Shortly after filling out the online form and registering for the course, you will receive two emails.

• A course information email from Rowand’s Reef containing everything you need to know before starting the program.

• An email from PADI containing the link to your eLearning course and required course documents.

Please note that these emails are sent manually by our store’s staff. If you sign up after hours, you will receive these emails shortly after we open the following day.

Before your course’s start date, students are required to visit the store to complete a sizing for rental equipment and fill out any missing documents. This also a great time to ask questions and acquire your mask and snorkel using your 20% student discount.

Yes, you need to know how to swim. You do not need to be an amazing swimmer but you will need to be able to pass the swim test, which is conducted at the beginning of the first pool session and must be completed before advancing in the course. This swim test is comprised of two parts.

• A 200 meter swim. There is no time limit and you can use any stroke you would like but it must be completed without stopping for rest. If the student is unable to complete the 200 meter swim, they can attempt 300 meters using a mask, snorkel and fins.

• A 10-minute survival float/tread.

Please contacts us if you feel like you might have difficulty completing this course requirement. We are always happy to offer advice and recommendations to help you achieve this goal.

The PADI Medical Questionnaire is available on all of our website’s course pages and should be reviewed prior to enrollment.

In the event that you answer “yes” to any of the questions on the form, you will need to speak to your doctor and have them sign off on your condition before we can let you go in the water.

Although we are not doctors, we have extensive experience working with students who have conditions such as asthma, diabetes, autism, Parkinson’s, physical disabilities and so much more. Scuba diving is a fantastic hobby for just about everybody!

Once you have complete the Open Water Course you will be a certified diver down to 18m/60ft. This means you can rent equipment and go diving with or without a guide as well as book diving trips and charters.

The certification never expires and is valid at PADI dive centers all over the world. However, many stores will require divers to take a Refresher Course after 6 - 12 months of inactivity so diver are encouraged to keep their skills fresh by continuing to dive regularly.

Many people will want to take their diving a step further and gain access to a wider variety of diving opportunities by taking the Advanced Open Water Course.

There are many reasons why someone might not complete the Open Water Course right away. If this is the case, we will reschedule the student to the next available course dates in accordance with our Course Transfer/Cancellation Policy.

The PADI Open Water Diver Course is the first step in your scuba diving education. It will give you the knowledge and training to safely scuba dive anywhere in the world! Millions of people have learned to scuba dive and gone on to discover the wonders of the aquatic world through this course.

At the end of the course, you will receive a lifelong PADI Open Water Diver Certification which indicates that you are a fully trained diver to a depth of 18 meters/60 feet. Whether you want to dive into the emerald seas here in Canada or explore tropical reefs further afield, the PADI Open Water Diver Course is where everyone starts!

During the PADI Open Water Course, through a combination of knowledge development and practical training, we will teach you the basics of diving and how to stay safe in the water.

As part of the Knowledge Development, you will learn the principles of scuba diving. Your understanding will then be put into practice during the Confined Water dives where you will be taught a series of fundamental scuba skills. In the final step of the course, you will demonstrate these skills in the open water and use them to explore the underwater environment.

Here at Rowand's Reef, there is also the option to take your open water training one step further with the Drysuit Specialty add-on. If you want to dive in British Columbia, or any other cold water location, you will want to be diving in a drysuit. You will gain the knowledge and skills needed to be a drysuit master.

Rowand’s Reef has over 50 years of experience certifying scuba divers of all levels. Whether it’s helping you take your first breaths underwater or giving you the tools you need to take your diving to the next level, we’re here to help and support you through your diving journey!

Whatever your experience, our instructors will work with you to ensure your confidence, comfort, and readiness. Our low instructor-to-student ratios allow maximum contact time and our top-of-the-line rental equipment will ensure that your dives are successful and enjoyable.

Our mission at Rowand’s Reef is to provide world-class scuba training, making sure that our students have the knowledge and skills they need to be safe out in the water while also having a great time!

Your journey begins with the classroom session and course orientation which are conducted at the store. This will take place either Saturday morning or Wednesday evening, depending on logistics.

The Confined Water Training takes place at Sungod Recreation Centre and the Open Water Dives are conducted at our regular diving hot-spot, Whytecliff Park.

Located 30 minutes from our store, Whytecliff was the first Marine Protected Area in Canada has been a favorite amongst local divers for over 40 years! With easy access to a large sheltered bay, it provides ideal depths and protection from currents. You can find a variety of local marine life hiding among the sandy seabed including crabs, starfish, urchins, jellyfish, sea cucumbers, anemones, octopus, wolf eels, seals and so much more!

A drysuit is a sealed suit worn when scuba diving instead of a wetsuit to keep you warm in cooler water. It works by trapping a layer of air within the suit which acts as an insulator and also helps with your buoyancy. Your body stays dry underneath the drysuit and you can also wear thermals to stay even warmer. In British Columbia, the water gets cold so you will find the vast majority of divers using a drysuit year-round.

We will train you to dive in a drysuit for your Open Water Course as standard. They will keep you nice and warm, ensuring more comfort and enjoyment from the course. The extra training will also make you a more prepared and versatile diver from the outset.

At Rowand's Reef, we carry the Aqua Lung/Whites Fusion range of drysuits. These suits contain the latest in drysuit technology and allow for a customized fit with added flexibility and buoyancy control in the water.

Water colour, visibility and temperature - these are the biggest differences when it comes to cold water vs. warm water diving.

Water colour - In cold water, the colour appears more green/grey compared to the blue/turquoise water of the tropics. This difference really only matters if you do any underwater filming or photography.

Visibility - the best time to dive in BC is from September - April. This is when the water is the clearest and is as good as any warm water dive site. In the summer visibility here can be poor at times due to the large growth of algae that occurs across the North Pacific coast. The visibility will clear up as you dive deeper, but learning to dive in poor conditions will again give you extra experience and training making you a better diver.

Temperature - water temperatures in BC range from around 7°C in the winter/spring to around 15°C in Summer/Fall. While this is a bit different to the 20°C plus temperature of warmer water, the extra equipment and drysuits make this easy to handle and you quickly get used to it after a few dives.

Things to see - When it comes to marine and plant life, there are just as many amazing things to see in cold water as there are in the tropics. Life in cold water tends to be smaller and more unique, whilst warm water life tends to be more plentiful. You may have to explore a bit more to find life in cold water but this just adds to the adventure of the dive!

Jacques Cousteau once said that the coastal waters of British Columbia are 'the best temperate water diving in the world and second only to the Red Sea'. - An indication of just how much there is to see here! Plus, Vancouver is one of the only places in the world where you can ski and scuba dive on the same day - definitely worth a bit of cold!