Want to Try Scuba Diving? What to Expect at a Dive Nerd Experience Scuba Clinic
Britt Chase Sep 13, 2026
So you want to try Scuba Diving? I’m sure the images and emotions that can flash through your mind and travel through your body are all over the place. From brightly colored fish, coral, turtles, to the more intimidating sharks, barracuda, and Titan trigger fish (yes, the last one is the worst). The excitement that builds in your chest, the nervousness in the center of your stomach, the anticipation..
Take a deep breath. We are still on land. The Dive Nerd Outfitters Experience Scuba Clinic is a free opportunity for beginners to try scuba diving in the Orlando area before committing to a full certification course. We’ll fit you with scuba gear, teach you the basics, and take you into a Florida spring where you’ll experience breathing underwater for the first time.
Now give me your hand and we are going to take a giant stride backwards. (Trust me, that’s funny.)
First things first: let’s size you up. Literally, we need your size.
You come into the shop and we fit you into our rental gear. It may seem like a small detail, but ill-fitting gear can be a huge deal once you get into the water.
If something feels awkward or uncomfortable on the surface, it will be magnified ten times over once we get into, and then under, the water.
Once we have the right fit for your gear (and we will bring it with us) then we will see each other the morning of the clinic.
We show and talk you through each piece of your scuba gear, what it does, why it is important, how to use it, and how to correctly assemble your BCD and regulator (second stage) to your tank/air. We then go through the gauges and computer, how to read them, and hand signals universally used to communicate underwater.
Then it is time to get into your wetsuit. The springs are cold, so we highly recommend wearing a wetsuit. On a few occasions we’ve had students who don’t need them. We’ve decided they are mutants and we are just happy to be on the same side.
After all the talking and assembling, it is then time to put it all on and get into the water. We teach you how to inflate your BCD, adjust your mask if needed, properly kick with your fins (not “flippers”…just no), breathe through your regulator, equalize while slowly descending to 6 feet as you officially breathe underwater for the first time.
It’s an odd sensation. Get ready to feel weird about it, initially.
This is where you find out if scuba diving could potentially be for you, or if this is a one-time deal. If you are comfortable to this point, we might move on to a skill or two such as clearing your mask, reaching for your regulator, or buddy breathing.
We will take you around the springs, surface, and check in.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is it.
You’ve officially done your Dive Nerd Experience Scuba Clinic. We walk back to the pavilion and show you how to properly disassemble your gear and answer any and all questions you may have.
Some people fall in love with it immediately and sign up for our Open Water Course that day. Others need some time to assess how they feel and need to perhaps try it again. Both are completely acceptable.
Scuba Diving is a physically and mentally demanding sport requiring you to learn gear, the science of it, as well as how to respond calmly in a foreign environment while paying attention to yourself and your buddy.
Yes, you dive with a buddy. Never alone.
This is also one of the most amazing activities that allows you to see parts of our planet not everyone gets to see. Keep in mind that first experience in the springs is for you to check in with yourself and decide to go forward with official classes or just leave with a fun experience and a cool photo.
Should you decide to move forward with the course, that’s when we also get to talk about all the bright coral and strange fish you will see in the ocean.
Oh yes, the ocean will be next.
I’m getting excited and a little ahead of myself here. (But seriously, just wait until you dive with your first turtle!)
Care to try?
Sign up here and let’s throw you in the water. I’ll be there with you.
Let’s Dive, Nerds!
FAQ
Do I need scuba experience?
No. The Experience Scuba Clinic is designed for beginners who want to try scuba diving.
Why are you offering this experience for Free?
Because we can! Unlike some of the more established shops, we're the new kids on the block. We want to build a community and spend time diving with people we like. We also know that spending hundreds of dollars on a class and equipment is a major investment—especially when you're not even sure scuba diving is for you yet.
The Dive Nerd Outfitters Experience Scuba Clinic lets beginners try scuba in a Florida spring, learn how the equipment works, and experience breathing underwater before deciding whether to move on to a PADI Open Water Diver course.
No strings attached.
Do I need my own scuba gear?
No. Dive Nerd Outfitters fits you for the equipment you'll use during the clinic.
Will I actually breathe underwater?
Yes. You'll learn to breathe through a regulator and descend under instructor supervision.
Do I have to sign up for scuba certification afterward?
No. The clinic is designed to help you decide whether scuba diving is something you'd like to pursue.
What happens if I love it?
Your next step is the PADI Open Water Diver course.