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Training
Some of the world's best diving is only a short drive away, let's get you certified.
Book Your Training Over The Phone Or In The Shop
Our training is like a well tailored suit, we need to know all about you before we can find the right fit. Review our courses below to find out which is the best fit for your next step and then contact us to get started, we're looking forward to diving with you!
SDI Nitrox Diver Course
Contact us to bookSpend More Time Diving.
Enriched Air Nitrox is one of the simplest ways to get more out of every dive. By reducing the amount of nitrogen you breathe, Nitrox can extend your no-decompression limits on many recreational dives and shorten your required surface intervals between dives.
Whether you're spending a weekend diving local wrecks, heading on vacation, or making multiple dives in a day, Nitrox lets you make the most of your time in the water.
At Eight North, Nitrox certification is included as part of our Open Water Diver course because we believe it's a fundamental skill every diver should have. If you're already certified, this standalone course is the perfect way to add Nitrox to your toolkit.
This half-day course gives you the knowledge and certification needed to safely dive with enriched air. You'll learn how to analyse your own cylinders, calculate your maximum operating depth (MOD), understand oxygen exposure limits, and correctly configure your dive computer before every dive.
At Eight North, we don't treat Nitrox as a specialty gas—we treat it as the standard gas for recreational diving whenever it's appropriate. We blend and bank Nitrox on-site, so once you're certified you'll be able to analyze your cylinder, verify the mix, and head straight for the water.
What You'll Learn
- The benefits and limitations of Enriched Air Nitrox
- Oxygen exposure limits and maximum operating depth
- Analysing and verifying cylinder contents
- Labelling Nitrox cylinders correctly
- Setting your dive computer for the gas you're breathing
- Safe planning and procedures for Nitrox diving
Course Length: 2-3 hours
What's Included:
- Online learning
- Classroom theory and practical
- Certification card
No dives required. This is a dry-land theory course — and that's exactly what makes it so powerful. Nitrox is one of the highest-value certifications you can add to your diving.
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SDI Dry Suit Diver Course
Contact us to bookA drysuit doesn't just keep you warm — it keeps you diving. Longer bottom times, a season that stretches well beyond summer, and the redundant inflation source required for diving doubles. If you're serious about diving in BC year-round, this is the course that opens it all up.
We start in confined open water to build a solid drysuit foundation before venturing deeper on subsequent dives. Your wing stays your primary buoyancy source, but now you're managing two inflation sources — and we'll make sure you're comfortable with both before you know it. It's one of those skills that quickly becomes second nature.
Bring your own suit and we'll set it up with you. Don't own one yet? No problem — a drysuit and premium undergarment are included.
Why dive with us
- Two full days — we don't rush it. You'll finish the course actually comfortable in your suit, not just certified.
- Maximum 3 divers per course — small groups mean more water time, more feedback, and a context-rich debrief after every dive.
- We review the theory with you — e-learning gets you started, but we work through the concepts together so it actually sticks.
- Eight North is a premium dive facility with a community at its core — you're learning alongside serious divers, supported by top-line gear, and welcomed into a shop that takes the sport as seriously as you do.
What's included: E-learning, classroom instruction, confined open water and open water dives, SDI certification, breathing gas, drysuit rental, and premium undergarment.
What's not included: Transportation to and from dive sites
Payment: A 50% deposit is required to secure your spot at the time of booking. The remaining 50% is due in full prior to the start of the course. You can also choose to pay the full course amount when booking.
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Missing a Piece?
We sell equipment that makes your courses and the years after more safe and enjoyable. Shop for components and core pieces that work for every level of diver.
SDI Open Water Scuba Diver Course
Contact us to bookMost adventure sports have a learning curve — but at least you've ridden a bike before your first mountain bike lesson. Scuba diving is different. When you sign up for your Open Water course, you're stepping into a completely new world with no frame of reference. That's both exciting and a little daunting, and it's exactly why how you learn matters so much.
Open Water certification is your entry point into recreational scuba diving. It qualifies you to dive to 18 metres with a certified buddy, anywhere in the world. But a certification card is only as good as the skills behind it — and that's where we focus our energy.
How Scuba Compares
Unlike most adventure sports, scuba diving requires you to manage your buoyancy, breathing, equipment, and awareness simultaneously — all in an environment your body wasn't designed for. The upside? Once those skills click, diving becomes one of the most peaceful, rewarding experiences you can have. The learning curve is real, but so is the payoff.
How We Teach It
How you learn to dive matters. The habits and skills you build in your first course stay with you long after you earn your certification. That's why we don't believe in rushing students through a weekend course or teaching the bare minimum needed to earn a certification card.
At Eight North, we take the time to build solid divers.
Over five days, you'll learn the knowledge and in-water skills needed to dive safely and confidently with a buddy. More importantly, you'll develop the buoyancy, trim, awareness, and problem-solving skills that make diving feel natural, not stressful.
From day one, you'll train in a backplate and wing, complete your Nitrox certification, and learn in a drysuit. We teach this equipment because we believe it's the best platform for learning and one you won't outgrow as your diving progresses.
Our approach is based on the DIR philosophy: keeping equipment simple, diving as a team, and building strong fundamental skills before moving on to anything more advanced. Whether you stay a recreational diver or eventually move into advanced levels of diving, you'll have a solid foundation to build from.
Classes are kept small so you get plenty of time in the water and individual coaching throughout the course. We certify students when they've demonstrated the required skills, not simply because the course is over.
What's Included
Everything you need for the duration of the course is provided — just show up ready to dive.
- Open Water Diver certification
- Nitrox certification
- Drysuit certification
- All online learning materials
- Premium rental equipment for every session — drysuit, backplate and wing, and regulators
- All breathing gas
Learning Ratio: Three students per instructor maximum
Private Course: One-on-one instruction tailored to your schedule and goals.
There are plenty of ways to get certified. Our goal isn't to be the fastest or the cheapest — it's to give you the skills and confidence to enjoy diving for years to come.
What's not included: Transportation to and from dive sites.
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Frequently asked questions
Still looking for an answer?
Do I need to be a strong swimmer to get certified?
No. You need to be comfortable in the water, not fast in it. Every course starts with a basic swim and float assessment, and if you can move through the water without panicking, you're already qualified to start. The drysuit and cold water are the real learning curve here, not your front crawl.
Why does Open Water take 5 days here, when some places offer it in 3?
Because it's important to us that you leave with skills that hold up on a real dive than a card that says you showed up. Courses are priced and scheduled per training day, and certification comes once you've actually met the standard, not on a fixed clock. Most of that extra time goes into drysuit training, since nearly every dive on this coast is done in one, and it's a skill worth taking seriously before you're relying on it 40 feet down in genuinely cold water.
Is there a medical form I need to fill out?
Yes, along with a liability release, and both need to be reviewed before you pay a deposit. If anything on the medical questionnaire flags a concern, you'll need physician sign-off before you're in the water. It's a quick step, and it's the kind of thing you want out of the way early rather than the morning of your first dive.
What's included in the course price, and what costs extra?
The training day rate covers your instructor, classroom, pool time, E-learning, and breathing gas. Gear rental, charter fees, and transportation to dive sites are billed separately. We quote all of it up front when you book, so there's no guessing at checkout.
Do I need to own my gear, or is it provided?
Rental is available for every course, singles, doubles, drysuits, the works, but it's billed on top of the training rate rather than baked in. If you're planning to dive regularly, it's worth asking us about gear early. Getting fitted and comfortable in your own kit before your course starts makes the whole week easier.
What happens if the weather or water turns bad on a training day?
We adjust the site, change the plan, or reschedule, in that order, and safety decides which. Vancouver Island diving means planning around wind, swell, and current more than most places, and pushing through a bad call isn't worth what it costs you. We'll talk you through it in the moment rather than leaving you guessing.