Breathing
Underwater
Open Water Certification (3 Days)
At Tilden's Scuba Center, it's not the agency that you choose or the fancy dive gear that makes you a good diver. It's a well rounded training program with a variety of techniques and skills that we've combined to meet the standards of all the agencies that make the best diver possible. Our crew are excited to start certifications from PADI, NAUI and SSI and finish students from any agency that is accredited today. Know that the average required minimum time that an open water certification should take :
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12 hrs of pool time. (3 half days)
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4-5 hours of lecture and test session
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2 Half day boat trips with 4 Scuba Dives and a Snorkel Rescue Session Done on 2 different Days
The Shortest amount of time this course can be "condensed " into is 3 full days. This is with the accedemic portion of the books completed on your own time. There are shops that try to cut these hours short, but this is a sport that has inherent risk. Cutting corners only serves to hurt the participants. We want you to leave with a strong ability, not a fancy bag of gear and a fear of the water!
Our fee for the open water course is $999 and includes EVERYTHING. You come in your bathingsuit and bring a towel and we supply all the gear, trips, pool sessions and registration. You are NOT required to purchase any gear prior to your course. If you have a child participating ages 10yr &11yr, our open water ratio is decreased for safety and there will be additional fee of $100. Certified parents are always welcome to join us for the open water portion of this class.
If online dates aren't available please, call. We often have room for you,
Lessons
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We understand your vacation time is valuable. At Tilden's we don't cut corners by reducing industry standards. We reduce student to instructor ratios to provide a more private experience. We also embrace a more traditional learning experience with real lecture sessions vs. an exclusively online academic experience. Learning materials can be digital or traditional books, whichever you prefer. Please, be aware that some agencies charge for digital, while others provide them with no additional fee. We will be glad to help you choose the system that best suits you and your family. Although, we initiate classes from PADI, NAUI and SSI, be assured that we can complete courses initiated by all agencies via the Universal Referral System. Whether you start your course with us, or from your home, we are here to make you the best diver that you can be.
We're not your average Dive Shop.
Rescue Course (2.5 Days)
Rescue Diver is the best course that you can take to improve your buddy skills. Both your surface skills will be molded to perfection in the pool, confined water, and then in the open water session. You will be required to complete CPR/first aide as part of the course, or separately on your own time. We do have a very comprehensive method of making this course both informative and fun, but please, do not choose Rescue Diver as a course to tour the reef as a lot of the course time is spent on surface rescue scenarios.
Our fee for the Rescue Course is $800 and does NOT include your CPR certification.
If online dates aren't available please, call. We often have room for you,
Resort Course (1 Day)
For those that don't have time to get certified, but want to try scuba diving, the Resort Course (sometimes referred to as "Discover Scuba Diving") is a great, safe way to experience the reef. Our one day course can be done all in one day or broken into 2 half days to meet your busy vacation schedule. The schedule for the one day is:
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4 Hr Pool/Lecture Session
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Break
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Boat Trip to 2 Reefs for guided dives
This course is $400 for ages 12+yrs. All gear is included. Simply wear your bathing suit and bring a towel/sunscreen. Ratios of instructor to student do not exceed 4:1. We can also accommodate children ages 10 and 11 with a reduced ratio at an additional fee of $100 per student.
If online dates aren't available please, call. We often have room for you,
Open Water Check Out
Dives (2 1/2 days)
If you live inland, or in a cold climate you may prefer to only start your dive lessons and pool sessions at home. We can finish the open water dives in our warm tropical waters in 2 boat trips. Referral paperwork from any agency and the completed medical waiver is all that you will need. Boat trips must be completed on 2 separate days as all agencies limit the number of training dives done on one day.
This course is $550 for ages 12+yrs. All gear is included. Simply wear your bathing suit, bring a towel/sunscreen and your referral paperwork. Ratios of instructor to student do not exceed 4:1. Children ages 10 and 11 can also will be supervised in a reduced ratio of 2:1 for an additional fee of $100 per student.
If online dates aren't available please, call. We often have room for you,
Hunting Certification(2 1/2 days)
This certification is a great way to learn how to conservatively collect dinner from the waters we love. Choosing the species that you know are in season, legal size, legal bag limits and something that you truly want to eat makes underwater hunting the most conservative way to take them from the ocean. During the 2 half day sessions you will learn proper gun handling, target practice, boat etiquette, legal limits, legal species, filet techniques and finally how prepare your catch. We have a variety of guns, pole spears and lobstering equipment to choose from. Upon completion of the course you will have a choice of either a NAUI or PADI Underwater Hunter Certification Card. The age requirement for this course is 15yrs. If you do not have 2 days to complete our course consider simply hiring a hunting guide. All of our boats have both fishing and lobster licenses so no need to purchase one separately.
The cost for this course is $800 and is a private course. If you have a family member that would like to join you we do allow parties of 2... but no more for safety and to insure the best hunting conditions.
If online dates aren't available please, call. We often have room for you,
Advanced OpenWater(1.5Days)
Ready to take your certification to the next level? Advanced Open Water class an informative and fun class that will not only educate you, but document your experience for future dives. Some shops require an advanced card to dive deeper than 60ft. This class has no pool time and has electives that you may choose to customize your experience. At Tilden's we stick to the traditional learning and require:
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Scuba Tune Up
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Night
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Navigation
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Deep
In addition you will have electives to choose from:
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Fish ID.
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Boat
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Wreck
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Peak Performance Buoyancy
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Search/Recovery
Depending on which agency you choose you may be required to complete 5 or 6 dives that can be completed in as little as 1.5 days. Materials will be provided for the academic section of your course in advance. Verification of completion is required to issue certification. This class is $800 per person and
includes all materials, rental gear, trips and registration. Please, call to reserve as most of these trips go to specialized depths and sites to complete the course.
If online dates aren't available please, call. We often have room for you,