Interactive Online Scuba Dive
Lessons
and Training
Correspondence Course
Link
to Discount Scuba Equipment
Link
to OnLine Scuba Lessons
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Once I've ordered
the course, how long does it take to complete?
What Scuba agency is the certification?
Will the certification work while
I'm on vacation?
Will the course work while I'm on
a Cruise Ship?
Do I need to go in the pool and open
water after completing the course?
How much does it cost for the pool
work and the open water dives?
Can I complete the course with my spouse
or children?
Do I get any kind of proof that
I've competed the course?
What if I need help understanding
a portion of the course?
What if I have a question about
something during in the course?
Will the course work for me if
I'm already a scuba diver? (Refresher Course)
Are there any books or videos available
that complement the course?
Once I've
ordered the course, how long does it take to complete?
This depends on how much time you are willing
to spend working on the course. There are 5 modules to complete followed
by a final exam. You have to complete each module with a 100% on
each of the quizzes. Then you have to complete the final exam with
a 100%. You can take the quizzes and final exam as many times as
it takes to achieve a 100%. There is no limit to the number of times
you can take the quizzes and final exam. Most people can complete
the course in about 10 to 17 hours of study. Your password and user
name never expire, so you can take as long as you want to complete the
course. Some folks complete the course in as little as the next day,
some folks take up to a year to complete the course. It's a
self paced course!
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What agency is the certification?
The Academic portion of the scuba course and it's certification works
for ANY scuba certification agency.
When you go on vacation to any resort in the
entire world, you can present your certificate of completion and by-pass
the "book work" and go straight to the pool or open water. We include
a "Worldwide Scuba Referral Form" and all other necessary paperwork
to complete your certification. The "instructor of record" (the instructor
that takes you into open water) may want you to take a quiz, exam, or complete
a verbal quiz to test your knowledge. They may want you to watch
a video or two. But you won't be required to waste valuable vacation
time sitting though the classroom portion of scuba diving.
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Will the certification work while
I'm on vacation?
Yes! That's the idea with course. Get the book work done
before you arrive on vacation! Don't waste your valuable vacation
time with the academic portion of the course. You can go straight
to the pool or open water and DIVE! Present the certificate and universal
referral form to the instructor at the resort. Generally, most instructors
require 2 pool sessions, and 4 open water dives. Make sure the instructor
signs your logbook, complete with the agency and his/her instructor number.
Scuba
Log books are available here!
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Will the course work while I'm
on a Cruise Ship?
Yes! The course and subsequent scuba certification can work very
nicely with cruise ships. First complete the final exam and receive
the referral forms, then schedule a "Shore Excursion" at each port.
Ask for a "Discover Scuba Excursion". Then schedule another excursion
for the next dive, then at the next port schedule another. The Carnival
Cruise Fun Ships to both the eastern Caribbean and the western Caribbean
have shore excursions for scuba diving. The
Carnival Fun Ship - Legend goes to Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Belize, and
Costa Maya. First Class cruise ship and first class scuba diving
all the way. Have one of the scuba instructors sign the open water
referral form at each port. It's OK to use several different scuba
agencies for the certification. Just make sure that you get a signature
from each instructor on the open water referral form and your scuba log
book. Then send all the paperwork back to Aquastrophics, and we will
make sure you get a scuba certification card.
The Carnival
Cruise Fun Ship - Miracle goes to the US Virgin Islands - Perfect for
scuba diving!
Do I need to go in the pool and
open water after completing the course?
Yes! The course is only the book work portion (academics) of
scuba diving. The instructor of record may want you to go into a
pool first, but not all require pool work. Most resorts (in fact
all of them to my knowledge) have swimming pools! Then after a morning
or afternoon of getting use to the gear and being underwater, you go out
on their boat and scuba dive! It's really that simple!
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How much does it cost for the pool
work and the open water dives?
This varies a great deal from place to place. Cozumel dives shops
charge about $35.00 per dive, while the dive shops in Hawaii charge $120.00
per dive. Dive shops in Alabama, New York, and California charge
something in between. Equipment rental prices vary as well. ($5 to
$50 per day). Generally, most dive programs require 4 to 6 dives
for certification. But the quality of these dives can be quite different.
Some operations use their local lake or rock quarry for dive certifications.
These should be relatively inexpensive ($100 - $200). Some dive operations
use huge expensive dive boats for their certifications complete with several
dive masters, instructors, captain, and crew. Expect to pay for the
quality. ($200-$400). Check to see if the operation or resort has
a package available.
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Can I complete the course with my
spouse or children?
Absolutely! Yes you can! You and your spouse or any number of
people can work the course together, sending only one of the quizzes for
the entire group. However, the final exam and course tuition must
be separated. In other words, each person being certified has to
send a final exam and pay for the course. The final exam can be done
as a group, but each individual has to send a completed exam with a 100%
for our records.
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Do I get any kind of proof that
I've competed the course?
Yes! Upon completion of the course you will be mailed a certificate
of completion signed and dated by one of our instructors. We mail
via US Post Office at no charge. However, we can over night or 2
day air via Fed EX if you need the certificate faster. The post office
delivers to most areas in about 3 to 5 days.
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What if I need help understanding
a portion of the course?
What if I get stuck?
What if I have a question about something in the course?
Each module, all quizzes, and the final exam have email links directly
to our Master Chief Instructor (David Holt, aka "Bwana"). You
can email directly with your question or concerns. All emails are
answered within 24 hours (usually much faster). Or you can call direct
at 928-680-DIVE (3483) between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Pacific Standard Time
(Arizona) and talk with one of our instructors to get an explanation and
help with any portion of the course.
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Will the course work for me
if I'm already a scuba diver but haven't been diving in over a year or
more?
Yes! The course makes a wonderful scuba refresher course.
It covers physics, physiology, dive tables, etc.
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Are there any books or videos available
that complement the course?
Yes! There is a nice selection of books and videos - click
here
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Aquastrophics Dive & Travel
2149 McCulloch Blvd.
Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403
(928) 680 - 3483