Scuba Instructors, Scuba Diving, Scuba Classes and Certifications, Scuba Gear, Learn to Scuba Dive, Master Scuba Diver - NASE Worldwide

Learn to Dive

Learn to Dive

Learning to scuba dive is an exciting adventure marked by beautiful scenery, memorable dives and the accomplishment of completing training that gives you access to an exclusive underwater world. NASE Worldwide is committed to offering both new and experienced divers the scuba training and continuing education programs they need to make the most out of the recreational sport, or turn a passion for diving into a successful career. Below is one of our most popular entry-level recreational diving courses:

 

Open Water Diver Course

The Open Water Diver course is NASE Worldwide’s entry-level scuba certification program. The program is designed to help prepare divers to:

  • Independently plan and conduct non-stop (no-decompression) dives, with a qualified buddy or buddies, to depths of 20 m/66 ft, in conditions similar to those in which the divers were trained or have gained prior experience.
  • Make guided dives, under scuba instructor, assistant scuba instructor or Divemaster supervision, to depths of 30 m/100 ft.
  • Continue their education through NASE continuing education courses and become master scuba divers or pursue a career in scuba.
 

General Prerequisites

To enroll in the NASE Worldwide Open Water Diver course, students must:

  • Meet all of the prerequisites outlined in the NASE Worldwide General Course Standards and Procedures.
  • Be at least ten years old by the start of the course.

No diver certifications are needed for this level.

Open Water Training

During Open Water Training students learn to apply the skills they mastered in confined water in a realistic, open-water setting. Some skills, such as compass and natural navigation, as well as certain site-specific entry and exit techniques, can only be introduced and practiced in open water.

Bottom Time and Number of Dives

During the Open Water Diver course, students are to:

  • Accrue a minimum of at least 100 minutes of actual bottom time.
  • Assemble and disassemble their scuba gear a minimum of three times.
  • Enter and exit the water at least three times.
  • Log a minimum of three different open water dives.

Skill Performance Objectives

To be certified as NASE Worldwide Open Water Divers, students must be able to:

  • Identify potential risks and hazards, as well as environmental and other features unique to the open-water training site.
  • Identify how to summon emergency medical assistance as well as how to initiate any emergency action plan that may be in place at the scuba diving site or on the dive vessel.
  • Plan a series of non-stop (no-decompression) scuba dives using dive tables or computers, accounting for residual nitrogen time as needed.
  • Assemble and test a personal scuba unit as well as any other equipment required for the dives.
  • Perform pre-dive systems and safety checks, using buddy assistance if needed.
  • Enter and exit the water using techniques appropriate for the scuba diving site or dive vessel.

*Mastery of buoyancy control in open water is defined as the ability to:

  • Remove and replace a scuba unit at the surface.
  • Remove and replace a weight system at the surface.
  • Simulate a cramp release at the surface.
  • Tow another diver a distance of at least 20 m/66 ft at the surface.
  • Descend both with and without visual references, while equalizing and maintaining control over rate of descent (i.e., “arrive at the bottom neutral”).
  • Demonstrate buoyancy* (control throughout the dive through proper weighting, BC use and breath control.)
  • Swim effortlessly in a near-horizontal position while maintaining control over depth and direction.
  • Make repeated changes in depth without losing control over buoyancy.
  • Initiate a hover by simply stopping. Note - Students who can only maintain depth by aiming fins thrust upward or downward are not demonstrating mastery of this important skill and are not ready for certification.

Additionally, students must demonstrate adequate knowledge of scuba gear and other skills by being able to:

  • Simulate power inflator failure by orally inflating a BC both at the surface and under water.
  • Remove, replace and completely clear a mask of water.
  • Remove, clear and resume breathing from a regulator second stage that has fallen behind the shoulder.
  • Share gas with another diver, using an alternate air source, while stationary and ascending. Ascents are to be made no faster than 10 m/30 ft per minute, and include a safety stop. Each diver is to do this as both donor and receiver.
  • Monitor breathing gas supply and communicate this status with the instructor, dive leader or buddy(s) as needed.
  • Communicate with the instructor, dive leader or buddy(s) using common hand signals.
  • Maintain buddy team cohesion by keeping team members in sight (and close enough to respond quickly in an emergency) at all times.
  • Ascend at a rate of no more than 10 m/33 ft per minute, while making at least a three-minute safety stop between 3 and 6 m/10 and 20 ft.
  • Disassemble and clean your scuba unit and other scuba gear, and prepare it for transport (or another dive).

Finally, students are to log each dive made during open-water training in the NASE Logbook.
Students should be able to record (with minimal instructor assistance):

  • Dive date and location.
  • Maximum depth.
  • Actual bottom time.
  • Starting and ending gas pressure.
  • Ending letter group (if using dive tables).

If it can be done so accurately (i.e., if students’ dive computers record average dive depth, or a substantial portion of the dive was at a relatively constant depth), students should also calculate and record Surface Air Consumption (SAC) rate data. Although doing so is not essential to safety, it can help show students how their gas consumption improves as they gain more experience — and it can even be used to determine how much gas will likely be needed for upcoming dives.