This is where it all begins.

The PADI Open Water Diver course is your gateway to the underwater world. This is the certification that allows you to dive anywhere in the world, rent scuba gear, join dive trips, and explore beneath the surface with confidence.

At Dive With Frank, Open Water training is done differently. All courses are taught privately or in very small groups, giving you personalized instruction, flexible scheduling, and the time you need to actually feel comfortable underwater.

This course is ideal if you:

• Want high-quality, unrushed instruction

• Prefer a private or small-group setting

• Plan to dive locally, travel, or both

• Want to learn scuba the right way from the start

Scheduling & Duration Note

This course is scheduled flexibly over multiple sessions based on your availability. The “21 days” duration shown by the booking system does not represent consecutive training days or a continuous program.

Training sessions are arranged collaboratively after booking and typically take place over several days or weeks, depending on your schedule and pace.

You must be at least 10 years old, comfortable in the water, and in reasonable physical health. No prior scuba experience is required.

All Open Water courses with Dive With Frank are private by design.

You can train one-on-one, with a partner, or with a small group of friends or family. Private instruction also means flexibility. We work together to find dates and times that fit your schedule, not the other way around.

No cattle calls. No rushed weekends. Just solid training at a pace that works.

This booking covers Knowledge Development and Confined Water training only.

Open Water checkout dives are scheduled separately. This is intentional.

Many students choose to complete their checkout dives somewhere warmer, clearer, and a little more colorful (underwater, at least) than Maryland. This is called a referral, and it is completely normal and very common.

If you prefer to complete your checkout dives locally, Dive With Frank offers those separately as well. Either way, you receive the same certification and the same high-quality training.

Separating the course this way gives you flexibility and avoids rushing your open water dives.

Confined water training is conducted in a pool environment.

• Late April through mid-October: sessions are typically held in Pikesville

• Mid-October through April: sessions are typically held in Laurel

Exact pool location, dates, and times are confirmed after booking and scheduled to work with your availability.