Scuba Diving Courses
Get certified in the Florida Keys. From your first breath underwater to Divemaster, every PADI course taught by in-house instructors in open water, year-round
Where Are You Starting From?
Nine courses from complete beginner to professional level. Find the right starting point below.
Never Dived Before
No experience, no certification? Start here. Try it first or jump straight into your full certification.
Already Certified
Level up your skills, unlock deeper sites, or refresh a lapsed certification. Multiple pathways from here.
Go Professional
Turn your passion into a career. The Divemaster course is your entry into the professional diving world — taught by our Master Instructor Nate Sterns.
Open Water Certification
Your PADI Open Water certification, completed in the Florida Keys. eLearning on your schedule, pool skills with our instructors, and four open water checkout dives in Islamorada.
2 days
Ages 10+
No Prerequisites
Every Course We Offer
All courses run year-round at Three Waters Marina. Taught by PADI Instructors, every one of our staff holds an active certification.
Advanced Open Water Course
The next step after Open Water. FKDC's Advanced course gets you PADI Advanced certified through five guided specialty dives — with four course levels to choose from depending on how many certifications you want to walk away with.
Varies
Ages
12+
Discover Scuba Diving
No certification, no experience needed. FKDC's Discover Scuba program takes you from first breath underwater in the pool to two real coral reef dives — all in a single day.
8 hours
Ages
10+
Divemaster Course
The first step toward a career in diving. FKDC's 9-day PADI Divemaster course develops the leadership skills, dive knowledge, and practical experience needed to work as a dive professional.
9 days
Ages
18+
Emergency First Responder (EFR)
CPR, AED use, first aid, and more — skills that apply in and out of the water. FKDC's EFR course satisfies the Rescue Diver prerequisite and can be completed alongside it in a single visit.
1 day
Ages
10+
Enriched Air Nitrox Course
PADI's most popular specialty course for good reason — Nitrox extends your no-decompression limits, giving you more time on the reef and shorter surface intervals between dives.
1 day
Ages
12+
Open Water Certification
Your PADI Open Water certification, completed in the Florida Keys. eLearning on your schedule, pool skills with our instructors, and four open water checkout dives in Islamorada.
2 days
Ages
Ages 10+
Open Water Diver Referral
Finished your classroom and pool work at home? Complete your four PADI checkout dives with FKDC in the Florida Keys. Certification card, all rental gear, and two PADI specialty courses included.
2 days
Ages
10+
Rescue Diver Certification
The most personally rewarding certification most divers will earn. FKDC's PADI Rescue Diver course builds the skills to prevent problems underwater — and manage them confidently when they occur.
2 days
Ages
12+
Scuba Tune-Up / Refresher Course
The PADI ReActivate course is built for certified divers who've been out of the water for a while. Refresh your skills in the pool in the morning and complete two reef dives the same afternoon.
1 day
Ages
10+
The Best Classroom is the Florida Keys
There's no better place in the world to learn to dive than warm, clear water with visibility that regularly exceeds 60 feet. The Florida Keys gives you the ideal conditions to build real skills, not just check a box.
All Staff Are PADI Instructors
Every person on the FKDC team holds an active PADI certification. You're learning from working professionals who dive these waters every day.
Real Reefs From Day One
Open water dives happen on the same reef and wreck sites as our guided charters not a training pool or a sandbar. Crocker Wall, patch reefs, and wrecks from the very first dive.
Year-Round Conditions
Water temperature in the Florida Keys averages 78°F in winter and 85°F in summer. Visibility averages 40–80 feet. There's no bad time to learn.
Certification Goes Everywhere
Your PADI card is recognized at dive sites in 186 countries. What you learn in Islamorada works in the Maldives, the Red Sea, or the Great Barrier Reef.
Start Your Course in the Florida Keys.
Book online or call us to discuss which course is right for you. Our team can help plan the right schedule around your trip dates.