What is involved in a PADI Discover Scuba Diver course?
If you think you would like to experience the joys of scuba diving but you’re completely inexperienced or nervous in the water and you don’t know if you’re ready to commit to doing an Open Water course, the PADI Discover Scuba Diver course may be the perfect way to “dip a toe in the water”.
The DSD course is a short try-diving experience for adults and children aged 10+. In a very short time you will learn the basics of scuba diving and take your first breaths underwater.
Our highly-qualified PADI instructors will introduce you to your equipment and allay any fears you may have.
In our landscaped multi-depth swimming pool, the biggest in Puerto Galera, you will take your first breaths underwater. And then on your second dive we will head out into the calm shallow waters of Sabang Bay for your first dive with the incredible marine life of Puerto Galera.
Who is eligible for a Discover Scuba Diver Course?
There are no prerequisites for a DSD course, and anyone aged 10 years or over may participate.
Scuba diving requires a minimum level of health and fitness, and certain chronic health conditions, especially those affecting the heart, circulatory system, or lungs, may require you to get written approval from a doctor before diving.
How long does a Discover Scuba Diver course take?
The e-learning can be completed within half an hour, then there are two dives, one in a swimming pool and one in open water.
The entire program usually requires a time commitment of around three hours, not including a break between dive sessions one and two.
What is involved on land?
In the DSD course you will go through a detailed briefing on the effects of water pressure, underwater communication including the basic hand gestures divers use to communicate things like how much air is in their tank and which direction they’re headed, use of the equipment, and diving safely.
You can prepare for your Discover Scuba Diver experience by undertaking the PADI e-learning which will be made available to you online once you’ve signed up.
Use your computer or mobile device to learn diving safety fundamentals before you get in the water – before you even get to the resort if you wish, and you plan ahead.
The e-learning will probably take around 30 minutes.
What is involved in the water?
A DSD course includes two dives, one in confined water and one in open water.
In the confined water dive, which takes place in our swimming pool here at LLV, candidates get to grips with breathing through a regulator and swimming effectively in diving gear. Your instructor will be in contact with you the entire time
Once you’re familiar with the equipment and you and your instructor feel you are ready, you will undertake a dive in open water, in a calm shallow spot where again your instructor will keep a hand on your tank the whole time and you won’t descend past 12 metres.
What skills will I learn in a PADI Discover Scuba Diver course
You will become familiar with the use of basic scuba equipment including mark, fins, snorkel, regulator, buoyancy control device (BCD), dive gaugfes and dive computers, and a scuba tank.
The technical skills which will be covered include breathing underwater through your regulator, regulator clearing, recovery of your regulator if it leaves your mouth, clearing your mask if it becomes foggy or flooded, and techniques for equalizing the pressure in your sinuses.
Most importantly, you will build the skills and confidence needed to fully immerse yourself in the underwater world through a PADI Open Water Diver course.
Costs and equipment
Equipment for a Discover Scuba Diver course is typically provided by your dive shop and included in the price of the course, as is the case here at LLV.
The DSD course is very affordable. For our latest course costs see here: https://lalagunavillas.com/diving-courses/
What is the difference between a Discover Scuba Diver course and an Open Water course?
The DSD course is a short try-diving course which usually takes less than three hours to complete including a pool session and an open water dive to less than 12 metres in which your instructor is in physical contact with you at all times.
The PADI Open Water course is a more substantial undertaking which takes three to four days to complete, and includes knowledge development with video lessons and e-learning with quizzes and a final exam.
You will do at least five confined water dives in a pool or pool-like environment and at least four open water dives down to a maximum depth of 18 metres.
You will learn to assemble and disassemble your equipment, master basic skills including mask clearing and regulator recovery, and basic navigation with a compass.
After completing and passing the Open Water course – remember, as the saying goes, you pay for the course but you earn your certification – you will be qualified to dive independently anywhere in the world down to a depth of 18m. Remember always to dive with a buddy.
When can I start?
Right away! Have a look at our diving page for a list of courses and prices or get in touch.
Click over to our Accommodation Page to book a stay, or our Diving page to look at the courses and prices we offer, and get in touch: Phone: +63 917 570 3415 | WhatsApp / WeChat / Viber: +63 917 570 3415 | Email: info@lalagunavillas.com.ph | Go to our Contact Us page
