FAQ
Is Scuba diving safe?
Scuba diving is safe when divers are trained properly so that they have the knowledge and skills to be able to mitigate risks and resolve problems before they escalate. The health and well-being of students are Aquatic Specialties' number one priority, and we strive to make sure every student is comfortable and prepared to take on the open water.
Do Scuba certifications expire?
Scuba certifications never expire; however, if it has been some time since your last dive, we recommend that you take a Scuba Skills Update class. Scuba standards change all the time, so it is a good idea to make sure you are up to date and are following safe dive practices!
Can children become Open Water certified?
Absolutely! Students younger than 15 years old will be certified as a Junior Open Water diver and must dive under the direct supervision of a dive professional or with a certified adult in environments equivalent to their training and within the recommended depth limits (10 and 11 year olds have a maximum depth limit of 40ft). The minimum age limit to get a Junior Open Water certification is 10 years old, but children as young as 8 years old can participate in our Try Scuba class!
Scuba diving is expensive. What if I sign up and I don't like it?
We understand that scuba diving is an expensive sport and a big commitment, that is why we offer Try Scuba Classes on most Saturdays from 9:30-12:30 am. Our Try Scuba class allows individuals to experience what it is like to be able to scuba dive and breathe underwater! We recommend that people take the Try Scuba class before signing up for Open Water if they are not sure that they are going to like scuba diving. The class is $100, we provide all of the gear you will need (minus a bathing suit and towel), and if you decide to make the commitment to become Open Water certified, that $100 will get put towards your Open Water class!
Why should I purchase my equipment from your shop?
There are a few reasons why we recommend purchasing your equipment at Aquatic Specialties:
1. Although the online universe offers an opportunity to learn about scuba diving gear, it does not make for a great place to buy your equipment. There are many different brands, styles, and sizes, and having equipment that fits well will enhance your performance in the water and make your dive experience more enjoyable! Getting fitted at the shop and trying on different options is much easier than multiple purchases and returns because you cannot try on gear you are buying online. Plus, if your equipment breaks or does not fit quite right in the pool, we can fix it or exchange it for something else at the shop!
2. Much of your gear is considered life-saving equipment, so it is important that you are buying from an authorized dealer where you can trust the equipment. Buying your gear from an unauthorized dealer could be counterfeited and dangerous if it does not work properly. Buying from an unauthorized dealer means your equipment will not be covered under the manufacturer's warranty or "parts for life" program, and if it needs repairs or servicing, you would have to pay out of pocket for the parts. Buying off-brand gear also means that we may not be able to service it because we cannot get the parts or have the tools to do so.
3. We offer our students a 10% discount* on any required equipment that is purchased while actively enrolled in a course! Every customer matters and your support of your local dive shop is the backbone to our success. Your patronage motivates us to keep improving, and allows us to be able to provide you with the services that we do today - together, we will dive into great things!
*Some restrictions apply on select products
How do your Winter classes work?
We hold classes all-year-round at the shop, but it's a little too cold to bring students out into the water to finish their certifying dives. We typically start contacting Winter students at the end of May to come back and complete their dives for the classes they took throughout the Winter. Open Water students will be required to come back for an additional pool session where we will fit you for a wetsuit, and review the skills that were learned over the Winter. For people taking a class with the intent to scuba dive on their vacation, we can complete you as a "referral diver" (pending there is a SSI shop or a shop willing to take a transfer student from a different scuba school) and you can finish your dives at the location you will be vacationing at.
How do I complete the forms and upload them to my SSI profile?
Students over age 18: SSI now allows students over the age of 18 to sign their forms digitally in their SSI profile. Login to your SSI account, navigate to "Personal Data", and click "Records and Documents". All of the forms that are highlighted in red will need to be completed before your class. When you fill out the Diver Medical Questionnaire, if you answer YES to questions 3, 5, or 10 on the first page OR yes to any of the questions on the second page, you will need to print out the form and take all three pages to your physician for a medical evaluation. A doctors note or recent documentation is not sufficiant and SSI requires a physician to fill out the SSI Medical Questionnaire and Physician's Evaluation. All printed documentation will need to be scanned** and uploaded into your SSI profile in their respective places.
Students under 18: All minors (or parent/guardian) will have to print out the forms and have them signed by a parent or guardian. These forms can be found in the welcome letter that is emailed to you at the time of sign up, or can be found by logging into your SSI account, navigating to "Personal Data", and clicking "Records and Documents". All of the forms that are highlighted in red will need to be completed, scanned**, and uploaded into their respective places before your class.
**Please note:SSI does not allow JPEG images to be uploaded into your SSI profile and we will not be able to certify you. Please upload all documents as a PDF by uploading them using a scanner or downloading an app (like Genius Scan) to your phone and scanning the forms that way.
