WELCOME TO THE EXCITING WORLD OF DIVING!

Plunge into the underwater world with Bamboo Reef! We have been teaching convenient, easy, internationally recognized certification courses in the Bay Area since 1961. Our skilled instructors offer fun classes that focus on simple techniques needed to become a comfortable and confident diver. If you are in good health and free from heart and lung problems you can learn to SCUBA dive.

Not only do we have the best training available in Northern California, we also have our own classroom and heated pool on the premises to make learning to dive convenient, easy and fun. The Open Water Course consists of a combination of home study, classroom academic reviews, pool skills development, and two days of ocean diving. You will learn basic SCUBA diving practices and procedures; and upon completion, receive your Open Water certification.

A two hour class orientation is required before you begin any Open Water program. This orientation reviews the class requirements, home study materials, schedule, and ocean dive options. We offer class orientations every Saturday afternoon at 2pm. A private orientation can be arranged, for a small fee.

For your convenience, we offer three options to complete your classroom and pool training*:

Evening programs

Weekend programs

Private Lessons
Tailored to your personal learning style and individual scheduling needs.

* Note that programs do differ from Store to Store - please ask your local store for program details.

Your Open Water Training is completed by performing a minimum of four ocean dives, held over two days. With Bamboo Reef you may choose how your diving adventure will begin:

1. Join us on any of our yearly exotic trips. We travel the world and find the best dive destinations for you. Our experienced instructors will complete your training and introduce some of the best underwater experiences in the world. Don’t leave your travel plans to chance. Sign up today.
2. Twice a month we explore some of the best diving the west coast has to offer. Monterey has incredible underwater vistas year round! Complete your certification dives in one weekend with our experienced staff in one of the most biologically diverse environments in the world!
3. After completing your pool and classroom training we are happy to provide a Universal Referral Package. Take this package to an active SCUBA instructor anywhere in the world to complete your two days of ocean training. We'll be happy to assist you with a recommendation from our vast diving experiences.

Our programs fill quickly, and class size is limited to ten students. Reservations can be made by placing a non-refundable/non-transferable deposit at the time of registration. You will receive a medical release form to complete before the first class meeting. The balance is due at the first class meeting and is non-refundable/non-transferable upon receipt.

Because fit and comfort are very important, and to enhance your diving experience, each student must have their own personal snorkeling equipment - mask, fins, snorkel, boots and gloves. Bamboo Reef will supply the remainder of the SCUBA gear for the pool training sessions. Rental of SCUBA gear for the ocean dive weekend is available. We sell a wide variety of most major brands of SCUBA equipment, and our professional staff will be happy to assist you in the proper selection of your equipment.

San Francisco Fees
Tuition for the course is only $199.50 (San Francisco - effective March 1, 2008). In addition, each student must purchase their own student kit for $74.95 (includes text, dive tables, deluxe log book, certification card and DVD) at least one week prior to the first class. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call the store or drop by.

Sonoma Coast Fees
The Course fee is $185.00. The student kit which contains the manual/workbook, dive tables, video/DVD, student record folder, carry-bag, and other paperwork is $54.95. If more than one person is attending the course, a companion kit includes all of the needed components, except the video/DVD and text. The companion kit costs $24.95. An SSI log book is required for the course and begins at $18.95. Do to staffing logistics there will be a $50 transfer fee if class dates need to be changed less than two weeks before the first session. Please be certain of your dates before you enroll.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call the store or drop by. Our staff will be happy to assist you in your diving needs. We offer our students 10% off personal equipment while they are enrolled in our program.

Monterey Bay Fees
Contact the Monetery Bay store for pricing.