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PADI Open Water Scuba Course November 2023

PADI Open Water Scuba Course Saturdays Starting Nov 25, 2023

Come discover the underwater world and learn to dive in the PADI Open Water Scuba Course this November.

The course will run over three consecutive Saturdays from 12pm – 8pm. The class will start at Dan’s Dive Shop from 12pm-3pm and then meet at the Kiwanis Pool, St Catharines from 4pm-8pm.

Have fun and learn to dive right with Dan’s Dive Shop, Canada’s Oldest, Most Respected Scuba Diving School. Learn to scuba dive with one of North America’s most respected, most experienced, most progressive and visionary dive shops.  At Dan’s we teach you the right way to dive from day one, click the link for more information of our Modern Approach to scuba diving.

Why not make this year awesome and learn to scuba dive? Spend your life exploring exotic locations as well as diving around  Ontario and the rest of this amazing world underwater.  There are tons of great dive sites both locally and away, as well as exciting wrecks and beautiful aquatic life.

We pride ourselves on offering you a higher level of training aimed at taking you further through the life long adventure sport of scuba diving.

DDS Divers are skilled and respected recreational and technical divers because they are taught to be more comfortable, have precision buoyancy, possess higher skills and techniques underwater, with more team awareness.

How can you enroll?

Sign up now for Open Water Diver Course classroom component on PADI eLearn. Complete all PADI required academic portions of the PADI Open Water Diver Course at your own pace. Contact us by email, phone or visit the shop to select your course training dates and get ready to have some fun.

Training Agency:

PADI

Additional Details:

Open Water Dives are required for Open Water certification. Included in your full course price.

Costs:

PADI Open Water Referral Scuba Course Class/Pool Only $395+HST (open water dives completed elsewhere)

Our PADI Open Water Certification Course Cost cost is $650+HST. ALL INCLUSIVE COURSE including your eLearning activation code, additional classroom sessions covering academics far beyond the basic PADI curriculum, pool sessions with additional pool time above and beyond basic standards, 5 open water dives exceeding the minimum of 4 dives required, full scuba equipment rental of your life support gear (no snorkelling gear you’ll need to purchase Scuba Quality gear from us), certification fees and more.

What gear will you need?

All students will need to purchase their own Mask, Strap Fins, Snorkel, Boots, however many of our students prefer to purchase the rest of their kit too. You’ll want to buy the right gear, so please have a read through our DDS Student Diver PDF and learn more about the specific gear requirements and training differences we offer, as well as some incentives. You don’t need to purchase a weight belt and weights, at DDS we don’t believe in over-weighting our students.

Many Dive Stores charge additional fees for scuba gear rentals during open water sessions. DDS has the best rentals and we offer a course rebate when you purchase your life-support package from DDS. Talk to our staff about how we can get you suited up with the finest scuba equipment at the best pricing possible.

Financing is available: Finance your course, snorkeling gear and even your scuba equipment package at a very reasonable rate. Ask staff for details and learn diving in the best equipment you can…..your own personal dive gear, or ours. DDS will include all scuba equipment for the course, however, you will enjoy your diving experience much more in your own personal dive equipment.

Cancellation Policy: If less than 14 days notice is given there is a $200 fee to cancel or reschedule. If less than 48 hours notice is given the course is 100% non refundable. Redeemed eLearning is non refundable.

Sign Up Now

PADI Equipment Specialist Course 2024

The PADI Equipment Specialist Course offers you a look into the world of dive gear maintenance, field repairs and prevention.  Have you ever looked at your dive gear and wished you knew how it all worked? Have you ever wanted to be confident in how to do minor repairs on a dive site?

You can learn about all the gear you dive with in this care and maintenance course.

Don’t miss a dive due to minor issues with your scuba diving equipment. Whether it’s a missing o-ring, a wetsuit tear or a broken fin strap, the PADI Equipment Specialist course teaches you how to minimize issues and safely and efficiently manage basic repairs and adjustments to your gear.  You’ll also learn more about how your gear works, making you more comfortable with it and better prepared to take care of your investment.

You’ll learn about routine care and maintenance procedures as well as scuba equipment storage recommendations. We will show you how to overcome some common equipment problems and offer equipment configuration suggestions.

While this courses is not a “repair” course we do show you how to deal with minor repairs to wings, bcd’s, regulators, tanks and more.

Depending on the level of aptitude of the students, we can delve as much or as little into certain subjects, so get involved, ask questions and learn more about your gear today.

Know your gear better and earn this fun and enjoyable certification.

How to enroll in the PADI Equipment Specialist

Visit the store or email us to enroll in the course. Once you are enrolled we will send you a PADI Equipment Specialist eLearning code or you can purchase it online now.

The course consists of two parts: an eLearning portion you complete at home prior and then a full day hands-on classroom workshop conducted here at the shop.

We also recommend The Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving to use as a reference during the course as well (not included).

Bring your basic scuba equipment and tool kit to class and if you like we can take it apart and show you a little bit more about how its made.

If you’re at least 10 years old and certified as a PADI (Junior) Scuba Diver or higher, you can enroll in the Equipment Specialist course.

 

Cost is only $175 + tax including eLearning

PADI Equipment Specialist will help you gain more skill and academic proficiency towards:

Advanced Open Water Diver

Diver Propulsion Vehicle Specialty

Deep Diver

Divemaster

Intro to Tech

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Matt Cave Diving in Mexico with the White Arrow Explorer CCR Rebreather

IDREO Rebreather Explorer Course RB1

IDREO Rebreather Explorer Course RB1

The IDREO Rebreather Explorer Course RB1 is designed to teach experienced technical or cave divers looking to utilize rebreather technology in all types of diving environments.

We will be covering modern procedures and techniques applied to safe preparation, operational management, efficient maintenance of the rebreather, as well as proper diving techniques.

We have a number of configuration options available including SCR, pSCr, ApSCR and mCCR. 

We will introduce divers to the style and configuration of the unit most interesting to them, followed by shallow confined/open water sessions that will build on comfort, buoyancy, trim, followed by intense skill mastering and real world experience which are the basis of the program.

Divers DO NOT NEED to purchase their own rebreather to take the IDREO Rebreather Explorer Course, as you will have a chance to rent a White Arrow rebreather and learn the various ways to configure the unit to best suit your needs.  From there you can purchase the unit of your choosing , knowing what you want and how you’d like to setup your system, rather than blindly pursuing this endeavor like so many divers do.

Learn the best configurations, modern skill and philosophies that apply to making technical dives on the unit.

Duration
The Rebreather 1 class is normally conducted over a 5-day period. It involves a minimum of 40 hours of instruction encompassing both classroom and in-water work.

Course Limits

  • Student to Instructor ratio is not to exceed 4:1 during any in-water training.
  • Maximum depth 100 feet / 30 meters.

Course Content

The IDREO Rebreather Explorere RB1 course is normally conducted over a 3-5-day period, involving a minimum of 10 hours of instruction and 25 hours of diving experience designed to provide a working knowledge of rebreather diving, including history, design, function, failures, tables, and operational considerations.

Course can also be combined with RB2 over an additional 3-4 days and utilizing additional configuration options like Sidemount, pSCr, pASCr. 

  1. RB Technology :
    1. All Types SCR, pSCR, CCR, ApSCR 
    2. Efficiency vs Injection
    3. O2 drop
  2. Problem Solving : 
    1. Flooding
    2. Lost gas
    3. Volume loss 
    4. Failures 
  3. Accident Analysis. Current up to date
  4. Mixed Gas RB Diving. 
    1. Nitrox and Trimix 
    2. Single gas injection
    3. Multiple gas injection management
    4. RB Decompression Procedures
  5. Advanced gas management & Planning
    1. Stage use, 
    2. RB Sidemount 
    3. Bailout Rebreathers
  6. Decompression techniques 
    1. Decompression rebreathers 
  7. Course Examination

 Required Gear:

a)  Backplate with Harness & Crotchstrap

b)  Backmount or Sidemount Wing

c)  Backgas Reg. set up with 7’/2mt long hose with backup first & second on short hose, as well as Stage Reg (balanced) 40″ LP hose.

d) 1 Safety spool (30mts/100′ open water or 50mts/150′ cave)

e) 1 Primary reel (100+mts)

f)  1 Back up light (4hr each)

g)  knife mounted on waist strap or wrist strap of computer

h) Bottom timer and compass

i)  Back up mask

j)  Wetnotes with pencil

k) SMB with 30mt spool

l) RB Bottles

m) Bailout Bottles & stage rigging

n) Shearwater Petrel 2 EXT dive computer (rentable)

o) Exposure suit suitable for diving environment

Join Cave Explorers Nick Toussaint and Matt Mandziuk for this once in a lifetime learning adventure.

What’s Included?

eLearning Pin Code, Classroom and Open Water Instruction, use Sofnolime CO2 Absorbant and Disinfectant.