By: Todd Lynch

Anyone can put a mask on and go snorkeling, but to really get down and experience the undersea world firsthand, consider getting certified to scuba dive.

Week or Weekend

Explore the shipwrecks-turned-reefs off Mission Bay, teeming with marine life. Plunge into the other-worldly kelp bed forests near La Jolla. Whether you're visiting for a week or a weekend, San Diego's dive shops programs that can make you a diver in no time, opening up a new world of exploration and discovery.

Diving Classes

All diving certification courses include classroom sessions to learn the basic physics and safety considerations of diving, confined water sessions in a pool to familiarize students with equipment, and open water dives in the ocean to apply and practice what they've learned.

A typical beginner course in San Diego would conclude with a series of ocean dives at La Jolla Shores, demonstrating an understanding of key principles learned in class and practiced in drills at the swimming pool, and then a tour around the bottom looking for sea critters. Though serious and comprehensive, taking an open water dive class is, first and foremost, fun!

A Life-time of Fun!

And the fun doesn't stop once you're certified; it's just beginning. Your C-Card is your ticket to a lifetime of diving. You can continue your dive certification to advanced recreational and professional levels, and it's recognized all over the world. Best of all, you're sure to make new friends among your fellow aquatic adventurers.

Follow this link to explore San Diego's best dive sites!