PADI Open Water Referral Certification in Key Largo

Our PADI Open Water Referral program costs $399 + tax and includes four open-water checkout dives over two days with a PADI Instructor.

We also welcome referral students who have started their training with other recognized certification agencies, such as SSI, NAUI, or SDI. The cost for non-PADI referral students is $480 + tax, which includes a confined-water (pool) session to review and assess your scuba skills before completing your open-water checkout dives.

If you started your training with another certification agency, we recommend contacting us before booking so we can review your previous training and confirm your certification requirements.

Both programs include all necessary scuba equipment, with the exception of personal gear (mask, fins, and snorkel), which students can bring or purchase at Sail Fish Scuba.

Yes, we welcome PADI Open Water Referral students who have already completed their academic coursework and confined-water (pool) training with another dive center. You can complete your four open-water checkout dives with Sail Fish Scuba over two days and earn your PADI Open Water Diver certification once all requirements are met.

You'll need a completed referral form, signed and dated by your original instructor, with your documented training no more than 12 months old. We also welcome students who have started their training with other recognized certification agencies, such as SSI, NAUI, and SDI, who may be eligible to complete their certification through PADI.

See our PADI Open Water Referral & Checkout Dives section above for additional details and requirements.

 Absolutely. Key Largo is an excellent destination for beginner scuba divers, offering warm water, shallow coral reefs, and year-round diving opportunities within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Water temperatures typically range from approximately 75–88°F throughout the year, with visibility often reaching 30–60 feet or more, depending on conditions.

At Sail Fish Scuba, our beginner scuba diving courses are designed to help new divers develop their skills and confidence underwater. As a PADI 5-Star Dive Center, we keep our classes small, with a maximum of four students per instructor, and select dive sites appropriate for your experience level and ocean conditions.

Yes, but you'll need to allow sufficient time between your final dive and your flight. The Divers Alert Network (DAN) recommends a minimum of 12 hours after a single no-decompression dive and 18 hours after multiple no-decompression dives or multiple days of diving. 

These are minimum guidelines, and allowing additional time is always a more conservative approach. We advise planning your certification dives accordingly, especially if you're flying home from the Florida Keys.

 Weather and ocean conditions can occasionally affect scuba diving in Key Largo. If conditions aren't suitable for your scheduled open-water checkout dives, we'll discuss the available options, including rescheduling. While we have access to a sheltered lagoon for certain training activities, your required open-water certification dives must be completed in conditions that meet PADI training standards. Your safety always comes first.

Our PADI Open Water Referral program takes two days to complete, with two open-water checkout dives each day, for a total of four dives. Each day consists of a half-day dive trip to the coral reefs of Key Largo. You can schedule your dives on consecutive days or spread them out during your vacation, depending on availability.

 Absolutely. Once you've successfully completed your four open-water checkout dives and earned your PADI Open Water Diver certification, you're welcome to join us for recreational scuba diving during the rest of your vacation. At Sail Fish Scuba, we offer morning and afternoon guided dive trips to Key Largo's reefs, with an in-water PADI professional and complimentary underwater photos included. It's a great opportunity to put your newly learned skills into practice, build confidence, and explore more of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

 We have the Diver Medical Participant Questionnaire available on our website, so you can review it before signing up for the course. You can find a PDF of the Diver Medical Participant Questionnaire at the bottom of our Sail Fish Scuba Policy Page. As part of your eLearning, you will also be prompted to complete the questionnaire during the registration process.

The safest way to address any medical issues or prescription concerns is by consulting your personal physician to ensure your safety. All students participating in a course must complete the Diver Medical Participant Questionnaire. If you answer “yes” to any question that requires medical evaluation, a licensed physician or medical doctor must provide signed clearance on the medical form before you can participate in the course. 

 Key Largo sits on the edge of the third-largest barrier reef on the planet—behind only Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and the Mesoamerican system in Central America.   It’s also the only living coral reef in the continental U.S., which makes it one of the best training grounds anywhere. Most of the dive sites in Key Largo are shallow, calm, and full of marine life—ideal conditions for learning to dive.  Instead of doing your checkout dives in a cold, murky lake wrapped in a 7mm wetsuit, you’ll be training in Key Largo’s clear water with comfortable conditions and abundant marine life.  

Our courses are kept small to ensure personalized attention and safety. We maintain a maximum 4:1 student-to-instructor ratio, meaning no more than four students per PADI Instructor. 

 Now that you’re a certified PADI Open Water Diver, the underwater world is truly open to you.   The natural next step is enrolling in the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course. 

Warm waters make Key Largo inviting any time of year for scuba diving and snorkeling.  Ocean temperatures peak in August and are coolest in January. 

Although daily water temperatures and conditions can vary, the figures below represent Key Largo’s typical ocean averages. 

January–February (the coldest months):
Water temps average 70–75°F. Folks typically wear full 3mm-5mm wetsuits. 

March–April (transition to warmer waters):
Around 75–77°F. Divers are typically wearing full 3mm wetsuits or at least a shorty wetsuit.   

Guests from colder climates often find the water warm enough to dive without a full wetsuit or shorty wetsuit.

May–June (early summer warm-up):

With water around 80°F, a rash guard or shorty wetsuit is usually all you’ll need. 

July–August (peak summer temperatures):
A warm 85°F+ . We love this time of year! These months typically offer pretty consistently great visibility, calm waters, and amazing marine life. Most people are not diving with a full wetsuit or shorty wetsuit. 

September–October (cooler waters):
Still 80–85°F.  Most divers are comfortable without wetsuits, though some start using at least  shorty wetsuits toward the end of October.

November–December (transition to winter season) :
Water cools to around 79°F, and many divers switch back to full wetsuits. It is also a good idea, too, to pack yourself a jacket or sweater on the boat ride back to to the docks!

We generally recommend wearing a wetsuit from November-April, as water temperatures can feel cool. Because our activities take place in the open ocean, it’s also possible to encounter jellyfish from time to time. Their presence is seasonal and unpredictable, so it is a good idea to have a rash guard or wetsuit/shorty for extra protection. 

Sail Fish Scuba offers a wide range of rental wetsuits and we have long-sleeve rash guards available. Did we mention the rental of wetsuits is FREE?

In accordance with training agency safety standards, no student may have a camera during training dives. 

PADI now issues certifications digitally. You can view your certification by downloading the PADI app and accessing your e-card. If you’d like a physical plastic card, it is available for an additional fee.  

 If you’re looking for an experienced PADI instructor to teach and guide you on a safe—and unforgettable—underwater adventure, we’re your Key Largo dive shop. At Sail Fish Scuba, you’ll learn in small classes with a 4:1 student-to-instructor ratio while earning your PADI Open Water Diver certification in Key Largo and exploring some of the best Florida Keys dive sites, from vibrant coral reefs teeming with marine life to historic shipwrecks. 

Best of all, you can sign up for your Open Water Diver certification in Key Largo any time of year—we’re open 365 days, so the ocean is always ready for your next adventure.