Scuba diving is an exciting and fast growing sport. Anyone in normal physical health and with average swimming ability can become certified.
A basic scuba class consists of three elements: classroom, pool, and open water training dives.

Classroom: The academic portion of the course
Students are required to attend a minimum of 12 hours of classroom instruction. Classes meet once a week for 4 weeks and each session is from 7 to 10 pm. Saturday morning classes are also available on a limited basis. Classroom sessions are conducted at Lakeland Divers, located at 34 Ridgedale Ave. in East Hanover. We endeavor to limit class size to 8 students to ensure the best possible learning experience.

Pool: The confined water portion of the course
Students are also required to attend a minimum of 12 hours of confined water instruction. Pool sessions are scheduled on an additional weeknight with hours being dictated by pool availability, usually from 7 till 10 pm. Pool sessions are conducted at Saint Elizabeth College, in Madison, NJ. Class and pool scheduling issues can be addressed on a case by case basis.

Open Water Training Dives: where the adventure really begins...
At the completion of the classroom and pool sessions you will be well prepared for your open water training dives. The five training dives (four scuba and one skin dive), are done over a 2 day period and can be completed either with one of the Lakeland Divers' instructors at Dutch Springs, on one of Lakeland Divers warm water adventures, or on your next vacation via a universal referral.

• Training dives at Dutch Springs - Between May and October, instructors from Lakeland Divers conduct training dives at Dutch Springs in Bethlehem, PA. Dutch Spring is a recreational area that is designed specifically as a dive training facility.
• Training dives on vacation - If you prefer to complete your training dives on your next vacation, your instructor can give you a universal referral form that informs other dive operators that you've completed the classroom and pool portions of your training and that you are ready for the open water dives.
• Training dives can also be completed with a Lakeland instructor on one of our warm water vacations.

Class Tuition
Class tuition is $249.00. This includes approximately 25 hours of classroom and pool instruction, text materials (text book, log book, video and audio tapes, and dive table), and the use of Lakeland scuba equipment (i.e. tank, regulator, weight belt, weights, and BCD) for all pool sessions. A $75.00 deposit is required to hold your space in class. Our refund policy can be found here.

Additional costs:
Equipment - Students are responsible for their scuba quality personal equipment (i.e. mask, fins, snorkel, and boots) by the first pool session. All of Lakeland's students receive a 10% discount on purchases made during their training.

Open water training dives require the rental of standard scuba equipment for the weekend.
Our ALL INCLUSIVE STUDENT OPEN WATER TRAINING PACKAGE is $295.00 and includes:

1. 2 entry vouchers for the two days of diving at Dutch Springs
2. Rental of Scuba gear package for two days which includes: 7mm, 2 piece wet suit, hood and gloves,
two 80 cu ft aluminum tanks, weight belt with appropriate weights, regulator with octo and console with depth and pressure gauges, wrist compass and BCD.
3. 2 air fill tickets
4. Instructor fee
5. Scuba Diver Certification upon successful completion of open water dives.

Advanced Scuba is a fun continuing education certification course designed to introduce newly certified or inexperienced divers to a variety of new diving activities. The new course includes one 3 hour classroom session and 6 open water dives under the direct supervision of a NAUI instructor. The course will review gear configuration to give you an idea of the different ideas on the subject and help you find what works for you. You will also develop better buoyancy control to make your dives more enjoyable. We will also show you ways to improve your air consumption as well as tips to make your dives as safe as possible. Additional skills covered during the six dives can include the following:

• Current Dive
• Navigation
• Introduction into Search and Recovery
• Night/Low Visibility
• Wreck
• Boat Diving

Tuition: $249.00
The course price does not include your personal equipment (mask, snorkel, fins, boots, BC, regulator, exposure suit, dive lights, or slates), Dive Boat fees and/or Dutch Spring fees. We strongly recommend that you have your own personal gear5 for proper fit, safety, and comfort.

Extend your diving season. Use a Dry Suit. The course is one night of class, 1/2 day of pool, and one day of diving. After the class you will be certified as a Dry Suit Specialty Diver, and will be able to rent dry suits from us whenever you wish. If you wish to purchase a new dry suit after the class the amount of your tuition will be deducted from the list price.

Little else has impacted recreational diving more than the introduction of nitrox, allowing more time underwater. Our TDI nitrox course is an entry level course for divers wishing to utilize enriched air nitrox as a breathing gas. During this course, you will learn the benefits, hazards and proper procedures for diving with EAN 22 to EAN 40. Class includes 2 nights of classroom time to familiarize the diver with the mathematics and physiology of diving mixed gas and one day at Dutch Springs or on a wreck dive.
When complete, you will receive a Nitrox Certification for 21% - 40%.
Your Instructor will also cover:

• Equipment considerations
• Cylinder labeling
• Analyzing of Nitrox

This course examines the use of EAN 21 through 100% (oxygen) for the optimal mixes to a depth of 130fsw/40msw. The object of this course is to train divers in the benefits, hazards and proper procedures for utilizing EAN 21 through 100% for dives not requiring staged decompression.
This course also examines the theory, methods and procedures of planned stage decompression diving. The objective of this course is to train divers how to plan and conduct a standard staged decompression dive not exceeding a maximum depth of 150fsw/45msw.

Digital Underwater Photography

Whether you are starting out with Underwater Photography, an experienced film photographer, or even an experienced Digital Photographer, this course will have something for you.
Prerequisite - To take this course you'll need to to be at least NAUI Open Water Diver (or equivalent)

COURSE OUTLINE: 3 Classroom sessions, 2 pool sessions and 1 open water session at Dutch Springs.

At some point in your diving career, you will lose or find something underwater and the knowledge and skill you gain in the Search and Recovery Course will help you. You will learn more about underwater navigation, rigging, safety procedures, search methods and light salvage.
Must be at least 12 years old.

Tuition: $249.00

Semi-Closed Rebreather (SCR)
Orientation and certification in the use of rebreathers.
The Semi-Closed Circuit Rebreather course is the ideal course for photographers, cold water divers or anybody wishing to enjoy a quieter dive and closer interaction with marine life. The course is unit specific covering the Dolphin that is your to keep. We cover system mechanics, Nitrox review, gas physiology bailout scenarios and pre and post dive systems checks
Imagine sliding through the water, accompanied not by the roar of bubbles, but by silence. Imagine getting close and personal with aquatic life, getting closer than ever before. When you dive with a SCR you are nearly bubble free, reducing the noise and disturbance that can scare away those exotic creatures.

Tuition: $1849.00 includes purchase of used Drager Dolphin complete with lessons and all consumables* for the entire class period.

Scuba diving is an equipment intensive sport. This class is designed to familiarize you with your gear and how to properly maintain it. You will learn how to "Field Strip" and clean regulators and gauges, in addition to valves from BCs and dry suits. Determining if you can repair an item or if it should be worked on by a qualified repair facility is a major consideration discussed in the class. The course will consist of 2 days of training, 2-3 hours each day. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS COURSE DOES NOT QUALIFY YOU AS A REGULATOR REPAIR TECHNICIAN.

Prerequisite: Advanced Open Water Certification
You can expand your diving knowledge with a SCUBA Rescue Diver Course. Learn how to manage risks and effectively handle limited in-water problems and diving emergencies. How to assist and transport divers, perform surface rescues, and rescues from depth involving boat and shore based divers.
This includes ASHI & NAUI CPR & First Aid, and DAN courses AED, O2 Provider, Adv O2, Hazardous Marine Life, and Neurological Exam Courses.
Taken separately, these courses would cost over $100.00 more than our Rescue course.

AED Automated External Defibrillators for Scuba Diving. This course teaches divers to provide care for sudden cardiac arrest including the use of an automated external defibrillator.

First Aid for Hazardous Marine Life Injuries. Serious hazardous marine life injuries are rare, but most divers experience minor discomfort from unintentional encounters with fire coral, jellyfish and other marine creatures. This course teaches divers to minimize these injuries and reduce diver discomfort and pain.

On-Site Neurological Assessment for Divers. Learn how to conduct a neurological assessment on a potentially injured diver in this course. The information gained in this assessment can help convince a diver on the need for oxygen first aid.

Oxygen First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries. As a recreational diver, you can receive training to provide vital first aid that can make a difference to a scuba diver with decompression illness. This course provides enrty-level training in the recognition and management of possible diving-related injuries using emergency oxygen first aid.

Advanced Oxygen First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries. This advanced-level program is designed to train existing DAN Oxygen Providers to use the MTV-100 or a Bag Valve MAsk while providing care for a non-breathing injured diver.