SSI Open Water Diver Course — Scuba Certification
Right now, most of the ocean is a place you can only look at.
SSI Open Water certification is what changes that. It teaches you to dive safely and independently, so every reef, wreck, and trip you have ever wanted to see becomes a place you can actually go.
Availability: In Stock
Tom’s Has Been Taking Austin Divers Across That Line Since 1982.
The Open Water Diver course is where it happens. Academics at your own pace online, pool training in our 91°F indoor heated facility at 5909 Burnet Rd, and four open water checkout dives at Lake Travis or Spring Lake. You finish with a lifetime SSI certification recognized at dive sites, resorts, and liveaboards worldwide: lives on your phone via the MySSI app, never expires.
Weeknight, weekend, or private formats. Minimum age 15 (Junior Open Water available from age 10). Over 18,000 Austin divers certified since 1982.
Course at a Glance
| Price | $619 per diver (group) · $719 per diver (private) |
| Duration | 2 weeks weeknight / 1.5 weekends weekend format |
| Scheduling formats | Mon/Wed evenings · Tue/Thu evenings · Fri/Sat/Sun weekends · Private (your schedule) |
| Pool location | Indoor heated pool · 5909 Burnet Rd, Austin TX 78757 |
| Pool temperature | 91°F, warm and comfortable year-round |
| Checkout dives | Lake Travis or Spring Lake, Texas State University, San Marcos |
| Minimum age | 15 years old (Junior Open Water available ages 10 to 14) |
| Prerequisites | Basic swim ability · 200m swim + 10 min tread watermanship test on day 1 |
| Certification awarded | SSI Open Water Diver: lifetime, worldwide recognition, never expires |
| Try Scuba credit | $50 from a prior Try Scuba session applies toward this course. |
Ready to get certified?
Open Water Diver: $619 · Austin, TX
Weeknight and weekend formats available. Book online or call (512) 451-3425.
Signup now!!Who Is the Open Water Course For?
The Open Water Diver course is designed for complete beginners. No prior experience required. Here is who typically enrolls at Tom’s:
Complete Beginners
Never dived before? Perfect. The Open Water course starts from zero. Everything you need to know is taught from scratch by our certified instructors.
Travelers & Vacation Planners
Planning a trip to Cozumel, Bonaire, Belize, or the Caribbean? Get certified in Austin before you go and arrive ready to dive on day one.
Families Learning Together
Students 15 and older (10+ for Junior Open Water) can certify together. Many Austin families earn their cards at Tom’s as a shared adventure.
Future Underwater Photographers
Open Water is the foundation for underwater photography. Once certified, our SSI Photo & Video continuing education course takes it further.
What to Expect
Here is exactly how the Open Water Diver course works at Tom’s Dive & Swim in Austin.
After enrolling you will receive SSI Open Water Diver online training materials by email. Complete these at your own pace before your checkout dives (budget 4 to 6 hours). Come into Tom’s at least an hour before your first class to get fitted for your mask, snorkel, booties, and fins. A proper fit makes every pool session better.
Multiple sessions in our 91°F indoor heated pool at 5909 Burnet Rd in North Austin. You will master buoyancy control, equipment assembly, mask clearing, regulator recovery, emergency ascents, and buddy checks. Your instructor is beside you throughout. Most students are surprised by how quickly the skills feel natural.
Four checkout dives over two days at Lake Travis or Spring Lake. You apply your pool skills in real open water conditions. Upon completion your lifetime SSI Open Water Diver certification is issued digitally through the MySSI app.
What’s Included
Included in your $619:
Not included, you will need to bring or purchase:
Common Misconceptions About Scuba Certification
“It takes months to get certified.”
Most students complete Open Water certification in two weeks with weeknight classes, or in a condensed weekend format. The academics are online and self-paced.
“You need to be an excellent swimmer.”
You need to be comfortable in water and pass a basic watermanship test (200m swim, 10 min tread). Buoyancy does most of the work underwater.
“Scuba is dangerous.”
Recreational scuba has an excellent safety record. The risks are manageable with proper training, which is exactly what the Open Water course provides. Tom’s has trained 18,000+ divers safely since 1982.
“PADI is better than SSI.”
SSI and PADI are both globally recognized and equally respected everywhere in the world. SSI’s digital-first approach means your certification card lives permanently on your phone via the MySSI app.
We build divers we would trust with our own families.
That is not a tagline. It is the standard every Tom’s instructor brings to the water. Since 1982, we have believed that confidence comes from preparation, not luck. Real capability is not something a card represents. It is something you feel the moment buoyancy becomes automatic, navigation feels natural, and you are calm in conditions that would have rattled you six months ago.
We get there by coaching before we criticize, by treating every student as an individual with a specific goal, and by building a team of 30 or more active instructors who are genuinely invested in where you go next. Over 400 five-star Google reviews and more than 18,000 certified divers later, what people tell us they remember is not the card. It is the moment diving clicked.
Open longer than any other Austin dive shop still in business
Tom’s opened in 1982. The other Austin dive shops that are still open today came later. That kind of staying power comes from building a reputation one diver at a time, over four decades, in the same city, with the same commitment to doing it right.
We coach before we criticize
When something does not click the first time, that is information, not a problem. Our instructors treat every hesitation as a signal about what to work on next, not a reason to judge. That approach is what builds the kind of confidence that holds up outside the pool.
Instructors who are divers first
With 30 or more active SSI-certified instructors, we have the depth to match you with the right person. What matters most is who they are: working divers, active in the water, who teach because the sport means something to them.
91°F heated pool, on-site
Our indoor pool stays at 91°F year-round. Thermal comfort is never a distraction from learning. You can focus on the skill in front of you instead of managing cold water.
We follow DAN dive safety protocols.
Tom’s follows Divers Alert Network (DAN) safety standards and recommends DAN dive accident insurance for every certified diver. Safety is not a checkbox on our website. It is the foundation of how Tom’s has operated since 1982.
Frequently Asked Questions
The SSI Open Water Diver course at Tom’s is $619 for group classes or $719 for private. This includes all pool sessions, SSI online training materials, rental gear for checkout dives, and your lifetime certification. Mask, snorkel, booties, and fins are purchased separately. We can help fit you at the shop.
Most students complete Open Water certification over two weeks with weeknight classes (Mon/Wed or Tue/Thu), or in a condensed weekend format. The SSI online academic coursework is self-paced: budget 4 to 6 hours at your own pace before your checkout dives.
Yes. All students complete a watermanship test on the first day: a 200 meter swim and 10 minute tread in our pool. You do not need to be a strong swimmer, but you do need to be comfortable in the water. If you need help building swim confidence first, we offer swim lessons for all ages and levels.
Contact lenses are fine for scuba diving and most divers wear them. If you wear glasses, standard dive masks do not accommodate them, but prescription dive masks are available. Come into the shop before your first class and we will help you find the right solution.
Bring your mask, snorkel, booties, and fins to every class. Come in at least an hour before your first session to get properly fitted. Wear comfortable clothes for the academic portion and bring a swimsuit and towel for pool sessions.
Open water checkout dives take place at Lake Travis or Spring Lake at Texas State University in San Marcos. Location varies based on availability. Your instructor will confirm before your lake days. Both sites charge a daily entry fee not included in course tuition.
Yes. After enrolling you will receive SSI Open Water Diver online training materials by email. Complete these before your checkout dives via the MySSI app or desktop. You will also need to complete an SSI Medical Statement before class begins. A physician’s signature may be required depending on your answers.
The minimum age for SSI Open Water certification is 15 years old. Divers aged 10 to 14 can earn a Junior Open Water Diver certification, which automatically upgrades to full Open Water at age 15. There is no maximum age. Scuba is one of the most age-inclusive sports available.
You can dive to 18 meters with a buddy anywhere in the world, rent equipment at any dive shop or resort globally, join guided dive boats and liveaboards, and enroll in any SSI continuing education course. Your certification never expires and lives on your phone via the MySSI app.
Yes. The private Open Water course is $719 and pairs you with a dedicated instructor at times that work for you. We can also conduct pool sessions at your home pool if it is at least 9 feet deep. Submit a private class request or call (512) 451-3425.
What People Say About Learning to Dive at Tom’s
From our over 400 five-star Google reviews.
“I did my OW certification at Tom’s and the one thing they didn’t prepare me for was how disappointing other dive shops would be in comparison. You don’t realize how good you have it until you leave.”
Patrick M., Open Water Certification
“The whole experience could not have gone better. Tom’s has figured out a great way to introduce people to scuba. The instructors are thorough and safety focused, but the classes are FUN.”
Berkley B., Open Water Certification
“I did Try Scuba and then Open Water here. Both amazing. Everyone at the shop is so helpful for beginners. Highly recommend.”
Shannon R., Try Scuba & Open Water
“Superb open water course instruction that strikes the balance between fun and safety. Highly recommend Tom’s for anyone seeking to become open water certified.”
Sean L., Open Water Certification
“My wife and I just completed Open Water Diver with Tom’s and it was a great experience. People make the difference and Tom’s has that covered. We felt safe and supported throughout the entire course.”
Dennis L., Open Water Certification
Ready to get certified?
Open Water Diver: $619 · Austin, TX
Weeknight and weekend formats available. Book online or call (512) 451-3425.
Signup now!!Open Water Is Where the Journey Starts
Open Water certification is the starting point for everything that follows. Try Scuba gives you a taste; Open Water makes you a certified diver. Every continuing education course, every trip, and every pathway option in Tom’s six CE lanes becomes available to you the moment you certify.
Try Scuba
One pool session, no commitment. If you have not tried it yet, start here. A $50 credit applies toward Open Water.
Open Water Certification
Your SSI Open Water Diver certification. Recognized everywhere. Never expires.
Continuing Education
Six pathway lanes to choose from: Control, Explore, Optimize, Access, Dive Ready, and Lead. Start anywhere.
What Comes Next?
Open Water certification is the beginning of your diving life, not the end. With your card you can dive to 18m worldwide, rent gear at any shop around the world, and join Tom’s group trips to Bonaire, Cozumel, and beyond. Here is where most divers go next.