Christal Seas Scuba Ltd
Norfolk's Premier Scuba Diving Centre
62 Whiffler Road Norwich NR3 2AY
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01603 485000 info@scuba4me.co.uk
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Open Water Diver Course
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Should I Learn with Christal Seas Scuba?
Christal Seas Scuba is a very well respected and experienced PADI 5* dive centre which has been operating for many years.
All our Instructors are very experienced in teaching all courses and are great at making your course relaxed and enjoyable.
We fully comply with all PADI, SSI and HSE standards and requirements so you know that you are getting a safe and professional experience. We offer a great service at a great price and include many extras, such as use of a dry suit for your Open Water dives at no extra cost.
We also provide an extra pool session to experience the drysuit before your open water dives which means you are fully comfortable for your qualifying dives.
Also, we encourage all our students to carry on diving, at home and abroad, and give you lots of support to do so, including a great social club full of local divers.
This means that you can continue diving and exploring new dive activites for many years to come. But beware - it does get addictive!!
How Long Will The Course Take?
It's entirely up to you!
The course can be completed in as little as a week. However, we recommend spreading the course over 6 to 8 weeks so that you have plenty of time to take it in and progress at your own pace.
We operate with small class sizes, which means that we can give you our full attention and ensure that you feel happy and comfortable every step (or fin!) of the way.
Your course will be scheduled to meet your timetable, so if you are wanting to qualify before going on holiday in a few weeks time, or prefer to take a more leisurely approach to the course we can schedule your activities accordingly.
What Equipment Will I Need?
All the equipment you need throughout the course is provided - including mask, snorkel, fins, full dive equipment, drysuit, wetsuit for use in the pool and your Open Water manual and certification card.
All the school equipment is very high quality and regularly serviced to ensure it is in perfect condition.
Read more about Scuba Equipment here​.
What Will I Do On The Course?
When you sign up to the Open Water course you receive a 'crewpack' which contains the Open Water manual, dive planner and all the other information you need for the course.
It also includes the DVD which presents all the information in a more visual format.
You are then free to study at home at your leisure and then meet up with your group and Instructor at the dive shop on Whiffler Road in Norwich to complete the multiple choice question quizes and exam. Alternatively you can do the theory online via the PADI E-Learning or Touch App.
The swimming pool sessions are where you will practice and refine all the skills you need for the course - from clearing your mask and buoyancy control to dealing with out-of-air situations. We have pool sessions every night and at weekends at our own on-site swimming pool and offer a flexible schedule to meet your needs.
The course is then completed by making four open water dives, at home or abroad.
If you are completing the full course in the UK you will do these at an inland dive site - either Stoney Cove (near Leicester) or Gildenburg Water (near Peterborough). These are both purpose built dive lakes - complete with cafe, changing facilities and lots of fun things for divers to look at in the water such as a submarine, tug boat, aeroplane cockpit and a double decker bus!
Included in your course is also an additional dive to familiarise yourself with drysuit diving because all our students are provided with drysuits for the duration of the course. This means you stay dry and warm and your first dive experience can be a pleasureable one! This is a benefit that other dive schools do not offer - and dry suit diving is a great skill to have for diving in the UK, and we believe it makes you a better diver before diving abroad.
If you would rather do your qualifying dives abroad you can do them as part of a 'referral'. This option, which includes only knowledge development and confined water dives, is very popular for those who do not wish to dive in the UK, and completing part of the course at home means that you are not spending valuable holiday time in the classroom doing your dive exams!
We can help you find a suitable overseas dive centre or why not come with us and qualify on one of the many holidays that we offer?
Still Have Questions?
No problem! Call 01603 485000 or click the 'Contact Us' button to find out about dates and availability.
Alternatively, find out more at the PADI site.