If you’re interested in scuba diving, you’ll first need a proper scuba certification. During this process, students will learn important foundational principles of diving, practice safety techniques, and apply those skills in a real-world environment. To prepare divers to conquer the open seas, the Aquatic Center of Rochester in Monroe County, NY, shares a few steps to earning a scuba certification.

How to Receive a Scuba Certification

1. Develop Your Knowledge & Skillset

You’ll start in the classroom and learn the principles of diving, including how to plan dives, choosing the right scuba gear, understanding underwater signals, and practicing safe diving procedures. After absorbing the course material, divers-in-training will take a final exam focused on these basics. Teachers will also use videos to help students visualize the skills they’ll master later on. 

2. Confined Water Dives

Next, you’ll develop basic scuba skills in confined water conditions, such as a pool or calm beach. This lets divers get comfortable with the scuba gear and learn essential skills, including setting up the gear, safely entering and exiting the water, mastering underwater navigation, and developing buoyancy control. 

3. Open Water Dives

Divers will apply the skills they’ve developed in the open ocean environment. Each diver will progress at their own pace. The key is that safety techniques are mastered early on and enforced throughout the entire learning process. Once students perfect open water diving, they’ll need to schedule a scuba certification test and demonstrate everything from basic water skills to scuba diving techniques in a controlled environment.

If you’re ready to earn a scuba certification, visit Aquatic Center of Rochester in Henrietta, NY. Founded in 1987, this renowned training facility is one of the leading dive shops in the Northeast, providing everything from scuba instruction to snorkeling lessons. This facility offers full-service swimwear and a state of the art service and repair department. To learn more about their 5-star instructor development training facility, call (585) 334-1670 or visit their website.