Related Advancement and Awards
- Second Class requirement 1a
- First Class requirement 1a
- Scuba BSA
- Snorkeling BSA
- Fish and Wildlife Management, Oceanography, Scuba Diving, Sustainability, Swimming, and Water Sports merit badges
—> Important Scuba Information
Open Water and Confined Diving – Open water dive certification has three sections: 1) confined water/pool training; 2) knowledge development; and 3) open water dives. Confined water training establishes the basic skills that all divers need (or may need in the unlikely event of a problem) in a relatively low-stress environment. It also reinforces and supplements knowledge 
development training by having student divers practice and apply what they learn from reading the manual and watching training videos.
Students complete five confined water dives, which correspond to five knowledge development sections, and four open water dives, which link the information and skills learned in the confined water with knowledge development sections.
Getting Started
When contacting a dive center or resort, ask these questions to determine the type of program that will best suit your unit.
- How is the knowledge development portion of the course completed? Options include:
• Online training, where students complete this portion online at their own pace
• Home study, where students complete this portion at home using DVDs and/or hard copies of the training materials
• Classroom training, where students complete the training with an instructor at the dive center - What is the schedule for the course? Most dive centers offer a variety of course schedules, including evenings and weekends. If the dive center does not have a class schedule that meets the needs of your unit, ask if customizing the schedule is an option.
- What information do I need to have available when I contact the dive center? When scheduling a group, the dive center will ask you a variety of questions, including the number of students
and age of each participant. This information is important because dive training standards require specific instructor-to-student ratios. - How much will the course cost? Each dive center is independently owned and operated, so course pricing will vary depending on the store and the method of learning you choose. Many dive centers do offer special pricing for groups, so be sure to identify yourself as a Scout leader.
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What type of gear will I need? To ensure the experience is enjoyable, most dive centers require each student diver to have personal snorkeling gear including mask, snorkel, and fins. Depending on the geographic location and water temperature, some stores may also require a hood, dive booties, and gloves. All of these items can be purchased onsite at the dive center. Most dive centers will have the remainder of the gear available for rental.
