For a Discover Scuba Dive Experience, all gear is provided. For any other course or fun dive, each diver needs to have the following dive gear at a minimum:

• Mask and snorkel
• Fins and boots
• Gloves & hood
• Dive light

This is the basic scuba gear that you will use on every dive and needs to have a good fit, so it’s always better to have your own. We can provide any other gear that you need to rent for your dive course or trip. Over time, you’ll start to get an idea of what equipment you like and best fits your needs, and we can help you select what’s best for you to purchase.

Every student or diver needs to fill in a medical questionnaire to check if they have any medical conditions that require medical approval before diving. To take part in scuba diving, your respiratory and circulatory systems must be in good shape. That’s why as well as checking for any underlying conditions in the questionnaire, every diver is responsible for ensuring that they are mentally and physically fit to dive every time they get into the water.

You do not need to be a strong swimmer to dive, but it is important that you are comfortable in the water so that you can manage any type of situation that may arise. That’s why some scuba courses include a short swim test or float test to measure swimming ability and endurance. 

Diving with an independent instructor ensures a far more personalized and tailored experience.  You’ll benefit from getting one-on-one attention throughout your course or dive, allowing you to learn at your own pace and making sure you understand every aspect of the dive before jumping in.  An independent instructor can take the time to go over any extra tips or advice to enhance your diving experience. You’ll have all the time you need to ask any questions or repeat skills until you master them. 

Diving with an independent scuba instructor will give you a safer and more enjoyable experience underwater and set you on the road to becoming a confident, competent diver.

At The Scuba Instructor, we want to ensure you get the best quality training, customized to your training needs. That’s why we have a maximum ratio of 2:1 (2 students per instructor) on all our courses, for your comfort and safety. 

We love to teach younger divers, to get them involved in the sport as soon as they can, and so they develop a passion that they can share with their family as they grow. We train divers as young as 10, depending on an individual assessment before committing to a course. We talk to both the student and the parents to understand their expectations and what they want to accomplish through diving, as well as assess their mental and physical ability to dive.

For divers aged 10-12, we always offer private courses to ensure the right level of support and attention that they need and deserve. And for ages 13-18, the maximum number of divers per group is 4 (as always, with a 2:1 student-to-instructor ratio).

When you sign up for an open water course, as a student, you are under the responsibility of your instructor. That’s why Open Water students are covered under our instructor insurance policy.  When you’re a certified diver, you will need to have your own insurance on all dives, whether they’re part of a course or recreational fun dives. If your personal insurance doesn’t cover scuba diving, we recommend Divers Alert Network. You can use this link to sign up for an insurance membership.

We offer both PADI and SDI courses. We give both options for students and divers to choose from, as both agencies provide the highest quality course curriculums. For private courses, you can choose which agency you’d like to get your certification through. 

For group courses, we will select the certification agency.  We don’t think that one agency is better than the other, but we like to provide both options to offer a wider variety for you to choose from.  We recommend that if you have started your journey with one agency and are working towards a higher ranking (i.e., Master Scuba Diver or Professional-level courses), you stick to the same agency. 

If you are a Veteran interested in using your GI Bill towards your dive education, we recommend taking SDI courses with us.

The deposit must be paid two weeks prior to any scheduled dive.

The deposit is $500.00 and is due when scheduling your course.

Final Payment due 7 days prior to scheduled dive.

• Payment must be made in full at the time of booking a course or fun dive. 
• No refunds are given in case of cancellation.
• Rebooking is allowed but will incur a rebooking fee. 
• The Scuba Instructor is not responsible for any costs associated with last-minute cancellations such as hotel cancellations, pool cancellations, etc.