Try Scuba Diving in North Florida, No Experience Needed
Spend an afternoon breathing underwater in a Florida spring with an instructor beside you the whole time, and find out whether diving is
something you actually want.
- No Commitment
- Instructor Beside You
- Veteran Owned
Taught by a Ph.D. educator, Navy veteran, and IDEA Course Director.
Your first certification · From $450 · Private pace
You Are Curious, Not Convinced
Diving looks incredible on a screen and slightly terrifying in your head. You have no idea whether you would love it, panic, or spend the whole time thinking about your ears.
Nobody wants to commit a few hundred dollars and several weekends to find out. So the question sits there for years, and the answer stays theoretical.
Your first time underwater should feel
guided, unhurried, and safe, not like a test you signed up for.
I'm Wade Howell, and I'm Here to Take the Guesswork Out
Almost everyone is nervous the first time. The nerves are not a sign that diving is wrong for you. They are a sign that your body correctly noticed you are about to breathe underwater, which is exactly the reaction I would expect.
I have been diving since 1991, served as a Navy hospital corpsman, and hold a Ph.D. with more than twenty years of teaching behind it. As an IDEA Course Director, I have introduced a lot of first-timers to the water. I stay within arm's reach and keep the whole thing
slow, quiet, and yours to control.
You get in the water. I'll handle everything else.
DEVIL'S DEN · WILLISTON, FL
What divers say
Your pace / Spring dives / From $450
Flagship
Scheduled / 20 dives logged / From $1,300
A First Dive Built Around Being New
A Real Answer, Fast
One guided session in a spring so you can find out how diving actually feels, which means you decide from experience rather than guessing from a video.
Nothing to Buy Yet
Equipment provided and fitted for you so you can try the sport without owning it, which means the only thing you commit is an afternoon.
A Head Start If You Continue
Skills that carry into certification so you can begin a full course already familiar with the gear, which means your first day of training is review, not shock.
How It Works
Pick a Date
We find an afternoon that works and a spring that suits a first-timer so you can arrive without logistics to solve.
Learn the Basics
A short briefing covers breathing, equalizing, and hand signals so you can know what happens before it happens.
Get in the Water
You breathe underwater with me beside you for the whole dive so you can focus on looking around.
What Makes a Try Dive Here Worth Doing
Springs, Not a Pool
Most introductory dives happen in the shallow end of a swimming pool. Yours happens in clear 72-degree spring water, so the experience is the real one.
One Person at a Time
Your instructor is not splitting attention across a group. Every minute underwater is supervised by someone watching only you.
Gear That Fits
Mask, fins, and buoyancy equipment sized before you get wet: nothing leaking, nothing borrowed from a bin.
A Briefing That Explains Why
Most briefings list rules. This one explains the physics behind each rule, so the instruction makes sense instead of just being memorized.
Ear and Breathing Coaching
The two things that ruin first dives are ears and breath control. Both get walked through slowly, on the surface, before anyone descends an inch.
No Sales Pressure
You will not be handed a course brochure at the surface. If diving is not for you, that is a completely acceptable answer.
Ages and Families Welcome
Bring the family. Parents and older children can try together, and the session runs at the pace of whoever needs it slowest.
A Medical Conversation First
Certain conditions matter underwater. We go through the standard medical questionnaire beforehand, so nothing gets discovered at the worst possible moment.
A Clear Next Step
You leave knowing whether you want to be certified. If the answer is yes, the same instructor takes you from here to Open Water and beyond, with nothing to start over.
Frequently Asked Questions
Decision-blocking questions answered directly.
Do I Need Any Experience?
None. This session exists specifically for people who have never breathed underwater. If you are comfortable getting in a pool, you have everything the day requires.
What If I Panic Underwater?
Then we go up, calmly, together. You are within arm's reach of an instructor for the entire dive, and ending the dive early is always an available choice.
Isn't It Cheaper to Just Book a Course?
If you already know you want to dive, yes. This exists for people who do not know yet, and it costs far less than a full course you abandon halfway.
What Does a Try Dive Cost?
Cost depends on the site, the number of people, and whether you add a second dive. Call and I'll give you an exact figure up front.
Does This Count Toward Certification?
It is not a certification by itself. The skills transfer directly into Open Water training, so continuing means starting a step ahead.
Ready to Get in the Water?
Tell me a little about your situation and I will come back to you personally.
