My programs offers unique and individual instruction based on the student's needs, not the instructor's. Too many shops and many instructors teach exactly the same way for every student. They claim consistency is productivity. It is not. It's the easiest way to cycle the grestest numbers of students through a program in the shortest amont of time.
"It makes no sense to expect all students to take the same amount of time to achieve the same objectives."
--Benjamin Bloom
Elite private scuba diving instruction, specialty certification, technical training and refresher courses. Learn to dive in the ocean in real world diving conditions.
I place the strongest emphasis on education, planning, proper techniques, entries / exits, contingencies, emergency skills and safety. Maximum of two students in the water at any one time. Courses taught on your schedule. Additional dives requested / required included without additional expense.
My programs include the class, review, certification dives, and certification card! No hidden fees, no hidden charges. Learning in a private setting means that you can set the pace. Better still, with personalized attention, you learn skills that you and your dive buddy will depend on, need, and use. Don't get less than you deserve just because you got lost in the group.
Here's how my programs work... First, you'll start with a self-study. You'll review what scuba is, learn about some new theories and concepts, and watch some videos about what you'll learn underwater. Then, I'll come to you where we will review all of that material, but take those concepts to a whole new level. Concepts and theories in the scuba are not always clearly explained in those rudimentary educational systems.
So, we'll review the fundamentals required to be a diver and real-world diving requirements. There's a huge difference from what the industry wants you to know and what you need to know. Often, these concepts are left out if the educational process and tell the student that they'll learn about them in the next class, course, or after signing up for another course. Not only does that mean you're paying extra for what you should have learned from the beginning, but they want to make the cost of your real education more expensive.
After that we dive. You get two full days at our dive site of continuing education, dialog, diving, and in-water training. When there are only one or two divers, you have my complete attention. The student that gets more time with the instructor is never rushed or feels required to go at the instructor's pace. It's your class, after all. By the time you're done with your training, you're ready to dive autonomously. What that means is that the instructor is not there to supervise and when you you're on your own, you are confident in your skills, ability, and competence.
How did I get here...? Well, after ten years in banking and finance I decided to take some time off, travel, and do the things that I've always wanted to do. Scuba diving was one of those things. In 2006, I took my first class and I was hooked. It was the greatest experience I have ever had!
I went through all of the recreational courses, then went through all the professional courses and started to teach in 2008. In order to keep learning and feed my interest, I did an extensive amount of technical training and technical diving culminating in a 241ft dive on the USS Monitor in the Outer Banks of North Carolina! That's me in the picture above.
As of April 2024, I've logged 2,489 dives.
Classes & Fees
JCA Elite Scuba will always be more than any dive shop, everyday! Scuba diving, specialty certification, and technical dive courses taught to the highest standards building confidence through competence. Create memories that will last a lifetime. Scuba diving isn't just a cool thing to do on vacation, but an experience to share with friends and family, forever!
OPEN WATER DIVER (Scuba in a Wetsuit)
Complete all of the educational requirements here then move on to the open water. We'll spend two days diving in the Puget Sound and stay in a motel right on the water. The Puget Sound offers some of the best diving in North America. $700
OPEN WATER DIVER SPECIALIST (Scuba in a Drysuit)
Open Water Diver + Drysuit Specialty
Just like the program where you dive in a wetsuit but this program teaches you how to dive in a drysuit. Right from the beginning, you'll stay dry, warmer, stay in the water a little longer, and dive all year long. Includes drysuit certification card. $800
ADVANCED OPEN WATER DIVER
Educational Components, Certification Dives, and Certification Card.
Includes: Deep, Drysuit, Night, Navigation, Nitrox, and Search & Recovery.
By taking my Advanced Open Water Diver program, you will enhance your diving ability with real diving skills that you will learn to use on every dive. Build your confidence by diving deeper, at night, easily find your way around. $600
MASTER DIVER PROGRAM
Educational Components, Certification Dives, and Certification Card. Once you obtain your Advanced ranking, you'll add Scuba Rescue, BLS/CPR & First Aid, and Oxygen Administration.
The Master Diver is the highest ranking, most skilled diver without a professional standing. After achieving Advanced Diver ranking, you'll add rescue skills, CPR and First Aid and be able to administer emergency oxygen in an emergency situation. $500
DIVEMASTER PROGRAM
Education, Certification Dives, Skills Review, Evaluation, Final Evaluation, Certificate of Completion, and Certification Card.
The first professional ranking with NAUI and one of the most highly recognized programs in the world. Those that wish to start being able to share in the teaching experience, lead dives, work on dive boats and even resorts! $1,000
Dive a little deeper and stay a little longer. Learn to dive with multiple tanks and multiple gasses. Decompression diving, theory, and application. $400-$700
SDI SOLO DIVER
The Solo Diver course stresses proper dive planning, personal limitations, and accident prevention, as well as the benefits, hazards, and proper procedures for diving solo. $400
EQUIPMENT RENTALS
Rental equipment is available for all of my active students or certified divers that have completed any of my programs. Includes just about everything the diver could need. Everything listed is not included with every program, class, specialty, or course. The entire rental cost for open water or recreational specialties is only $100 when diving in a wetsuit for and $150 when diving in a drysuit. Technical courses or specialties are priced according to specific items that are rented. No additional fee if additional dives are required/needed. Equipment delivered to you at our dive site!
Specialty Courses
...the next phase of your training
Nitrox
Enriched Air Nitrox is diving with a percentage of oxygen from 22% to 40%. There are several reasons to use Nitrox: longer bottom times, less nitrogen absorption, dive deeper, narcosis management, and reducing decompression risk. You'll learn about Maximum Operating Depths, analyzing gas percentages, oxygen toxicity, and gas planning alternatives.
Deep Diving
Recreational scuba diving limits are 100 feet without specialized training. While anything past 60 feet is considered deep, taking a deep diving specialty will prepare the diver for depths up to 130 feet. The deep diver will learn about gas management, buddy team skills, dive planning, turning or jumping off points, narcosis management, and even redundant breathing systems.
Drysuit Diver
If you want to dive in the Pacific Northwest or in cold water, diving in a drysuit will keep you warm. The drysuit traps a layer of air around your body and as water conducts heat away from your skin 25x faster than air, the diver can stay warmer, longer. You'll learn how to manage buoyancy, safety skills, donning and doffing the suit.
Search & Recovery
Discover lost treasures, find lost items, lift bag and SMB deployment skills and techniques, line use, search patterns, location identification, and site mapping.
Night & Limited Visibility
Done during the hours of darkness, at sunrise, and at sunset, the Night Diver will get to experience a different set of marine animals that are often seen in daylight hours. You learn about specialized light configurations and equipment, back up lights, buoyancy, buddy team communication, entries, and exits
Navigation
Orientation and equipment techniques. Reciprocal and geometric headings and courses. Compass utilization and function. Natural navigation. Getting back to the shore seems pretty straight forward, but if you go in the wrong directions, then what...? The best part of navigation is that you get to where you want to be a lot sooner and spend less time wandering around.
Stress & Rescue
Risk, stress, and diver aid. Scene assessment, management, and techniques. Emergency and crisis management, first aid, oxygen administration. You never know when an emergency might arise, and being prepared for it -- before and after -- is important. Stress & Rescue is a requirement for your Master Diver certification, too. It is a fun class and you will be put through great challenges. See what is going around in your environment and be an agent to reduce risk.
Oxygen Admin for Scuba Diving Injuries
This course is designed to train and educate interested individuals in the techniques of using oxygen as first aid for a suspected dive injury. In addition, this course will introduce the fundamentals of recognizing diving injury warning signs, response and management. This program is taken in conjunction with BLS: CPR & First Aid.
Basic Life Support: CPR & First Aid
First Aid: Bandaging and Wound Management, Shock Management, Asthma, Heart Attack, Diabetic Emergencies, Stroke, Seizures, Poisonings, Burns, Bone Breaks, Temperature Related Injuries, Home Emergency Planning, Lifting & Moving, and Overall General Emergency Management.
Automated Electronic Defibrillator (AED)
Theory, setup, and use.
