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F.A.Q

All 3 agencies are recognized world wide.  NAUI is the oldest, PADI is the biggest, SDI is the most modern and your first step into the technical dive world.

  • SDI/TDI (Scuba Diving International) Technical Diving International is the largest technical diving agency in the world. Its courses are the most modern and certifications are recognized everywhere as the gold standard by which others Tech agencies are measured. 
  • PADI (Professional Association of Dive Instructors) is the largest recreational dive organization. They are a for profit company that does a stellar job marketing their product. Their motto is “The Way The World Learns To Dive.”
  • NAUI (National Association of Underwater Instructors,  The oldest certifying agency is a non-profit company that truly focuses on the educational part of diving. They live by the philosophy of “Dive Safety Through Education.”  Our favorite.

The easiest way to get started is to sign up and pay online. You will receive the codes to log into your online class. Login and study at home at your convenience.  Once you have completed your online classroom,  you’re off to the pool to practice what you read and watched. After you mastered the pool skills you go diving where you will complete 4 check-out dives. You will be certified after the fourth dive. You can be a PADI, NAUI or SDI  Certified SCUBA Diver in three easy steps; class, pool, diving. It’s that easy! I believe the best way to learn how to SCUBA dive is by actually diving. I emphasize diving and maximize your time underwater practicing Scuba diving.  Call us (615)-955-3483, 615-955-DIVE or e-mail to set your schedule. Marcos@ScubaMarcos.com. 

PADI and NAUI require you to be at least 10 years old to become a certified Junior Open Water Scuba Diver. Ten and 11 year olds must dive with a certified parent, guardian or Dive Professional to a maximum depth of 40 feet. Twelve to 14 year olds must dive with a certified adult. At age 15, the Junior certification upgrades to a regular Open Water Diver certification.

In the scuba class, you will learn how to dive safely and correctly. Your SCUBA certification card is proof that you have taken and passed the SCUBA course. No reputable Dive Center will rent you gear, fill your tank , or let you dive at their facilities unless you are a certified SCUBA diver.

The maximum depth for a recreational SCUBA diver is 130 feet. I do not recommend you ever dive the maximum depth. You should not dive deeper than 60 feet without proper training. In the PADI Advanced Open Water course, divers are shown the correct and safe way to make a deep dive. Scuba Nashville offers Tech Diver classes. With proper training you may dive beyond recreational limits.

Most fish are afraid of you or will ignore you. It is very exciting to see fish. The larger the better. The prettiest and most abundant fish are in the ocean. The best place to see fish is near shipwrecks and reefs. Some fish will let you get close to them but will stay out of your reach. Some fish are curious and will follow you around. I have been diving for a long time and have seen many sharks, eels and barracudas. The sharks and eels are very shy and are difficult to see. Barracudas are curious and might follow you around making it easy to photograph them. Game fish seem to know when you are looking for dinner. Grilled snapper or flounder taste great. Most of the time I just take pictures, but every now and then I get hungry for sea food. You are more likely to be attacked by a cow or a pig than by a fish. Be safe stay off the farm and go diving.

Once you are certified, SCUBA diving costs about as much as 18 holes of golf, or a good ski-lift ticket. Starting out is the most expensive. You have to pay to get SCUBA certified, and buy some gear. Classes cost between $350 and $450. The minimum amount of gear will cost about $150. You should have your own mask, fins, and snorkel for the class.

A two-tank dive in the Caribbean will cost about $100 and most times includes all gear. In FL you can expect to pay about the same but does not include anything except the boat ride out. Most SCUBA quarries charge about $25 for all day diving. Air fills: Caribbean=$10, FL=$8, Rock quarries=$10. You can rent a tank with air for about $15.

You don’t have to buy all your gear. Most dive shops rent gear and don’t charge students rental during class. A complete set of dive gear rents for $55 to $75. You can buy all of your own gear (BCD, Regulator with SPG and Octo) for as low as $700. I recommend you buy good gear. Don’t skimp on your life support gear. Mine cost about $1200.

Your PADI, NAUI, or SDI SCUBA certification does not expire. It is highly recommended that you keep in practice. You should dive more than once a year. Most dive facilities require proof that you have logged a dive within the past year or take a refresher before you may dive with them.  Scuba Nashville offers continuing education classes which are very informative. Continuing with your SCUBA education is an excellent way to keep in practice and learn more safe diving skills.

No, in fact, it’s probably easier than you imagine — especially if you’re already comfortable in the water. Our entry-level diver course is split into knowledge development, confined water (pool) skill training and four scuba training dives. The course is “performance based,” which means that you progress as you learn and demonstrate knowledge and skill.

All courses are “performance based,” which means that you only earn your scuba certification when you demonstrate that you have mastered the required skills and knowledge. Some people learn faster than others, so how long it takes you may vary. The PADI Open Water Diver course (beginning scuba) is typically split into five or six sessions with tremendous flexibility. The course may be scheduled over as little as three or four days, or as much as five or six weeks, or something in between depending upon student needs and logistics. As a rule of thumb, most students complete their initial certification in about twenty-five hours spread over 2 or 3 weekends. The academic session takes about 8 hours, the pool a minimum of 4 hours, usually in two 4 hours sessions. You must master all the pool skills before going on the the 4 Checkout dives. The 4 checkout dives are completed over 2 days with no more than 3 dives completed in one day. So yes, it is rare but you could complete your certification in as little as 3 days. We can do class and pool on Friday and go diving Saturday and Sunday. We teach most scuba lessons over 2 or 3 weekends.

No. All you need to be is a reasonably proficient swimmer who is comfortable and relaxed in the water. The swimming requirement for certification is an easy 183 meter/200 yard nonstop swim (with no time or specific stroke requirement) and 10 minute tread/float.
Recreational divers breathe air, not oxygen. It’s filtered to remove impurities, but otherwise, it’s air like you’re breathing now.
This is a common question that, unfortunately, doesn’t have a single answer. People breathe at different rates, and you breathe faster when you’re swimming than when you’re resting. Also, the deeper you go, the more you use your air, and, you can get different size tanks. So, the answer is “it depends;” this is why divers have a gauge that tell them how much air they have at all times. As an approximation, a diver sightseeing in calm, warm water at 20 to 30 feet deep can expect the average tank to last about an hour.
Your ears hurt because water pressure pushes in on your ear drum. In your scuba course, you’ll learn a simple easy technique to equalize your ears to the surrounding pressure, much like you do when you land in an airplane, and they won’t hurt at all.
Not really. Statistics show that recreational scuba diving is about as safe as swimming. Certainly there are potential hazards — which is why you need training and certification — but like driving a car, as long as you follow the rules and use common sense, it’s pretty safe. To put it in perspective, the drive in your car to go diving is more dangerous than the diving.

No you don’t have to buy SCUBA gear. We provide scuba tanks, buoyancy compensator, regulator, and weight belt. You will have to have a mask, fins and snorkel. Most dive shops rent gear and don’t charge students rental during class. A complete set of dive gear rents for $50 to $80. You can buy all of your own gear (BCD, Regulator with SPG and Octo) for as low as $700. I recommend you buy good gear. Don’t skimp on your life support gear. Mine cost about $1200.  We sell gear at a discount to our students. 

Most SCUBA Instructors charge about the same for complete certification, between $300 and $450. Be careful, if the lessons price sounds very inexpensive it might not include everything. Dive Centers with big show rooms have to pay rent and labor, so they will typically charge more. Scuba Nashville is a Training Facility. We do not have an expensive showroom. We can Our instructors will be happy to meet you at our classroom anytime.

Questions to ask your instructor.

  • Does that price include the four Open Water Dives? Where? (+ $180 to $380).
  • Does that price include the book or eLearning? The book, log book and dive tables retail for about (+$79).
  • Does that price include the SCUBA gear or free rental for the four Open Water Dives?(+$60 per day).
  • Does that price include your registration and your Scuba Certification card? (+$35)

You might end up paying more than you expected.
Beginning SCUBA is taught in three parts Class, Pool training, and Diving. You must complete all three Parts to be a certified scuba diver. Some Dive shops break up the payments and advertise only the first cheap payment. You end up paying 2 or 3 time what you expected. I suggest you ask how much for each part and what is included in the price. Add them ALL up, you might be surprised. Also make sure you know when and where you will make your four Open Water Checkout Dives. We have our own Nashville Scuba Quarry for your training dives. The closest other training quarry is in KY. A Florida trip can add another $480 to your cost.  

A long time ago when the workers were breathing compressed air while working underwater, sometimes they would get decompression sickness or “the Bends”. Their joints would hurt and make them bend over. This is caused by staying under water too long and coming up too fast. Tiny bubbles would form in their joints, something like the tiny bubbles form in a soda bottle when you open it. Just like the soda bottle, if you shake it and open it too soon or fast too many bubbles will form. With all the new technology “the bends” is easily avoided. We will teach you how to safely dive within the limits so you will never get the bends. Don’t worry diving is fun, easy and safe. I will teach you how to relax and enjoy your dive.

Scuba Nashville can order you a new card with a new picture. The fee for a replacement card is $35. All we need is your full name and birth date to look up your certification number in the data base. Email us your new picture. It will take about 10 days to get your new card. If you forgot your C-Card while on vacation, All agencies has a dive certification check on-line.

Scuba Certification is completed in 3 parts:

  1. Class room (Academic book work either online or in person),
  2. Pool Training
  3. Four Scuba Dives

All Certifications are performance based. You must comfortably perform and show mastery of all the skills to earn your certification.