Somewhere far below sea level, the most fashionable critters in the subsurface world are gracefully strutting their stuff in form-fitting wetsuits with foot-flattering flippers. Grace the coveted underwater runways of exploration with today’s Groupon to Gigglin’ Marlin Divers. Choose between the following options:

• For $349, you get a PADI Open Water Diver certification package (a $708 total value), which includes:
• Open Water Diver course (a $299 value)
• Personal diving equipment, including fins, mask, snorkel, booties, weight and weight belt, and writing slate (a $300 total value)
• Textbooks and materials (a $79 value)

• Daily dive computer rental (a $30 value)<p>

• For $20, you get a Discover Scuba Diving course, including equipment rental (a $50 value).<p>

Open-water dives will be subject to an additional lake fee of $15 per dive day. PADI Open Water Diver certification classes involve two dive days.

Students evolve through three phases during Gigglin’ Marlin’s full PADI Open Water Diver certification course, beginning with a classroom session that covers basic physics and principles of diving. Afterward, flipper-clad acolytes test run skills in confined water spaces, such as pools, lakes, or exceptionally large puddles, before moving on to supervised dives in wide-open waters that grant full certification in the gill-less arts. The personal diving equipment included in the Open Water course is yours to keep and use for future dives. Though not required, instructors recommend supplementing lessons with the PADI Open Water DVD, which is available for rental from Gigglin’ Marlin for a refundable deposit of $40.

Gigglin’ Marlin’s instructors guide students through the Discover Scuba Diving course from the safe, chlorinated depths of a heated practice pool. A brief video or flip chart introduces divers to necessary techniques before they splash beneath the temperate tides, learning firsthand about buoyancy control, breathing underwater, and the funny faces that best benefit from wearing goggles. PADI-certified professionals constantly supervise amateur divers, ensuring safety and personal instruction for each aspiring aquanaut. Skills learned in the Discover course can be used as credit toward official PADI open-water diving certification, a prestigious form of identification required for entry to all undersea discotheques.