• Duration: 3 Days                                                
• Minimum Age: 10 Years Old                        
• Cost: $1,051 plus tax (including PADI eLearning purchase)
• Call to make your reservations:  808-329-7585

How to become a certified diver in Kona

• Complete your online eLearning
  • Once you enroll in the course, you'll purchase the online portion of the course from our webstore. Simply create your PADI account and complete the online knowledge development at your own pace before your training begins.
  • Most students spend approximately 8–10 hours completing the eLearning modules.
     
• Pool training 
  • Meet your instructor, get fitted for some gear and take your first breaths underwater in our dedicated training pool.Throughout the day, you'll learn and practice essential scuba skills in a comfortable environment, building the confidence needed for your open water dives.
     
• Ocean dives
  • Complete four open water training dives in the warm, world class waters of Kona.
  • During these dives, you'll demonstrate the skills you've learned while experiencing Hawaii's vibrant marine life and volcanic lava formations.
     
• CONGRATULATIONS!-You are a Certified  PADI Open Water Diver!
  • You’re now qualified to dive independently with a buddy anywhere in the world. Many students celebrate by joining our famous Manta Ray Night Dive right after certification.

Why choose Jack’s Diving Locker for your Dive Certification Course?

• With over 40 years of experience, Jack's Diving Locker has earned a reputation as one of Hawaii's premier dive operators and set the standard for scuba diving in Kona. Our commitment to excellence has been recognized with numerous awards in the Scuba Diving Magazine Reader's Choice Awards 2023: 
  • Best Operator
  • Quality of Staff,
  • Quality of Facilities
  • Quality of Boats
  • Attention to Safety
• Unlike most dive centers, Jack's Diving Locker also actively trains future scuba instructors. Our instructional programs are overseen by both a PADI Course Director and a Director of Education, ensuring that our teaching standards, safety protocols, and educational practices remain at the forefront of the diving industry. When you train with Jack's, you're learning from a team that not only teaches divers but also develops the next generation of dive professionals.

Do I need to be a good swimmer to scuba dive?

• Basic swimming skills and water comfortability are essential, but you don’t need to be a pro swimmer. We assess this during the course. 

What’s the water skill assessment like?

• 10-minute swim/float without using swim aids, or touching the sides of the pool
• 200 yard continuous surface swim (or 300 yard swim with mask, fins, snorkel)
• If you are not certain you can complete them, find a pool with a lifeguard to practice in, or hire a swim instructor to get you ready to demonstrate them for your Instructor

Do you offer private courses?

• Yes, contact us for availability.  See seasonal pricing here.
• Who should take a private course?  Private courses are great for anyone that is nervous, has limited water skills, or just wants extra attention and safety.
• If you're not sure if you need a private class, we encourage first time divers to sign up for an optional and short pool introductory dive on a day prior to the start of their course to test the waters:  Optional $75 (plus taxes and fees) 
• What if I'm in a group class and no one else signs up?  We do not require private fees if only 1 student signs up for our scheduled Tuesday and Friday courses.  However for custom schedules, private fees will apply if only 1 student signs up.

What happens if I can’t continue during my open water course?

• If you meet the requirements we can give you a PADI Scuba Diver certification
• We will give you a referral form valid for one year to show as proof of all the skills completed

What is the difference between PADI open water and scuba diver?

What is the class schedule like?

• Typically Tuesday-Thursday or Friday-Sunday
  • Day 1: Pool 8:00am- until completed, most likely 4:00pm
  • Day 2: Ocean Dives 1 & 2, usually from the boat (8:00am-3:00pm)
  • Day 3: Ocean Dives 3 & 4, usually  from the boat (8:00am-3:00pm)

Is scuba diving safe?

• All adventure activities come with inherent risk, but scuba diving is considered a generally safe activity with proper training and respect for your personal limits, and awareness of environmental conditions. Here at Jack’s our dedicated team of dive professionals will provide some of the highest-quality scuba instruction to build the confidence needed to become a safe and confident diver.

How big are your classes?

• Typically we take about 4 students per 1 instructor. This allows us to ensure every student receives personalized attention and our instructors to tailor their teaching to each student’s needs and set them up for success 

What’s included?

• 3 days of premium instruction
• Full SCUBA kit (BCD, regulator, and computer)
• Fins and wetsuits
• Mask and snorkel are not included- the mask and snorkel combination can be the most critical part of a new diver's equipment to ensure their comfort and safety.  We expect all of our Dive Certification students to have their own

Do I get any discounts?

• Yes, you will get 10% discount on our high quality masks and snorkel and have the chance to exchange masks and snorkels during their first pool session if there are any problems with the fit. 
• 20% off if you upgrade and get fins 

Can I get certified while on vacation in Hawaii?

• Yes, you can. Plan for 3 full days of training and you will have to wait 18 hours after your last dive before flying and drive past 2000 feet, which is important to keep in mind for visits to the volcano or waterfalls.

Can I do the manta ray dive after being certified?

• Yes, you can!  A lot of our students like to join our most famous manta ray night dive right after certification, just keep in mind that you will be doing a lot of training for 3 days 

Is 10 years old too young to learn scuba diving?

• Usually not, but all kids are different.  10 years old is the minimum age for certification, and their certification comes with added layers of supervision and depth restrictions to increase their safety while diving.
• Private courses are often a good investment when scheduling courses for younger kids.
• We also offer different SCUBA experiences for younger kids in our pool such as PADI bubble maker and SASSY, as well as Scuba Camps designed at a more kid friendly atmosphere and pace.

Are there any medical restrictions?

• Please review our medical statement, if you answer YES to any of the questions we will need a medical clearance before we can start any in-water training 

Things to Know:

Review the Medical Statement. If you have a YES to a medical question, you will need to get a doctor’s approval before starting the course.

• Start the eLearning Online Course
• View Policies for Children
• View Cancellation Policy

Flying or Driving to Altitude After Diving: For multiple dives per day or multiple days of diving, a minimum surface interval of 18 hours is suggested before flying or driving to altitude. For a single dive, a minimum of 12 hours is suggested.