CERTIFICATION COURSES

The world needs more good divers. When you commit to learning the Ancora way, you’ll join a community of explorers, naturalists, researchers and thrill-seekers all united by a shared love and respect for the underwater world. Our fully customizable training options will maximize your potential as a safe, confident scuba diver and environmental ally. It won’t be long before you see firsthand why our approach to the PADI curriculum has earned Ancora divers around the world a reputation.

Our instructors and divemasters are committed to offering you a stress-free, memorable and downright enjoyable experience, regardless of your age, background, or outlook. We offer you our very best in modest hopes that you’ll look back fondly at your dive training experience long after you become a certified diver and continue your own scuba odyssey.

We offer both recreational and professional-level certification courses, and either can be booked privately or as a group. Our regular group lessons start on specific days, while private classes can be arranged for a time that is convenient to you. Please keep in mind that our prices do include all required PADI administration fees and online course material. You can begin the classroom portion of your course right away through our PADI-endorsed eLearning program! Upon registering for a course, you’ll be assigned both a personal advisor and instructor. Your advisor will reach out to you within twenty-four hours with contact details and a full dossier on your instructor. You’ll have information about their dive background, education, experience, and area of expertise all at your fingertips! Of course, please do not hesitate to reach out with questions before booking.

Open Water Diver

  • Entry-level Scuba Certification

  • Course includes

    • 5 confined water (pool or beach) dives

    • 4 Open Water dives

    • Full access to online course material through PADI eLearning

Upon successful completion of the PADI Open Water Diver course, students will have demonstrated a basic understanding of the underwater world as well as the ability to complete the necessary skills required to safely and responsibly perform open water dives without the supervision of an instructor. This course will involve a general introduction to dive theory, physiology and practical environmental considerations.

Advanced Open Water Diver

  • Continuation of OW Course

  • Course includes

    • 4 PADI Adventure Dives

    • Full access to online course material through PADI eLearning

The PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course offers certified divers the opportunity to expand their breadth of dive knowledge through the introduction to various diver specialties and advanced techniques. Upon successful completion of the course, divers will have learned critical underwater navigation skills while having improved their buoyancy and capacity for problem-solving.  AOW divers are permitted to dive beyond 60ft/18m, thus enabling them to participate in most salt water wreck and deep dives.

Rescue Diver

  • Highest amateur diver course offered

  • Course includes

    • Real-time self-rescue and fellow diver rescue scenarios

    • Stress assessment and management education

The PADI Rescue Diver Course trains Advanced Open Water divers in various rescue techniques and emergency response situations.  Upon successful completion of the course, divers will have performed numerous open water rescue drills, and thoroughly understand the physiological and medical conditions that could result in diver injury. Rescue divers are highly respected within the dive community and are often offered discounted rates on dive charters.

Divemaster

  • Professional-level Scuba Certification

  • Course includes

    • Introduction to various pedagogical approaches to scuba and marine education

    • At least 10 open water dives

The PADI Divemaster course is the longest and most intensive course before instructor development training.  As a confident, skilled, and well-traveled diver, divemaster candidates will be expected to maintain a sense of responsibility for not only those accompanying them on given dive trips, but the entire dive community as well. As PADI professionals, divemasters are role-models and leaders within the industry. While assisting an instructor, divemasters have the extreme pleasure of watching inexperienced and sometimes timid divers rise through the ranks to PADI glory. Night dives, deep dives and boat dives will all be a part of the divemaster candidate’s curriculum. This is the course where divers are finally able to prove their leadership capabilities and change lives. There remains considerable demand for quality divemasters all over the globe, and this certification could finally enable you to earn some well-deserved return on your temporal and financial investment.