Students interested in scuba diving had the option to get their certification this weekend, thanks to a partnership between UCF’s Outdoor Adventure program and Ranger Rick’s Scuba Adventure.

Dave Ross has been working with Ranger Rick’s for seven years, and is currently a lead instructor there. Ross was the instructor for this weekend’s course, teaching students everything they’ll need to know for breathing underwater.

“This is one of the few sports you can enjoy through your whole life,” Ross said.

Danielle Bessent, a junior who works with Outdoor Adventure, was excited about working as a facilitator between Outdoor Adventure and Ranger Rick’s for the class. Growing up in Gainesville, she’s been around springs most of her life, and as always had an interest in learning to dive. She hopes to travel after school, and plans to use her certification to see new places.

“It would be cool to go in the water and see everything,” Bessent said.

Typical scuba classes offered through this partnership have anywhere from five to 20 students, according to Ross. The class meets over the course of a weekend, and consists of three sets of instruction.

The first meeting is the classroom section, which walks students through the safety procedures. The second day is a pool section, where student’s learn to use tanks, masks, and put their knowledge to use. Everything learned is put to the test on day three, during an open water dive at the Devil’s Den Springs in Ocala, Fla.

Ross stresses the importance of safety from the first instruction. His teaching style shows students the reasons behind the rules, and helps new divers learn why things are done a certain way.

“There are no diving police, physics polices diving for you,” Ross said.

Freshman Jillian Jernas had heard about the program when applying to colleges, and made it a priority to take this class after getting into UCF. Like Bessent, she wants to travel and experience things from a different perspective.

“I want to see the wildlife underwater,” Jernas said.

Jernas plans to continue her diving instruction, and already wants to look into advanced diving classes after she learns the basics.

At the completion of the class, students are open-water certified, allowing them to dive to depths of 60 feet, according to Ross. The certification lasts for life, those Ross encourages divers to take a refresher course if they don’t dive for an extended period of time.

The next class will be offered October 16th, according to Outdoor Adventure.