How long does the whole process of getting your scuba license take?

Question

How long does the whole process of getting your scuba license take?

Answer 1

for me it took 6weeks 1 hours classes and 2hours at the pool.  Also you have to do 4 open water dives in a 2 day period. so go for it! Scuba diving is amazing and the best thing in the world

Answer 2

It all depends on what certification classes you take. You can do an intensive weekend course with all the book and pool work in 2 days. Or you can take the classes over a period of several weeks.

When I got certified, I did the classes and pool work one night a week for 6 weeks. The classroom was about 1 1/2 hours and the pool was about another 1 1/2 hour session.

We then did our open water dives while we were in Antigua on vacation (you have to complete your open water dives within a set amount of time after you finish the course and pool work).

Personally, I liked the several week course as you  had time to absorb the material and get used to everything without feeling rushed. That's just a personal preference though. I don't think I would have learned as much (or retained as much  I should say) if I tried to cram everything into one weekend.

So the long and short answer is, it could take as little as a few days or as long as several weeks to get certified.

Whichever way you go, try it, you won't regret it.

Answer 3

it depends on how often you can go to the classes. it took me about 3 months, but that's because i only went to the class once a week. it varies depending on where you go and how often.

Answer 4

Most of the classes I've seen meet for 4 hours, once a week, for five weeks. Most shops also have an option for private/executive courses, these can typically be done in a week.

When you are done with class, you do your open water check out dives. The check out dives are done over a weekend. Depending on where you live, you may only be able to do check out dives between May-October, when the water is warm.

Answer 5

it is not a license, it is a certificate, it takes about a 4 hour class

Answer 6

One of the more popular classes at my local shop is the two weekender.  First weekend is classroom review, and your  pool dives.

Second weekend is your final and checkout dives.

This type of class is heavily dependent on home study for your classroom work.

Answer 7

it can vary, anything from a few hours in a resort pool to several months through a local university. i would highly recommend the latter if you are serious about diving, you will get a lot more out of a university taught dive class in most situations which will translate into you being more comfortable in the water and hopefully a much safer diver.

Answer 8

At the shop I work with, our most popular class is

Pool and Classroom - 5 weeknights, about 4 hours per night.

Checkout Dives - one weekend (2 dives per day)

Answer 9

My experience was much like Heretic, above.

I bought the PADI books and did the reading at home.

I went to the dive shop and watched several training video tapes before the first classroom session

The first weekend, we were in the classroom going over all of the book work and training videos, and time in the pool.

The second weekend we did the open water check-out dives.

There was a written exam somewhere in there.