Become a Diver | Intro to Diving | Advanced Diving | Technical Diving
Getting Certified to SCUBA Dive is Easy, Safe & Fun!
You Can Start Your Open Water Class Right Now
Welcome to Your E-Learning Experience
Taking an on-line Scuba Course is
similar to taking an on-line college level course. You will read the material, watch
and listen to the presentations and take quizzes and final exam. You can expect
the e-learning course to take approximately six hours. The e-learning course does
not replace working with an Instructor, in fact your Instructor plays an integral
role in your learning process. If you have any questions along the way, please call us at 443-772-0595. You will work with your Instructor to complete an
academic review, in-water skills training and your required check-out dives. E-learning
simply reduces the amount of time you would otherwise spend sitting in a classroom,
making the learning process more efficient and schedule friendly.
Choose your Online Program By Clicking on a Logo
$299.00
STEP 1: Complete your preferred on-line training program and call us at 443-772-0595 to sign-up for your three-hour review session and pool training (see available dates & times below.) Visit the Forms section to see if you will require a medical release prior to your water skills.
STEP 2: Pay your balance at our online store:
STEP 3:
Come in for your three-hour review session. During this session you will complete
some paperwork, take a quiz, and be introduced to and learn how to assemble and
disassemble your scuba equipment. You will also pay your balance (if
not paid completely online) of the Course Fee to Off
the Wall Scuba (this covers the Review and in-water training sessions).
STEP 4:
The final
phase of your SCUBA Class is confined water skills training. This training is done
in a confined water setting – most often a local swimming pool but occasionally
at a local quarry. This usually requires two to three scheduled pool sessions but is also
dependent upon how you progress in your skills.
*ALL SCUBA EQUIPMENT IS
PROVIDED DURING CLASS.
You will be required to have your own personal equipment (Mask, Fins, Snorkel, Boots
& Gloves.) We offer amazing package pricing on these items. Visit the store
for personal assistance.
*THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT TO BUY OR RENT SCUBA
GEAR AT OFF THE WALL SCUBA WHEN CHECKOUTS ARE COMPLETED
WITH US.
*Upon the completion of this course you will receive a referral letter to complete your checkouts with a certified instructor anywhere in the world. Of course you may also choose to complete your checkouts with us for $200.00 (see below.)
Do You Prefer Using Books Instead of On-Line Programs?
PADI, SDI and PSAI all offer Book Learning Courses
We can also offer a more traditional “book” course just for you or your group.
The “Take Home Study” course. Instead of doing your homework on-line you will use books and DVD's to complete your self-study. There is a slightly bigger time commitment as you will be required to attend a 5 hour in-store class prior to starting your pool training. The schedule may be set by you and your Instructor, so there is still a great deal of flexibility or you may participate in one of our scheduled sessions.
To get started, simply stop by the store and purchase the course you desire (PADI $299, SDI $299 or PSAI $299) You will start with “Take Home Study,” as you’ll receive books and/or DVD’s (if applicable) and be given directions on how to proceed with “homework” to prepare yourself for your class session.
After completing your Take Home Course and subsequent review session, you will participate in two to three confined water (pool) skills training sessions. Once both the academic review and confined water training is complete, you will be issued the appropriate referral form to continue on to your checkout dives (see below.)
Questions? Check out our FAQ
*Local Checkout Fees for ALL Open Water Classes: $200.00
Upon completion of any academic course and associated pool work, students must complete four open water checkout dives with a qualified Instructor in order to receive certification. You may do your checkouts with us for $200.00, or use your universal or PADI referral form to complete your checkouts with any qualified* Instructor worldwide. When using the referral forms elsewhere, you will negotiate your checkout fees and equipment rental with the Instructor/Facility of your choosing.
We do not charge you for referral checkouts done elsewhere, however there may be
a $35 processing fee for your C-card upon your return. Please ask your Instructor
for complete details. The card processing fee is waived when checkouts are completed
with us locally.
Local Checkout includes the following:
- Use of ALL SCUBA Equipment required.
- Four Checkout Dives with a Certified Instructor.
- Certification Card upon Successful Completion.
- Pay for your Checkout Dives Online by Clicking Here.
NO SCUBA EQUIPMENT PURCHASES ARE REQUIRED
If you like the idea of owning your own equipment, we offer top
quality brand name gear at below internet pricing. Your Instructor or store staff
will be happy to help you with your selections.
We will conduct checkouts for any RSTC Referral that is accompanied by an RSTC
Agency Referral Letter. Same rates apply.
Questions? Check out our
FAQ
All of our On-line and Take Home Courses include the following:
- Complete Course Instruction by a Multi-Agency Certified Instructo
- Required Course Material
- Dive Log Book
- Use of ALL SCUBA equipment during pool sessions and checkouts done with us.
- 6 month subscription to Dive Training Magazine
Questions? Check out our FAQ
2010 Open Water Class
& Pool Schedule
“Play in the Pool” and Specialty Courses are offered
during any Pool Session. Contact the store at (443)-772-0595 for more details or
to register.
June 2010 A
PADI Online Review June 2nd Weds 6:30 – 9:30pm OTWS
Pool 1 June 5th Sat 6:00 – 9:00pm Goucher
Pool 2 June 12th Sat 6:00 – 9:00pm Goucher
Checkouts July 10th Sat 9:00am – 1:00pm TBD
July 11th Sun 9:00am – 1:00pm TBD
June 2010 B
PADI Online Review June 16th Weds 6:30 – 9:30pm OTWS
Pool 1 June 19th Sat 6:00 – 9:00pm Goucher
Pool 2 June 26th Sat 6:00 – 9:00pm Goucher
Checkouts July 10th Sat 9:00am – 1:00pm TBD
July 11th Sun 9:00am – 1:00pm TBD
July 2010 A
PADI Online Review July 7th Weds 6:30 – 9:30pm OTWS
Pool 1 July 10th Sat 6:00 – 9:00pm Goucher
Pool 2 July 17th Sat 6:00 – 9:00pm Goucher
Checkouts August 7th Sat 9:00am – 1:00pm TBD
August 8th Sun 9:00am – 1:00pm TBD
July 2010 B
SDI Online Review July 21th Weds 6:30 – 9:30pm OTWS
Pool 1 July 24th Sat 6:00 – 9:00pm Goucher
Pool 2 July 31st Sat 6:00 – 9:00pm Goucher
Checkouts August 7th Sat 9:00am – 1:00pm TBD
August 8th Sun 9:00am – 1:00pm TBD
FAQ
The fact is there are many reputable dive shops in the Baltimore area. There are however some major differences between us and them. We’re a consumer driven and consumer friendly business. We keep class sizes small (never more than six in a class) to give you more personal attention and if you're considering purchasing equipment, you'll find our prices not only beat local competitors, they beat internet pricing – every day of the year.
Our Instructors are top notch handpicked professionals whose primary focus is making you a safe and confident diver.
They are all Scuba Training Agencies and they all teach and require you to demonstrate the same or similar basic skills to certify you as a diver. Some agencies are members of the sports’ self-governing body the RSTC, some are not.
The benefit of learning how to dive with Off The Wall Scuba is that our instructors have instructor ratings with multiple agencies and we have taken the best of PADI, SSI, SDI, TDI, ERDI and PSAI and combined them to give you the best each agency has to offer. We believe you will be a confident and competent diver after one of our courses.
A typical class will consist of 1 to 4 students with 6 students being the absolute maximum.
We did this as a convenience for our students. For those who would like to complete checkout somewhere other than the local quarry, this allows use of the Universal Referral Program. This way you are not paying for something twice.
In addition to your course fees and personal gear requirements, the only other expenses you should expect to pay are quarry entrance fees which can range from $15 to $30 per day depending upon where your checkout dives are conducted.
Checkouts are four dives done over a two day period in open water (not a pool.) On these days, you will be asked to demonstrate proficiently the basic skills you have already learned in the pool. You will not be asked to do anything that you have not already done in the pool several times before. You will dive to a depth of 15 to 60 feet and will be able to experience the effects of pressure. You will also take guided tours of the underwater area and begin to hone your buoyancy skills. You will log each dive in your logbook and also start to learn about underwater navigation.
Our primary training quarries are Guppy Gulch, Bainbridge and Millbrook, however we may also use Lake Rawlings, Willow Springs or Dutch Springs. Our primary quarries are within a 1.5 hour drive of Baltimore and directions can be found on our Locations page. We may also offer the opportunity to do your checkout dives from our dive boat “Retriever” at a select spot on the Chesapeake Bay.
YES and NO. It can be as warm as 80F degrees at the surface but as cold as 42F degrees at depth. We will provide you with an appropriate rental wet suit, and hood for your dives and these are included in the $200 checkout fee.
NO, it is by no means “Black Water” diving, although it is not the crystal blue water you see on TV either. Visibility can range from 5 feet to 30 feet or better, depending on many factors. The two main factors that affect visibility are silt and algae. Silt can be kicked up by other divers or can run off the ground when it rains. We choose to go to Guppy Gulch, Bainbridge and Millbrook because they tend to be less crowded and therefore less silt is kicked up by divers. Algae is not controllable and is usually bad in late spring. If the visibility is particularly bad we will pair new divers up with dive leaders (DM’s) for quarry tours.
Forms
Here you will find all the necessary forms for your classes. Please review them, especially the medical questionaire. If you answer YES to any of the medical questions, you will need to have your physician fill out the form completely before you are able to begin any water skills.
PADI:
Liability Release
and Assumption of Risk Agreement
Medical Statement
Standard
Safe Diving Practices Statement of Understanding
Students under the age of 18:
Youth Diving: Responsibility
and Risks Acknowledgment
Youth Diving: Responsibility
and Risks Flipchart
SDI:
General Liability
Release and Express Assumption of Risk
Medical Statement
Physician Signoff