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Scuba Diving Certifications and Training Courses
This is an information guide regarding scuba diving training courses and certification issuance at Dive Story.
Training Fees and Additional Costs
All training course prices include all basic costs required to complete the course.
The following costs are included:
- Diving equipment
- Certification issuance fees
- Training fees
- Environmental fees
- Boat fees
- Other basic costs required for the training course
Therefore, there are no additional charges during the standard training course.
Please note that Dive Story is a dive shop, not a resort or hotel. Therefore, we do not provide accommodation or meals.
Items Marked “(Optional)”
Items marked “(Optional)” in this guide are completely optional.
They are not mandatory additional costs and only need to be selected if you require the service.
If you would like to add an optional service, please let us know after making your reservation.
Items Marked “(Note)”
Items marked “(Note)” are provided as additional explanations or references regarding diving terminology or training courses.
Diving Organizations and Certifications Available
Dive Story can provide training and certification through the following diving organizations:
Recreational Scuba Diving Courses
For Open Water, Advanced, Rescue, Divemaster, and Specialty courses, you can choose between SSI and PADI.
(Optional) If you choose to take the training and certification through PADI, an additional PHP 15,000 per course will apply.
(Note) If terms such as recreational scuba diving, technical scuba diving, specialty courses, training organizations, SSI, PADI, TDI, SDI, or other diving-related terminology are unfamiliar to you or you would like more information, you can ask ChatGPT for detailed explanations.
The specific details and differences between each training course will be explained in detail during the actual training.
Please understand that it is difficult for us to spend a long time explaining every training detail and theoretical difference during the initial reservation consultation.
Technical Diving Courses
Technical diving courses are available through TDI only.
Instructor Courses
Instructor-level courses are available through SDI or TDI only.
Assistant Instructor Course
The Assistant Instructor course is available through SSI only.
Certification Cards
SSI and PADI generally provide an E-card (electronic certification card) through their respective apps.
(Optional) If you would like a physical plastic certification card, you can request and pay for it directly through the organization's app.
The approximate cost of a plastic card is:
- SSI: approximately USD 35
- PADI: approximately USD 70
※ Actual prices may vary depending on the organization's policies, exchange rates, and other factors.
For SDI and TDI, a plastic certification card is provided as standard, with no additional charge.
Can I Take SSI and PADI Courses with Different Organizations?
Yes. There is absolutely no problem with doing so.
For recreational scuba diving, you can continue your training and obtain certifications from different organizations.
For example:
SSI Open Water → PADI Advanced → SSI Rescue & Divemaster → SDI Instructor
or
PADI Open Water → SSI Advanced → PADI Rescue & Divemaster → SSI Instructor
Both are possible.
For recreational scuba diving courses, there is no problem with taking the next level of training through a different organization from the one where you started.
Training Schedule and Class Size
Dive Story's training courses are available on an ongoing basis.
Training can be provided for one student, and courses are generally conducted in English.
Instructor-to-Student Ratio
The maximum student-to-instructor ratio is 4:1.
Depending on the circumstances, a Divemaster or Assistant Instructor may also assist with the training.
For regular individual customers, it is very uncommon for five or more people to register for training at the same time.
If five or more people would like to take a course together, please contact us separately.
However, when a large number of students register through a travel agency, language school, or other group organization, a separate operating arrangement may apply.
Training with Other Customers
Your training does not necessarily have to be conducted exclusively with members of your own group.
If your schedule overlaps with other customers who have made reservations, you may take part in the training together.
(Optional) Private 1:1 Training
If you would like to receive training exclusively on a one-to-one basis with an instructor, an additional PHP 15,000 per course will apply.
Refunds and Schedule Changes After Registration
A training course is considered to have officially started as soon as you open the E-learning program.
Therefore, once you open the E-learning program through the app and begin the course, the course is non-refundable.
Please understand that this is not a policy unique to Dive Story. This policy is applied according to the systems and policies of the respective diving organizations.
Schedule Changes
Schedule changes are possible.
However, a schedule change can only be made within six months from the date of course registration.
Once six months have passed, the course will be considered completely cancelled.
Open Water Course
Course Duration
The Open Water course is a 2-day course.
Open Water Training Dives
A total of 4 open-water training dives are conducted.
PADI requires 5 open-water training dives.
Theory Training
Theory training is completed through E-learning provided through the organization's app.
You must complete the E-learning and the final examination.
If You Have Made a Reservation
Once your reservation has been confirmed, we will open the E-learning program for you through the app.
Therefore, whenever possible, we recommend studying the E-learning before you arrive.
If You Visit Without a Reservation
If you visit the shop as a walk-in without making a reservation, we can open the E-learning program for you after payment has been made.
In this case, you must complete the E-learning and final examination locally before completing the course.
(Optional) Direct Instructor Theory Training and Written Examination
If you prefer to receive the theory lessons directly from an instructor instead of using the app-based E-learning, and would like to take a written examination, one additional day will be required.
The additional cost is PHP 6,000.
Training Schedule
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
There is a separate lunch break during the day.
Scuba diving training is conducted according to actual conditions at the dive site.
Therefore, the schedule is not fixed minute-by-minute, such as exactly what will be done at a particular time, how many minutes you will rest, and exactly what will happen next.
The schedule may be adjusted depending on the progress of the training and the conditions at the dive site.
If you have limited time or have another appointment that you must attend at a specific time, please let us know in advance after making your reservation.
We will do our best to accommodate your schedule whenever possible.
Advanced Course
The standard Advanced course is a 2-day course and includes 5 open-water training dives.
Alternatively, if you complete four Specialty courses, you can automatically receive a Specialty Advanced certification.
This option takes 3 days and includes a total of 7 dives.
Advanced Certification Through Four Specialty Courses
If you have enough time and flexibility in your schedule, we strongly recommend completing four Specialty courses rather than taking the standard Advanced course.
There are significant differences between the two options in terms of training content and actual diving experience.
The four-Specialty option provides substantially different training compared with the standard Advanced course, and the range of diving activities you can undertake may also be different.
The range of diving you can enjoy after obtaining the certification may also differ.
Selection of Training Specialties
You cannot personally select all of the specific specialties that will be conducted as part of the course.
It is also difficult for us to confirm or explain every specific specialty in advance during the reservation stage.
The instructor in charge will determine the appropriate specialties based on the conditions on the day of training.
Deep Diving and Navigation are mandatory components.
Specific Specialty Requests
If there is a particular Specialty course that you definitely want to complete, please register for that individual Specialty course separately.
If there is something specific you would like to learn even though it is not a formal Specialty course—such as:
- SMB shooting
- Kick techniques
- Trim position practice
- Specific equipment configurations
—please let us know.
Training can be arranged for these topics.
Normally, the training includes two dives, and the cost is the same as the price of an individual Specialty course.
Rescue Diver Course
The SSI and PADI Rescue courses differ significantly in both their training methods and course structures.
Therefore, unless there is a specific reason to choose otherwise, Dive Story primarily conducts SSI Rescue training.
SSI Rescue Course Duration
The SSI Rescue course is a 2-day course.
Dive Story's Rescue Training Approach
Our Rescue training is not designed simply to make students repeatedly perform difficult skills until they become physically exhausted.
In our Rescue training, we place importance on:
- Rescue theory
- Understanding dangerous situations
- Decision-making in real-life situations
- Transferring and understanding knowledge
- Appropriate responses to problems and emergencies
Of course, we provide all necessary Rescue skill training.
However, we do not conduct the course in a way that unnecessarily exhausts students by repeatedly performing the same skill over and over again.
The Rescue course is not necessarily as difficult or physically demanding as many people imagine.
If you have enough time and flexibility, we recommend experiencing the course at least once.
What Is Most Important in Rescue Training?
At Dive Story, we believe that in Rescue training, the ability to understand and assess a situation, together with theoretical knowledge, is more important than simply performing individual movements correctly.
For example, consider the following question:
Is it more important to repeatedly perform a Rescue skill perfectly?
Or is it more important to understand what to do and make the correct decision when an actual diving accident occurs?
At Dive Story, we believe the latter is more important.
Rather than simply repeating certain skills that are commonly emphasized during the course, we believe it is more important to understand:
- Why a particular situation occurs
- What decision should be made in a real situation
- When and what action should be taken
- How the situation could have been prevented in the first place
To be honest, do you really think that the commonly mentioned seven Rescue skills are actually used seven times in real life?
Are there real cases where all of them have actually been used?
If you have received your training with us starting from the Open Water course, you will be able to judge for yourself what is truly important during Rescue training.
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