St. Lucia Scuba Certification Course

This 3-credit course, KINES 093, provides you with the unique opportunity to gain two NAUI (National Association of Underwater Instructors) scuba certifications in various diving environments, while emphasizing safety and skills under the expert direction of our experienced Penn State instructors.

Combine what you learn in the Penn State classroom with a real-world diving experience in the pristine waters of St. Lucia Island — and gain both the NAUI Scuba Diver (basic) and Advanced NAUI Scuba Diver certifications.

The course will meet for four mandatory classes during the spring 2012 semester at the University Park campus. Dates and times of these classes will be announced later, but they are generally held over several hours in the evening. For a sense of the scope of this class, view the proposed syllabus for the 2012 course.

Following your successful completion of all course work in the class during spring semester, your group will depart on Friday, May 4, 2012, for St. Lucia, where you will explore the underwater diversity and beauty of possibly the world’s last unexploited diving location. In addition to diving, your education will be supplemented with local instructional experiences pertaining to island culture, flora, and more.

All dives in St. Lucia will be counted toward the grade for this course. Additional course work, as outlined in the syllabus, will also count toward your grade.

The St. Lucia Scuba Certification course is offered by Penn State's Department of Kinesiology in the College of Health and Human Development. Students who successfully complete the course will earn 3 credits in KINES 093 (Masters Activity – Sport). KINES 093 a designated General Health and Physical Activity (GHA) course.

Prerequisite: Completion within the last six months of the NAUI basic scuba diver course, KINES 045, or equivalent; attendance in all four mandatory classes at University Park.

Special Note: Students planning on graduating in May CANNOT register for this course because of the close proximity to May graduation.

Class size is limited on a first-come, first-served basis, due to the limitations in St. Lucia.

Staff

Instructor Craig Brown has more than twenty-three years of experience in teaching, conducting, and overseeing certification training. Instructor Paul Rentschler has eight years of experience teaching, conducting, and overseeing  various scuba certification courses in addition to holding several technical diving certifications. Staff assistant Jim Bryant has made more than 300 dives in the Caribbean and has had extensive experience in the St. Lucia area. You will also learn from local instructors experienced in the St. Lucia waters. Captain Michael St. Omer and his staff of instructors, all PADI-certified with countless hours in the local water, place great emphasis on education and safety. You will learn why they are so proud of St. Lucia as a marine resource.