Learn to Dive
PADI Certified Instruction · Beginner to Professional · Flexible Scheduling Available
11,000+
Divers Trained
3:1
Student-to-Professional Ratio
PADI
Certified Instructors
2x Monthly
Classes Apr–Sep
Open Water Classes Run Every Two Weeks
April through September, a new Open Water Diver class starts every two weeks. At least one class per month runs through the off-season. There is always a class coming up — but spots fill fast.
Get Scuba Certified and Start Your Underwater Adventure
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to breathe underwater? At Scuba Shack, we make it easy, safe, and fun to become a certified scuba diver — no experience required. Whether you’re brand new or just curious, our expert instructors will guide you step by step from your first breath to your first open water dive.
New to Diving? Start with Open Water Certification
This is your entry into the underwater world. You’ll learn the fundamentals of scuba diving, safety, and equipment use — then complete your certification dives in open water. No experience needed, small class sizes (3:1 student ratio), and a globally recognized PADI certification upon completion.
Not Ready for a Full Course? Try Scuba First
Discover Scuba Diving lets you dive in a controlled environment with an instructor before committing to a full course. Perfect for beginners, families, and groups — no certification required.
Already Certified? Continue Your Diving Education – Flexible Scheduling
From navigation and deep diving to enriched air and rescue training, our programs are designed to make you safer, more capable, and more comfortable in a variety of diving conditions. Most courses can be purchased anytime and scheduled through the shop, where our team of instructors will work with you to fit training into your availability. We also offer refresher sessions to help you get back in the water with confidence.
Not sure where to start? Visit our Scuba Training Roadmap to find the right course for your level.
Choose Your Path
Every diver starts somewhere. Find the course that’s right for you.
Discover Scuba Diving
Try scuba in a controlled environment with an instructor. No certification required — perfect for first-timers, families, and groups.
Open Water Certification
Your first full PADI certification. Learn the fundamentals, complete pool and open water dives, and earn a globally recognized card.
Advanced & Specialty Courses
Already certified? Advance to AOW, Rescue Diver, Divemaster, or specialty courses like deep, wreck, night, and enriched air diving.
Foundations & Principles of Diving
Scuba Shack’s exclusive course — personalized instruction in buoyancy mastery, propulsion techniques, trim, and dive planning. Now a PADI Specialty. Perfect for newly certified divers and experienced divers who want to sharpen their skills.
Public Safety Diving
Training for law enforcement, fire rescue, and first responder dive teams. Led by Monty Fitzpatrick, a PADI Public Safety Instructor Trainer — the highest level in the PSD program.
Why Learn with Scuba Shack?
We’ve been training divers in Connecticut for decades — and we’re proud of the experience we deliver. Over 11,000 divers trained, small class sizes (3:1 ratio), and local pool and open water training options. You’re not just taking a class — you’re joining a community.
Our lead instructor is Monty Fitzpatrick, an 18-year PADI Elite Course Director who has trained over 250 PADI instructors — not one of whom has ever failed the PADI Instructor Examination. In 2025, Monty was recognized with the PADI Professional Excellence Award. When you learn to dive at Scuba Shack, you’re being taught by one of the most accomplished dive educators in the country.
Flexible Scheduling
Open Water Diver classes are scheduled every two weeks from April through September, and at least once a month during the off-season — so there is always a class coming up. Many of our specialty and advanced courses offer flexible scheduling with no fixed start date: purchase your course and arrange training directly with an instructor at times that work for you — evenings, weekends, or a custom timeline.
Classes fill fast. Book today to guarantee your spot.
What PADI 5-Star IDC Status Means for You
Not all dive shops are the same. Here is why the IDC credential matters when choosing where to get certified.
Fewer Than 1% of Dive Centers Qualify
A PADI 5-Star IDC (Instructor Development Center) is authorized to train divers all the way from Open Water through to PADI Instructor — the highest level of recreational diver. It is a credential that requires meeting PADI’s most rigorous standards for facilities, staffing, and training quality. Most dive shops simply cannot qualify.
Your Instructor’s Instructor Trained Here
IDC status means the dive instructors who teach across Connecticut and New England may well have been trained right here at Scuba Shack. When you take a class with us, you benefit from the same teaching standards we instill in the professionals we train.
A Perfect Instructor Track Record
Course Director Monty Fitzpatrick has trained over 250 PADI instructors across 18 years — and not one has ever failed the PADI Instructor Examination. In 2025, Monty received the PADI Professional Excellence Award, one of the highest honors in recreational diving education worldwide.
Ready to Dive In?
Your underwater adventure starts here. Call us at 860-563-0119 or book directly online.