Silent World offers personalized dive instruction that is designed to maximize your learning whilst having the most fun possible. Our instructors are selected for their exemplary customer service, ability as educators and overall professionalism as opposed to interns and new instructors that you find at many dive resorts. Our courses are generally taught on demand with just you and your friends or family. This means individual tuition the majority of the time at a fraction of the price you will pay elsewhere for a private class. All of our entry level courses include all equipment you may need. Boat trips, any and all rental gear, manuals, pic cards, photos, etc.. are included in the pricing. There are no hidden charges. We will provide any rental gear you need for the entry level courses at no charge (Advanced and continued education courses include tanks and weights.) Dive instruction reservations are secured with a $100 deposit, non-refundable within 24 hours of the start time of the class.
You will receive a PADI or SDI certification for all recreational courses. We believe this gives you maximum value and flexibility as your card will be recognized all over the world. Please note however, that all the major training agencies utilize RSTC (Recreational SCUBA Training Council) standards and are therefore similar in content and approach, so you have no need to be concerned if you have a referral or basic certification from an organization other than PADI or SDI.
Although it is not true to say that you need to be an underwater Olympian in order to SCUBA dive, you do need to be in good overall health. Like all active sports, the fitter you are, the easier it is. Check out the questionnaire about your medical condition prior to enrolling on a course. If you have a physical challenge, then you may benefit from SCUBA diving. At Silent World, we have instructors who are members of IAHD and trained to help disabled divers experience the thrills of the underwater world.
It's as Easy as 1, 2......or 3!
Your Open Water Certification is recognized the world over and never expires! There are three aspects to the course (Knowledge Development, Confined Water Skills Development (Swimming Pool) and Open Water (Ocean) Dives) that can be completed in the style that most suits you and your schedule!
1) Complete the full course at Silent World in two and a half days! The first day you are in class in the morning, pool lesson in the afternoon for some training and two short swim tests. On the second day, in the morning, you will be in the ocean for your first two dives, and then in the classroom for the afternoon. The third day, either in the morning or afternoon, you will be out on our boat for your final two dives. Alternative schedules can be arranged to suit your particular schedule. Then, congratulations! You are certified to dive worldwide with a card that will not expire.
2) Complete your knowledge development in advance and cut your class time in half! We send you a CD-ROM to complete in your own time in the luxury of your own home or place of work. You print out the completed knowledge reviews and bring them to the shop with you. This option leaves you with just quizzes, final test, a pool session and 4 ocean dives to complete before certification.
3) Learn online with PADI eLearning! Complete all your knowledge development, quizzes and test in advance of your trip to Key Largo. After a quick review at the store with one of our instructors, you will then complete pool work and ocean dives over two days with us. This is the most convenient way to learn, however there is an additional cost payable direct to PADI / SDI. Click the pictures below to start learning with SDI or PADI. Choose either, it doesn't matter which!
We take you on our regular reef trips with our paying customers for your Open Water dives, so you get to see the best coral and marine life the sanctuary has to offer. We also have alternate spots to complete your course if the weather makes it impossible to do the check-out dives out at the reef.
Your own mask, fins and snorkel are strongly recommended. If you have not purchased gear, we recommend not buying until you reach Key Largo. We are experts on diving equipment and can give you honest sound advice on regulators and BC's. We only stock and rent what we dive ourselves, so you can be sure that you are learning in the best equipment available.
Course Fee: $430 per person
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q - What is the minimum age for scuba diving?
A- 15 years of age for Open Water or 10 years of age for a Junior Open Water Diver. Please note that because children develop academically at differing rates, additional class time may be required in order to complete the knowledge development. 8 - 9 year olds can participate in a Bubblemaker pool experience - call us for details.
Q - How deep can I dive?
A - 60ft with an Open Water certification or 40ft for 10 and 11 year olds. After Certification, Junior Open Water Divers must dive accompanied by a certified diver of legal age. 10 and 11 year olds must dive with a parent, guardian or PADI professional
Q - Will I see sharks?
A - Hopefully! Sharks are fascinating creatures and often become the divers favorite. The majority of sharks we see are harmless nurse sharks, although we occasionally see reef sharks, bulls and hammerheads. The big sharks are extremely timid and will usually flee as soon as they see a diver. They don't like bubbles and see you as a fellow predator, so you have no need to be concerned. Unfortunately due to over fishing for shark fin soup and due to by-catch from long line fishing, many species are on the brink of extinction. Click here to learn more about these awesome animals.
Click here to see why you need to learn to dive and become a friend of sharks! (Warning - this footage shows the barbaric act of shark inning and is quite graphic)
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OPEN WATER REFERRALS (CHECK OUT DIVES)
We conduct referrals for ALL agencies. If you have completed some or all of your Open Water class elsewhere and would like to complete the course in the beautiful Florida Keys, then give us a call! We are busy all year round doing this work as many people prefer to certify in the tropical warm waters of the Keys rather than in a cold dark quarry with little or no marine life!
You may also have a UNIVERSAL REFERRAL packet from your instructor. In these cases we will complete your open water training and give you your signed paperwork to return to your originating instructor. They will issue you with your Open Water diver certification.
Course Fee: $270 per person
Please ask your instructor for your referral paperwork and bring it with you when you check in. You should have all your knowledge development sections, quizzes, exams and confined water work signed off by the instructor.
You will meet one of our highly trained PADI instructors, who will fit you with our first-rate Oceanic dive gear. You will watch a brief video, then go to the pool where you will have a chance to become familiar with the feeling of breathing underwater. After your pool lesson, you are given time to take a lunch break. Then you will meet your instructor to go on the afternoon boat with the regular divers out to the reefs of John Pennekamp State Park and the National Marine Sanctuary. Your instructor will be at your side at all times. There is no certification for this course.
Course Fee: $180 per person. Includes all costs - registration card, instruction, pool entry, equipment rental and boat spaces.
