Bringing Out the Diver in You!

General Scuba Courses

It’s time to get started with your diving adventure! Whether it’s taking a full certification course here with us or taking your academics and confined water training and then completing your course on vacation, we would love to help start your adventure.

Central Oregon Diving, LLC offers a variety of PADI courses from Bubblemaker for kids 8 and up thru IDC Staff Instructor. The Open Water Certification is the first step toward lifelong enjoyment under the water. Open Water Diver Certification takes a couple of weeks to complete.

In addition to these courses, we also offer “Specialty Diver Courses” to help you improve your diving skills and work toward the highly desired Master Scuba Diver certification.

Specialty courses offered are Nitrox, Deep, Underwater Navigation, Search and Recovery, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Altitude, Dry Suit, Equipment Specialist, Emergency First Response and First Aid. When conditions allow we also offer Boat, and Drift Specialties. 

Open Water Diver Course

What does it cover?

The PADI Open Water Diver course is, by far, the world’s most popular scuba certification course. Now is the time for you to dive into the course and begin your world of exploration underwater! Learning to scuba dive requires both knowledge development (facts, principles, concepts) and dive skills (techniques, methods).

How does it work?

After enrolling, each student completes the entire self-study online manual, including filling out the knowledge reviews at the end of each chapter and take the required quizzes and final exam. Next, you will complete the confined water pool sessions and four open water training dives with your PADI Instructor. The open water dives will be done at one of our local lakes.

What do I need to start?

To be a certified as a PADI Open Water Diver, you need to be at least 10 years old, fit for diving, and able to swim. Divers between the ages of 10 through 14 are certified as a PADI Junior Open Water Diver.

What diving equipment will I need?

Scuba gear and tanks are provided at no additional charge. You are responsible to have a dive appropriate mask, snorkel, fins and booties. Students will receive a 10% discount on all of these required items. Also, there will be a 10% student discount on all accessories for a period of 60 days from the date of your certification.

Enriched Air Diver Course

What does it cover?

The PADI Enriched Air (Nitrox) Diver course is for those who want to learn to dive with nitrox air. This course will help you get nitrox air fills, will teach you how to stay at depth longer and enjoy shorter surface intervals. It will also teach important skills like using an oxygen air analyzer and how to set your dive computer.

How does it work?

This course is done in two parts: the independent study and the hands-on instruction portion. 

Online learning makes it easy to learn on your own time and at your own pace. You can connect with your instructor to coordinate in-water training and questions.

After the study portion, you’ll work with your instructor to learn how to analyze a tank, fill out an enriched air log, and set your dive computer for nitrox. You also have two optional dives. 

Prerequisites & Minimum Age

Minimum age: 12

Course prerequisite: enrollment in Open Water Diver

Divers 12 or older can earn a PADI Enriched Air Diver certification as part of their PADI Open Water Diver course. Ask your instructor for more information.

Time Commitment

PADI eLearning: 2-4 hours

Entire course: 1-2 days

It’s possible to earn your nitrox certification in just one day. Simply complete the online course and schedule a short practical session with your instructor. The two dives are optional. You can also earn a nitrox certification simultaneously with another course.

Advanced open Water Course

What does it cover?

The PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Course includes knowledge development for the two required dives of Deep and Underwater Navigation.  Then choose three elective dives that are appropriate for our diving area.

How does it work?

Most divers choose the “Flex” option which allows them to complete the knowledge reviews for the five sections of the manual that corresponds to the dives that they will be completing. 

What is required for the course?

Complete the five Adventure Dives based on what is available at your dive location and what your PADI Instructor is able to offer. 

What diving equipment will I need?

In addition to your scuba gear, you will need a dive knife/tool, surface signaling device, a compass and a dive computer or timing device, and RPD table.  For a night dive, you will need an underwater light.  A backup light and marker/chemical light is also recommended.  Central Oregon Diving will give you a 50% discount off of gear rental.

Rescue Diver Course

What is the course?

This course expands what you already know and shows you how to prevent problems and how to manage them if they occur.  It is a “challenging’ and rewarding course.  The fun part about this course is rising to the challenges presented and being able to master them. 

What do you learn?

Self rescue, recognizing and managing stress in other divers, emergency management and equipment, rescuing panicked divers, rescuing unresponsive divers.

What is required for the course?

Be 12 years or older, have a PADI Adventure Diver or PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certification (or other qualifying certification from another organization), be trained and current for First Aid and CPR within the two previous years or certified in PADI Emergency First Response CPR and First Aid courses.  Emergency Oxygen Provider Specialty is taught in conjunction with this course.  Be mentally ready and physically fit.

What diving equipment will I need?

A full set of dive gear, including a scuba tank.  Tanks are available to rent.

Go professional Courses

What is the course?

The first step to becoming a dive professional is to enroll in a divemaster course. Divemaster is PADI’s most popular professional-level certification. In this Divemaster course, you’ll learn skills that will help you become a master and know the inside out of every dive. Other courses we provide under this category include Assistant Instructor, Open Water Scuba Instructor, Specialty Instructor, and IDC Staff Instructor.


What do you learn?

As part of your journey to masterclass certification, you’ll get hands-on experience for the following: 

  • The role and characteristics of the PADI Divemaster
  • Supervising dive activities and assisting with student divers
  • Scuba diver safety and risk management
  • Divemaster conducted programs and specialized skills
  • Business of diving and your career
  • Awareness of the dive environment
  • Scuba gear setup and management
  • Mapping an open water site
  • Conducting dive briefings
  • Organizing a search and recovery project and a deep dive
  • Conducting PADI ReActivate scuba refresher and skin diver course
  • Assisting with Discover Scuba Diving and leading Discover Local Diving programs

Prerequisites & Requirements

Age Requirement
18 years or older
Course Prerequisites
Rescue Diver, 40 logged dives, CPR and First Aid certification within 24 months, medical clearance to dive
Time Commitment
Approximately 50 hours

What diving equipment will I need?

As a dive professional, you’ll need a dive computer, a dive knife, and at least two surface signaling devices. During practical skills exercises, you’ll use a compass, floats, marker buoys, lift bags and a dive slate. Your PADI Instructor may suggest additional gear that will be useful for your scuba diving career.

deep sea diver

Email us for more details on a group class or private lessons.

PADI eLearning is another way to do the academic portion of the class, and then you can join a scheduled course or a private class. There are many options to suit your needs and schedules. To sign up for a class, you’ll need to speak with us, as there are course materials for each class and deposits to secure your space. We look forward to meeting with you!

At this time, we are doing Open Water Courses via eLearning only. Our group classes are small classes to ensure social distancing guidelines are met. Some specialty courses are taught with book learning as social distancing can still be enforced. Your safety is our concern, so we comply with all local, state, and dive-recommended cleaning to all gear and our store. We sanitize the store with UVC lights, properly clean all gear as recommended, clean surfaces multi times daily to protect our customers and our staff. We appreciate our amazing customers.

Central Oregon Diving is your one-stop shop for scuba certification, dive & snorkel equipment, service, travel, rental and diving adventures.

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