Learn to Scuba Dive

The PADI Open Water Diver course is designed for complete beginners. The course is performance-based, meaning students progress by learning and demonstrating the skills needed to dive safely and confidently underwater.

This course is perfect for individuals, families, and anyone who has ever wondered what it feels like to breathe underwater and explore the ocean from a completely different perspective.

For many people, the PADI Open Water course is also the first step toward a career in diving, including paths into commercial diving and other professional diving opportunities.

UB Diving has been introducing people to scuba diving on Vancouver Island since 1999, helping students develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to dive anywhere in the world.

How the Course Works

The PADI Open Water Diver course is typically completed over two weekends and includes three parts of training.

Online Learning
Before entering the water, students complete the online knowledge development portion of the course. This introduces the fundamentals of scuba diving including equipment, dive planning, and safety procedures.

Confined Water Training (Pool Sessions)
During the first weekend, students work with instructors in a swimming pool where they are introduced to scuba equipment and begin learning the essential diving skills. This is where you become comfortable breathing underwater and start mastering the techniques required for safe diving.

Open Water Ocean Dives
The second weekend is spent with your instructors in the ocean. During these dives you will practice and refine the skills learned in the pool while demonstrating mastery of the required techniques in real diving conditions.

You don’t buy a certification — you earn it. Students will be challenged throughout the course. Our goal is for both the instructors and you to feel confident that you possess the skills and knowledge required to plan and conduct real-world dives safely.

Learning to dive in British Columbia waters prepares divers for many of the conditions they may encounter around the world. Cold-water diving environments help build strong foundational skills that translate well to diving anywhere on earth.

Upon successful completion of the course, you will be certified to plan and conduct non-decompression dives to a maximum depth of 18 metres (60 feet) with a dive buddy.

And for many divers, this is just the beginning.

Open Water Training Dives

Your ocean training dives are conducted at several local dive sites around the Comox Valley. These sites are chosen for their suitability for training, safety, and the quality of the diving experience.

Your instructor will discuss the available options with you and select the dive sites that provide the best conditions for teaching and learning during your course.

Each training dive builds on the skills learned in the pool while giving students the opportunity to experience real ocean diving in a controlled and supportive environment.

Marine Life You May See

The waters around the Comox Valley and Vancouver Island are home to an incredible variety of marine life. Even during training dives, it is common for students to encounter some of the fascinating creatures that make cold-water diving in British Columbia so special.

Depending on the dive site and time of year, students often see marine life such as giant Pacific octopus, wolf eels, nudibranchs, rockfish, crabs, and colorful anemones.

One of the most exciting parts of learning to dive is discovering just how much life exists beneath the surface. Every dive is a little different, and many students are amazed by the diversity of marine life they encounter during their very first ocean dives.

Why Learn to Dive With UB Diving

UB Diving has been serving the diving community in the Comox Valley since 1999. Our instructors are among the most experienced dive instructors in the valley, with decades of local diving experience in the waters of Vancouver Island.

Learning to dive in British Columbia prepares divers for a wide range of real-world diving conditions. Our instructors focus on building strong foundational skills so that students develop the confidence and ability to dive safely anywhere in the world.

As a family-owned dive shop, UB Diving is committed to providing professional instruction in a supportive learning environment where safety, skill development, and enjoyment of diving are the priorities.

After Certification — Join the Tribe

Getting certified is only the beginning. After completing your training, you are invited to become part of The Tribe.

The Tribe is a growing community of local divers who regularly explore some of the most incredible dive sites on Vancouver Island, from Port Hardy to Victoria.

Members of the Tribe often dive together on charters, local shore dives, and special events designed to help divers continue developing their skills while exploring the underwater world.

From time to time we are also joined by special guest presenters and divers who share their knowledge and experience in areas such as underwater archaeology, wreck diving, underwater videography and photography, commercial diving, seafood harvesting, and science-based marine disciplines.

Learning to dive opens the door to an entirely new world — and The Tribe is where many divers continue that journey.