 90230
310-398-5759
http://www.ecodivecenter.com/content/scuba-certification-in-los-angeles--padi-open-water-diver--scuba-training-in-los-angeles-ca

Near San Francisco:
Bay Area Scuba Diving
390 Lang Road
Burlingame, CA 94010
650-469-1954
http://www.bayareascuba.com/