Open Water Diver

The Open Water Diver course at Phantom Training Center runs on a twice-monthly schedule from February through November, typically over a 4-day block (Thursday through Sunday). That cadence means you're not waiting long for the next available date, and you can plan around a specific weekend.

Training happens in the local freshwater lakes of Central Texas — the same waters where PTC runs community events like the annual Polar Plunge at Stillhouse Hollow Lake. It's not tropical, but learning in real lake conditions builds solid fundamentals. Visibility and conditions vary, which means students get comfortable adapting early.

The course is available through SSI, with the option to use GI Bill® reimbursement for veterans. PTC is a dual SSI/SDI center, but the Open Water track under SSI is what feeds into the GI Bill program and connects to SSI's global job locator if you later go professional.

A Mother's Day special runs the Open Water course at $200 — the same course, with a seasonal entry point. That price point is one of the few concrete figures listed on the site.