1st Scuba Certification Level
Choose Open Water or Scuba Diver
Discover Rincón’s Underwater World

Become a Certified PADI Diver in Puerto Rico

After completing your PADI e-learning modules, a Puerto Rico scuba diving certification should be your goal. Our warm,  pristine waters are abundant with sea life and the perfect place to practice the skills you’ve read about. Alongside learning a new skill on vacation, you’ll not only have the chance to meet other divers from around the world but you’ll also see a variety of tropical sea life including turtles and octopuses. Here at Rincón Diving, we are dedicated to protecting the environment and carry out all our dives keeping the protection of the ocean and animals in mind.

Highlights

Learn how to be a confident and skilled diver and manage common problems
Find out how to respectfully approach marine life
Follow the guidance of a certified professional instructor
Choose between the Open Water and the Scuba Diver certifications
See an abundance of sea life including coral reefs, sea turtles, and tropical fish

Trip Details

Trip Details

Price

Open Water students (5 confined water sessions & 4 open water dives):

  • 1 person booking – $600
  • 2+ person in same group – $550 per person

Scuba Diver (3 confined water sessions & 2 open water dives):

  • 1 person booking – $450
  • 2+ person in same group – $375 per person

Scuba Diver Upgrade (2 confined water sessions & 2 open water dives):

  • 1 person booking – $325
  • 2+ person in same group – $300 per person

*** BRING A FRIEND AND SAVE

Meeting point

Rincón Diving & Snorkeling- 2207 Ave Pedro Albizu Campos Carr Rd 115 Km 12.0, Rincón, PR 00677, Puerto Rico, USA

Availability

Daily, year-round

Duration

  • Scuba diver certification – minimum of 2 days
  • Open water certification – minimum of 3 days

Group size

Maximum 4 divers per instructor

Included

  • Regulator, buoyancy control device, compass, surface marker buoy, and dive gauges
  • Tanks and weights
  • Expert safety briefings and instruction
  • Drinking water – bring your refillable water bottle for free refills from our filtered rainwater collection

Not included

  • PADI eLearning
  • PADI training logbook (required) – available for purchase at check-in
  • Wetsuit – available to rent or purchase
  • Mask, snorkel & fins (these are required for the tour) – rent for the duration of the course for 1 fee or get your own during your course
  • Snacks for surface intervals between dives
  • Transportation from dive center to entry point at the beach

What to bring

  • Swimsuit
  • Towel
  • Reef-safe sunscreen

Good to know

  • Divers must have their diver certification
  • Age limit: minimum 10 years old
  • You will be required to complete a PADI Medical Questionnaire at check-in. Please review in advance.  If you have any of the health conditions listed on the medical statement you will not be able to participate without a doctor’s consent. Call the dive center if you have any concerns.
  • As part of the training, you will learn that you need to allow 18 hours to pass before flying after diving!
  • After equipment fitting, you will follow the guide in your own transportation to the entry point for the snorkeling tour (5 min +/- from the dive center). If you need transportation from the dive center and back, please give the dive center a call so advance arrangements can be made. Additional charges may apply.
  • It is important to drink plenty of water before arrival for hydration.

Sun Protection

  • PROTECT THE MARINE RESERVE: Avoid using sunscreens that contain oxybenzone, octinoxate, and parabens. Reef-Friendly sunscreen is available for purchase at the dive center.
  • Sun protective clothing like long-sleeve rash guards are a great alternative to sunscreen and are available for purchase.
  • The chemicals found in regular sunscreens are harmful to coral. Their tiny particles can be ingested, leading to toxicity and coral bleaching. Reef-friendly sunscreens avoid these toxic ingredients. Reef-SAFE sunscreens avoid harmful chemicals AND use ‘non-nano’ particles that are too large to be absorbed by corals, thus protecting marine ecosystems.
  • If you’re looking at a mineral-based formula, be sure it says ‘non-nano’

What You’ll See & Do

There are three phases to the certification:

  1. Knowledge development – PADI elearning
  2. Confined water dives
  3. Open water dives

Start by completing your PADI elearning online and you can then decide to what level of training you would like to train for: the PADI Scuba Diver or PADI Open Water Diver.

Use this link to order your PADI eLearning Materials TODAY!(opens in a new tab)

Next, you’ll head to the confined water dives to learn skills in a pool or shallow reef such as setting up scuba gear, clearing your mask, buoyancy control, and entering and exiting the water. Once you are confident and your instructor has confirmed that you passed the training, you move on to open water.

Get out into the ocean in Rincón and put into practice what you learned in the previous sessions. Explore the underwater world of coral reefs, rays, angelfish, parrotfish, sea turtles, and much more!

Answers to Your Questions

The main difference between the PADI Scuba Diver and Open Water Diver certifications is the maximum depth a diver can reach and the level of independence they have:

PADI Scuba Diver

A beginner certification that allows divers to dive up to 12 meters (40 feet) under the direct supervision of a PADI professional. This certification is a good option for those who plan to dive primarily with a dive guide.

PADI Open Water Diver

An intermediate certification that allows divers to dive up to 18 meters (60 feet) with a certified buddy or dive professional. Open Water Divers have more independence and can explore a wider range of underwater environments.

The PADI Scuba Diver course is a subset of the PADI Open Water Diver course. After completing the PADI Scuba Diver course, divers can continue their training to earn the Open Water Diver certification.

The minimum age to become a PADI certified diver is usually 10 years old. However, divers under 15 earn the PADI Junior Open Water Diver certification, which can be upgraded to the Open Water Diver certification at age 15.

Water temperature in Puerto Rico ranges from 78 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter months (December-March) to 84 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer months. Most divers get cold in the winter months and a wetsuit is recommended. At other times of the year, wetsuits are good for abrasion protection. Wetsuits are available for rental for an additional fee, check out our rental rates.

The temperate waters of Puerto Rico are home to many species of fish of all sizes. Some we see every day are parrotfish, butterflyfish, blue tangs, sergeant majors, angelfish, squirrelfish. In fact, look at a fish ID guide for the Caribbean and we see those same characters every day. Ahhh… life in paradise.

The minimum age for scuba certification is 10 years.

Have more questions? Check out our FAQ page!
FAQ PAGE

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