SAN DIEGO SCUBA FIELD GUIDE
From Pool Deck to Pacific Blue: Two Weekends to Your Open Water Certification in La Jolla
A self-paced e-learning course followed by pool training and two open-water days at La Jolla Shores that lead to PADI Open Water certification.
From Pool Deck to Pacific Blue: Two Weekends to Your Open Water Certification in La Jolla.
Learn to dive in San Diego with flexible online study and two focused weekends of hands-on instruction — a confined-water day in the pool followed by two days of ocean training at La Jolla Shores, where students test basic swim skills, water treading and underwater techniques in a supportive setting.
Highlights
Outing Highlights
Pool-first confined-water practice
The course opens with confined-water sessions in a pool where students work through fundamentals and skills under instructor supervision before heading to the ocean.
Open-water dives at La Jolla Shores
Ocean training takes place at La Jolla Shores over two days, letting students apply pool-learned skills in the Pacific environment where skills are refined and assessed.
Earn a PADI Open Water credential
With self-paced at-home study and three days of in-water instruction, participants complete the required skills and assessments to become a certified PADI Open Water Diver.
What the day feels like
What the course feels like
The rhythm is methodical: finish self-paced e-learning at home, spend a full day in the pool drilling basic skills and safety procedures, then rise early for two mornings at La Jolla Shores to complete open-water dives and practical assessments.
Suitability
Who it's for
Who this course suits — and who should consider alternatives.
Practical planner
Details to review before reserving
Plan for roughly 4 to 6 hours of in-water training each day across three in-person days.
First (pool) day begins at 8:00 AM and ends around 4:00 PM; the two open-water days start at 7:00 AM at La Jolla Shores.
Meet at 8200 Camino Del Oro, La Jolla, CA 92037 for the ocean days and related logistics.
Complete the self-paced e-learning before the first in-person session — be sure to book with enough lead time to finish the online modules.
Review cancellation policies before reserving.
Frequently asked questions
Planning Your Outing
What ages can take this course?
Participants must be at least 10 years old.
How long is the in-person training?
In-water training is roughly 4 to 6 hours each day, over three in-person days.
When do the days start?
The first (pool) day starts at 8:00 AM and finishes around 4:00 PM; the following two ocean days start at 7:00 AM at La Jolla Shores.
Where do we meet for the ocean days?
The meeting location is 8200 Camino Del Oro, La Jolla, CA 92037.
Is there any required at-home work?
Yes — the course includes self-paced e-learning that must be completed before the first in-person training day; book with enough lead time to finish those modules.
Are there swim or tread tests?
Yes — the program includes a swim test and a water-treading test as part of the in-water assessments.