2008 Open Water Class
Information & Schedule

Colombo Scuba has been instructing students from beginners to experts for 15+ years and we have a combined 50 years of SCUBA experience. You won't find more real world qualified SCUBA instructors anywhere in the area. We not only teach but we have dove the sites you'll be going to. We've traveled around the world and experienced it all so that you can be taught not only the official book course but real world skills that will make a difference between just breathing underwater and truly enjoying a life changing new sport.

Our professional staff is made up of PADI and SDI/TDI certified Instructors as well as a cadre of Dive Masters and a full staff above the water to assist you in every way. Our students range from young children to the well-aged retiree -- all looking for the kind of adventure you could never find above the water.

Start now to explore the other 7/10ths of the world. You will soon laugh in the face of depth as you enter; the exciting world of SCUBA. Above all, you'll have fun - check out some happy faces!

Some of the instructors and dive masters drift diving the Blue Water Bridge

Colombo Scuba conducts Open Water Classes locally in Troy, Michigan, during spring through fall, beginning in our privately owned indoor and outdoor pools (located next door to each other, so we dive rain or shine) then complete the Open Water portion at the Portage Quarry in Bowling Green, Ohio.

Colombo SCUBA also offers a full range of private classes! Personal one-on-one training or small groups.

Completing your Open Water Course is the beginning of not only a new hobby but the adventures for a lifetime!

Classes are forming Now! To sign up contact Chris Colombo via e-mail at chris@colomboscuba.com or call 248-760-9969. Click for Map & Directions to our pools in Troy, Michigan.

We have Pool Classes, both outdoor and indoor, available every weekend and evening all year long. Contact us and we'll setup a schedule that will work for you!

2008 Group Schedule
Pool Classes	Open Water
Troy, Michigan	Portage Quarry, Bowling Green, Ohio
May 17th & 18th	May 31st & June 1st
Aug 17th & 18th	Aug 23rd & 24th
Sept 6th & 7th	Sept 13th & 14th
Sept 20th & 21st	Sept 27th & 28th
SUBJECT TO CHANGE	More dates to be announced.

The above schedule is not complete and subject to change. Contact us for more information.
You should view the course as two weekends of diving recreation and schedule the time necessary without any interruptions.
The Open Water Course is composed of check out dives that will help you learn to relax, become more comfortable in the open water and get the most out of your equipment and yourself.
Open Water Classes are normally done on both a Saturday and Sunday. The first weekend is spent in and around a pool then the second weekend is at a safe, enclosed quarry.
Your classes are kept small so that everyone can receive the personal attention you want during the day. We have a large number of instructors and dive masters in, around and under water at all times to keep you safe and well attended to.
Our fee is for the classroom, closed (pool) and open water instruction and includes rental equipment (below) & air fills for the pool. Snacks and beverages are available.
You will need to provide the following equipment yourself (we can help provide this for you, direct you to many of the finest shops in the area who know us or have gear available to try on during the class). We also sell this complete starter kit in every size:
- Face Mask with strap
- Snorkel with anti-flood device
- Wetsuit Boots
- Fins to fit over wetsuit boots
We supply the following equipment for rental use (fee included) during the course:
- Wetsuit - full 7 or 5mm as required for the water temperature
- Wetsuit hood
- Wetsuit gloves
- Weight belt with quick release buckle and all weights
- SCUBA tank
- Regulator with octopus, submersible pressure and depth gauge
- Compass with movable bezel
- Buoyancy Control Device (BCD)
- Dive tables
- Log book
- Whistle

To sign up - contact Chris Colombo via e-mail at chris@colomboscuba.com or call 248-760-9969. Evening and midweek classes are available by arrangement. Contact us with any questions or for more info.

Pool - Day One

You begin by watching some videos of dives and receiving instructional video. You may even be serenaded by our singing Yellow Nap Amazon Parrot Oscar. During this time PADI Certified Instructor Chris Colombo will personally introduce you to the world of SCUBA and explain what is to come. Donuts for breakfast energy food and pizza for lunch will keep everyone going (or you can visit any of a number of local restaurants).

You'll receive your PADI instructional materials and begin your lesson in a group with real world examples and a light hearted format to keep things moving along and spirited. Our facilities include both heated indoor and outdoor pools, up to 15 feet deep with room to swim, not just stand around.

You'll be shown the equipment; how to check it out, how to put it on, how to operate it, how to take it off, how to take care of it. How to look good in it.

You will enter the pool and experience a life changing event; Breathing underwater! With Instructors and Dive Masters at your side you'll kick off the shallow side of the huge pool and actually perform your first underwater SCUBA swim. Safety is always on our minds and we will impart the skills to you that will help you make safe and satisfying dives your very first day.

Pool - Day Two

More of the same only much better ... we celebrate the gifted and drown the annoying (We could be kidding about the drowning part - we are never really that annoyed). We'll spend as much time with you in the water or out to cover remaining essential skills and book work. You'll take your paper exam and all your questions are reviewed in a friendly peer setting. There are no wrong questions or answers; everything is reviewed and your confidence is bolstered as you realize you've now gained the practical and academic skills needed to know what to do in the open water.

During your upcoming open water weekend (a weekend will be scheduled at that time) you'll put those skills to the test. You will soon be doing what only your fellow divers can do; swim weightlessly among the dolphins, whales, and even sharks. Laughing in the face of depth and speaking using technical jargon like: "Tanks, but no Tanks!"

Open Water - Day One

The first day of training is very basic and we will help you make the transition into the open water as easy and enjoyable as possible. A short trip to Bowling Green, Ohio and you will be diving in a very safe, water filled quarry that we affectionately call "The Jewel of the Midwest!" It has a shallow ledge around the edge that will allow you to enter the water and still keep your feet on the ground.

The first dive will be a shallow water dive followed by a decent along a rope line to a platform just 20 feet below the surface. At any time you can safely return to the surface and verify your gear and build your confidence. Your will be assisted in adjusting your weights so you are properly balanced in the water so that you feel weightless and can move effortlessly underwater.

The next dives return to the platform and are designed to help you feel more comfortable underwater and able to handle most situations which may arise with you or your buddy. You will review the pool skills you have learned and put them to use in the open water. If you find that you do not feel comfortable with a particular exercise, your instructor will work with you on that exercise. True one on one interaction differentiates Colombo Scuba from the big shops around town.

Your dives will take you down to a platform so that you can focus on your skills without worrying about fine tuning your buoyancy at the same time; that will come over time. You will be watched over by experienced dive masters who will assist the instructor in keeping your dive safe and a happy learning experience. You may get to see yourself reflected in an underwater mirror or take a seat on a submerged motorcycle or lawn tractor! Is that a car "parked" over there? How about an airplane or jet to explore?

Your instructor may make suggestions as to adjustments or changes before your next class. At night a bonfire awaits as you discuss the day's events with seasoned divers and fellow students. Watch as advanced students suit up and swim away for a night dive - you'll likely be joining them one day soon.

Open Water - Day Two

On the second day of dive training we will review and refine the skills you've learned. You will learn to do your own dive planning and also learn navigation skills. The last dive of the day is the most exciting as it is plan with your dive buddy and you dive it together, just for fun! This is the final day of training where everything comes together and you know that you have become a confident, skilled and safe diver. You will see sunken boats, a school bus, a car, even a snowmobile and lawn mower!

Congratulations - at the end of the day you will become a certified SCUBA diver. Your PADI card is your license to travel the world and see what lies under the waves -- enter the deep blue and see what you've been missing. Welcome to the adventure for the rest of your life! Click here to see some photos from classes at the Quarry.

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