You must be in good physical health, complete and sign all medical forms and releases, and sign a Student Learning Contract.  The minimum age requirement is 10 years of age.  Children under the age of 12 should be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.  For our younger divers between the ages of 8 to 12 we offer Scuba Rangers.  There is no maximum age, but good general health is required.

Proper Knowledge
With our exclusive "Comfort Through Repetition" teaching method, it is easy to build your knowledge and learn the safety rules that must be followed to dive safely.  Our professional teaching system includes a manual, a training DVD or video, dive tables, and a student registration folder.

Proper Skills
You attend up to six classroom sessions and up to five pool training sessions, where you learn and demonstrate scuba skills to your instructor.  You may also choose to study on your own.  The maximum Open Water class size is 10 students, plus your instructor and teaching assistants.  The ability to feel comfortable in the water is stressed more than endurance.  A swimming evaluation consists of four laps of the pool.

Some of the scuba diving skills you will learn include:
 - Moving in the water with ease
 - Breathing normally underwater
 - Controlling your buoyancy so you neither descend nor ascend
 - The easiest ways to enter and exit the water
 - Getting water out of your mask, and mask clearing

Proper Equipment
For your pool training sessions, you will need to have a scuba mask, adjustable fins, dive boots, snorkel, and logbook.  An optional equipment bag will help keep all of your gear well organized.  During pool training sessions, some students prefer to wear either a full-length or "shorty" three millimeter thick wetsuit for added warmth.  

During your open water training dives you will need a scuba equipment package that includes, a seven millimeter wetsuit with hood and gloves, two scuba tanks, a regulator set, depth and pressure gauges, a buoyancy compensator, and a weight belt.  Scuba Venture students, attending their open water training dives, can rent a basic equipment package from us at a special discounted price.  If you would like to use scuba equipment that you may already own, please contact us so we can make sure it is suitable.

Becoming a certified scuba diver
After your classroom and pool training sessions, you must pass a written certification test.  You then attend two days of open water training dives at either Dutch Springs, or Willow Springs scuba diving parks.  During open water training, you demonstrate what you have learned in the classroom and pool.  You may also choose to complete your open water training dives during one of our exciting diving vacations.

A Certified Scuba Diver for Life
Upon successful completion of your classroom training, pool training sessions and open water training dives, an SSI Open Water Diver certification card will be awarded, and you will be a certified scuba diver for life!

Scuba Venture certifies divers with Scuba Schools International (SSI), one of the largest certification agencies in the world.  If you need to be certified through a specific agency, or plan to do your open water training dives at a location other than Scuba Venture, please let us know.

Both private, semi-private, and home study programs are available.
For more information, please call us at 610-678-2688 or email us.

So that you can continue to build your skills, and have even more fun diving, Scuba Venture offers many additional training opportunities.  And we can recommend a high-quality scuba equipment package that is right for you.