Start Your Journey as a Certified Diver

Ready to become a scuba diver?

The Open Water Diver Course is your first step into the underwater world. This comprehensive beginner-level certification program teaches you the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to become a confident and responsible recreational diver.

With Seantric Diving, you'll learn in a relaxed and professional environment while experiencing the beautiful waters of Samal Island.

No previous scuba certification is required.

Course Fee

₱18,500/person

Early Bird / Group Rate

₱17,000/person

Minimum 2 participants for the group rate.

Private one-on-one instruction is available upon request and may have an additional fee.

Course Duration

3–4 Days

The course consists of:

• Knowledge development

• Confined-water / pool training

• Open-water training dives

• Final skills evaluation

• Certification

The exact schedule depends on student progress, weather, sea conditions, and instructor assessment.

Course Structure

Day 1 – Knowledge Development & Pool Skills

Students begin with the fundamentals of scuba diving.

Topics include:

• Scuba equipment

• Diving physics

• Diving physiology

• Pressure and equalization

• Air consumption

• Buoyancy

• Dive tables/computers

• Safe ascent procedures

• No-decompression limits

• Decompression sickness

• Nitrogen narcosis

• Oxygen exposure

• Basic emergency procedures

• Environmental awareness

Students then proceed to confined-water training where they learn and practice essential scuba skills.

Day 2 – Open Water Dives 1 & 2

Students apply their skills in an actual open-water environment.

Training includes:

• Equipment setup

• Pre-dive checks

• Controlled descents and ascents

• Buoyancy control

• Underwater communication

• Mask skills

• Regulator recovery

• Air-sharing procedures

• Basic navigation

• Controlled emergency procedures

• Dive planning

Day 3 – Open Water Dives 3 & 4

Students continue developing their confidence and demonstrate the required skills for certification.

Training may include:

• Buoyancy and trim

• Navigation

• Surface skills

• Controlled ascents

• Emergency procedures

• Dive planning

• Buddy procedures

• Environmental awareness

• Final skill evaluation

Day 4 – Contingency / Additional Training

An additional day may be used when necessary for:

• Weather delays

• Poor sea conditions

• Student skill development

• Additional practice

• Missed dives

• Instructor assessment

• Schedule adjustments

The goal is not simply to finish the course—it is to make sure the student is ready to dive responsibly.

Package Inclusions

Your Open Water Diver Course includes:

• Professional Dive Instructor

• Complete classroom/knowledge development

• Confined-water training

• Open-water training

• Required training dives

• Scuba tank(s)

• Full scuba equipment rental

• BCD

• Regulator

• Mask

• Fins

• Wetsuit/rash guard

• Weights and weight belt

• Dive computer

• Training materials / digital learning materials

• Certification processing

• Certification card/eCard, depending on agency

• Dive site fees included where applicable

• Boat transportation for scheduled boat dives, where applicable

• Surface support

• Student dive log assistance

• Pre- and post-dive briefings

Required Training Dives

The standard course includes 4 required open-water training dives, conducted progressively under instructor supervision.

Training dives may be conducted from shore or boat depending on the selected dive site, conditions, and training requirements.

Samal offers suitable beginner-friendly sites, including shallow reef environments. PADI lists sites around Samal such as Small Ligid and Punta del Sol with maximum depths around 18 m, making them suitable environments for appropriately planned beginner training.

Certification

Upon successful completion of all required knowledge, confined-water, and open-water training requirements, the student will receive an internationally recognized Open Water Diver certification through the selected training agency.

The certification allows the diver to participate in recreational scuba diving within the limits of their training, experience, and certification.

Maximum Depth

The Open Water Diver certification generally qualifies a diver to a maximum depth of 18 meters / 60 feet when diving with an appropriately certified buddy and within applicable recreational diving standards.

Students will not be required to dive beyond their training limits.

What Is NOT Included

The following are not included unless specifically stated in the package:

• Accommodation

• Meals and drinks

• Transportation to/from Samal

• Ferry/vehicle transportation

• Personal travel insurance

• Personal dive insurance

• Personal swimwear

• Personal toiletries

• Underwater photography/video

• Nitrox

• Specialty gases

• Additional dives beyond the course requirements

• Additional boat trips caused by student scheduling

• Private instructor surcharge

• Medical examination or physician clearance, if required

• Additional training days caused by student skill requirements

What Students Should Bring

Please bring:

• Swimwear

• Towel

• Extra clothes

• Sunscreen

• Drinking water

• Personal identification

• Personal medications, if required

• Notebook or dive logbook

• Positive attitude and willingness to learn

We provide the scuba equipment required for the standard course.

Student Requirements

Minimum requirements may include:

• Minimum age: 10 years old, subject to the training agency's junior certification requirements

• Ability to swim and demonstrate basic water comfort

• Ability to understand and follow safety instructions

• Completion of the required medical/diving medical declaration

• Medical clearance when required

Students under the applicable junior age category may receive a junior certification with age-specific depth and supervision restrictions.

Medical & Fitness Requirements

Scuba diving requires participants to be medically and physically fit for the activity.

Students will be required to complete the applicable diver medical questionnaire.

If the questionnaire indicates a condition requiring medical evaluation, the student may need clearance from an appropriately qualified diving physician before entering the water.

Weather & Sea Conditions

Open-water training is highly dependent on environmental conditions.

Training dives may be:

• Moved to another dive site

• Rescheduled

• Delayed

• Conducted from shore instead of boat

• Extended to another training day

Safety always takes priority over completing the planned schedule.

Student-to-Instructor Ratio

To maintain quality training and close supervision, Seantric Diving recommends a maximum of 4 students per instructor for standard Open Water training.

Smaller groups or private instruction may be arranged upon request.

Certification Is More Than Just a Card

Our objective is not simply to get you certified.

We want students to finish the course with:

• Proper buoyancy skills

• Good equipment awareness

• Safe diving habits

• Effective buddy communication

• Basic problem-solving ability

• Confidence underwater

• Respect for the marine environment

Continue Your Diving Journey

After completing your Open Water Diver certification, you can continue progressing through:

Advanced Open Water Diver
Enriched Air Nitrox
Deep Diver
Wreck Diver
Rescue Diver
Sidemount Diver
Technical Diving
Cave Diving
CCR / Rebreather Diving

Your Open Water certification is only the beginning.

Ready to Become a Diver?

Learn the skills.
Build confidence.
Explore Samal.
Become a certified diver.

OPEN WATER DIVER COURSE

3–4 Days | ₱18,500/person

Seantric Diving – Samal Island

Dive safely. Dive responsibly. Dive for life.