Scuba diving course to be offered in April

scubadivingA Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) Open Water Scuba Diving Certification course will be offered at Tusculum College beginning in April.

The Scuba course, which has been off the curriculum at the college for a number of years, is being added back due to community interest.

Scuba Diving will be offered as part of the residential college schedule, beginning on Wednesday, April 13, and will run from 9 a.m. to noon, Wednesdays and Fridays for three and a one-half weeks. The final exam will be for International Certification and college credit for the Tusculum students. The PADI Scuba Course will also be offered twice during the 2011-2012 academic year.

The primary instructor for the course will be Barry Burton of Smoky Mountain Divers, Kingsport. Students taking the course will be required to pass a simple swimming proficiency test and should be in good overall health.

Scuba Diving will be open to both full- and part-time enrolled Tusculum College students as a one credit-hour course. In addition, the course will be open to the community as an audit option for anyone wishing to take the course for an audit fee of $100. The audit fee is not applicable for full-time enrolled students.

Additional fees apply for textbooks, personal equipment and a lab fee of $75.  The first class will be specifically for orientation and a simple “Watermanship Ability Test.” Bring a bathing suit and be prepared to buy the textbook package ($74.46 w/tax) during this first meeting. Students will need the textbook package to prepare for your next class.

For PHED160 Scuba Diving registration, contact the Tusculum College Office of Enrollment Management at (423) 636-7300. For more specifics about the course content, contact Burton at Smoky Mountain Divers (423) 239-7333. All registrations will be made through the Tusculum College Office of Enrollment Management.

Several options will be provided for the four open water qualification dives locally, including options in the Knoxville area and an optional trip to the freshwater springs of North Florida (Gainesville area).