1. Class Tuition: A discounted rate of $475 per student as an educational group rate based on 8-12 total students being trained. This is $125 off the regular class rate of $600 only offered to college groups. The tuition covers the following:

1. NAUI eLearning kit
2. Instructor fees
3. Scuba gear rental (Includes buoyancy compensator, regulator set, and weights)
4. Training pool fees

2. Personal Dive Gear: All students to provide their own personal scuba gear (essentially snorkeling gear) for the class because fit is essential for this gear. Personal dive gear consists of mask, fins, snorkel, and booties. This gear will typically cost $200+ depending on what gear is purchased. Students who have their own gear MUST bring it by the shop prior to the class so that the shop can make sure it’s appropriate for scuba diving. Most snorkel gear is not designed for scuba diving which is why they ask to see the student’s gear beforehand. The shop does provide a student discount on personal dive gear that is purchased at the shop. This discount is 10%. With proper care the gear should last at least a decade. Wetsuit & weights are provided by Black Jack Tech Diving in the tuition cost.

3. Class Structure: The typical open water class requires completing the eLearning (approx. 4-6 hours), two days of pool training and review, and finally two days of open water checkout dives. Black Jack Tech Diving routinely does its checkout dives in the Florida springs which are about 2 hours from campus. The water is a constant 72 degrees and crystal clear so it’s an optimal training environment.

4. Other Costs: The local springs have entry fees which vary depending on where we go to complete the training. Typical cost is about $40 per day for two days.

To sum up the above, the course consists of 4-6 hours NAUI eLearning done on your computer at your pace/home, then two back-to-back weekends of training. The first weekend is March 25 & 26 at 1 PM at Bill Jackson’s (https://www.billjacksons.com/) training pool in Pinellas Park. The second weekend is Apr 1 & 2 from 8 or 9 AM until 3 PM or earlier, where we go to local springs to conclude our training in open waters; notice we will not be going out to deep waters out in the ocean to train. Upon completion, we will be Open Water scuba diving certified!

Please know that that availability is on a first-come RSVP basis. Please only those that sincerely believe that they can do this event (including payment) should RSVP on Engage. Spots are very limited. If you do RSVP, please contact MLS President Jason Klafter directly via email ([email protected]) afterward.

Payment can be done at the shop or over the phone. The shop is located a minute or two away from campus on Gulfport Blvd. Payment should be done as soon as practicable; you will be given your eLearning credentials as soon as payment is received. It’s recommended to pay before Spring Break, that way you have all of the break to complete the eLearning. However, DO NOT pay unless you have already RSVP’d on Engage and spoken with Jason Klafter to ensure that you have a spot for the course. If payment is not received by March 19^th then you will likely be removed from the RSVP list to make room for someone else (please don’t let it come to that!).

Two waivers and a medical questionnaire are required to be completed by Black Jack Tech Diving prior to taking the course. Stetson also requires a completed liability waiver.

Ed Deagle is the owner of Black Jack Tech Diving. He has over 30+ years of diving experience and a great crew. His utmost priority is safety and getting things done right, not getting things done fast. He has a great passion for teaching and diving and is retired from a long career in the army. He states that he runs his shop today really just out of passion for the activity, and not income first. We’re in great hands with him and his team!