Tobermory Certification Weekend 2025

June 13 to 15, 2025

This is a scuba certification weekend for Training Members of the “Learn to Scuba” course, referred to Blue North for NAUI certification. All your dives will be through Blue North Scuba Club with your own NAUI instructors, at Canada’s first National Marine Park, Fathom Five, “The Freshwater Shipwreck Diving Capital of Canada”. Clear water, more than 20 historic shipwrecks, submerged geological formations, cliffs, caves and overhangs offer a variety of underwater experiences.
Photo credit, header: Steve Meggeson.
Certification Information Flyer 2025

What is Blue North Scuba Club?

Blue North Scuba Club was created specifically to provide a variety of open water diving experiences in Ontario for our members and for any university divers and alumni who join Blue North. Your own course instructors will be leading the Open Water Training in Tobermory as qualified NAUI Instructors of Blue North Scuba Club to help you complete your National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) Scuba Diver certification. Blue North is the “preferred dive operator for HHUC”. The two separate clubs work in tandem to provide pool and open water scuba opportunities. Membership in Blue North Scuba Club for 2025 is part of your scuba certification package for additional diving and training opportunities.

NAUI Scuba Certification

Your Blue North NAUI Instructors, Martin and Courtney, will fill you in on the skills and activities leading up to your certification. Tobermory is a unique location for certification dives with great visibility and interesting limestone ledges to explore on your Saturday shore dives at Lighthouse Point. Then on Sunday, you have the good fortune to experience scuba diving from a charter dive boat on some interesting shipwrecks in the area, suitable in depth to your level of experience. You’ll have a chance to practice both shore diving and boat diving entries and exits, buoyancy control and buddy awareness under the watchful eye of your knowledgeable instructors and assistants.

Checklist of Things To Do

  • Registration: Fill in the Certification Profile Form.
  • Payment: The final payment is due on April 30, 2025 ~ $235 by eTransfer to:
    bluenorthscuba@gmail.com
  • Fathom Five Tag: Fill in the Fathom Five Diver Registration form by April 30, 2025.
  • OUC Release: Thanks for completing this.
  • Equipment: Bring your scuba equipment, except tanks. (Note: Tanks are provided in Tobermory.) Your instructors will provide a checklist of scuba gear to bring, suitable for your certification dives.
  • Accommodation: For two nights (Friday and Saturday), shared accommodation to reduce the cost.
  • Transportation: Carpooling is a great option — If you are driving, please offer a ride to your fellow divers on the scuba course WhatsApp. If you need a ride, check the scuba course WhatsApp.

Checklist for the Instructional Team and Assistants
Things to do by May 7, 2025 for the Instructional Team and Assistants
Thanks for volunteering!

Included in the Certification Fees:

  • Tank Rentals,
  • Air fills,
  • Delivery of tanks to the Lighthouse parking lot on Saturday
  • Fathom Five Park Dive Tag (required for all scuba divers by the national park),
  • Picnic lunch on both days,
  • Charter dive boat on Sunday,
  • NAUI Certification Card,
  • NAUI Instructors, qualified in-water assistants, and various on-shore support staff for the weekend,
  • Diving Membership in Blue North Scuba Club for the rest of 2025, which includes easy shore dives, boat dives, continuing education, and additional training opportunities geared to newly certified divers and advanced divers.

Costs that Training Members are responsible for:

  • Accommodation – accommodation of your choosing in the area. Your instructors may have a recommendation. And here are a few ideas.
  • Parking – You must pay for parking at designated parking areas in town and at Lighthouse Point.
  • Dinner – Saturday night with the group at a local restaurant – sample menu
  • Equipment rental or purchase – BCD, Regulator, full wetsuit and weights – Your Instructor will provide you with a complete equipment list.
  • Transportation – Transportation to Tobermory for the weekend. Carpooling is a great option — If you are driving, please offer a ride to your fellow divers on the scuba course WhatsApp. If you need a ride, check the scuba course WhatsApp.
  • Note: You do not have to bring tanks. Tanks and air fills will be provided.

Certification Weekend Dates and Times: June 13-15, 2024. Your instructors will provide info on exact times and locations to meet. On Sunday, the dive shop asks that you arrive at the dock 30-60 minutes prior to the boat departure for briefing and loading gear. Boats leave precisely on time!

Blue North Divemasters / Instructors:

  • Martin Bonert
  • Courtney Gibson

Description:

  • Dives: Your diving includes four certification dives for Training Members including shore dives, boat dives and shipwrecks.
  • Here’s a description of some of the possible dive sites and wrecks suitable for open water certification diving.
  • Lunch: Your training staff will provide a picnic lunch for you on both days as part of your certification package.
  • Dinner on Saturday evening: Everyone is invited to a group dinner at a local restaurant on Saturday. Everyone pays for their own dinner.

Location: Little Tub Harbour, Tobermory, ON.

MAP – See the map of the Tobermory harbours: Big Tub, Little Tub, Lighthouse Point, Divers Den dive shop, “The Tugs” dive site, Fathom Five Visitor Centre, parking. Note: You will pay for parking in town and at the Lighthouse.

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Dive Shop:
Diver’s Den – now called “Adventure Tobermory”
3 Bay Street, Tobermory, ON N0H 2R0
519-596-2363
https://adventuretobermory.com/

Air Fills:
Air fills after the Saturday dive will be taken care of by the dive shop located in Tobermory.

Directions to Tobermory:
From Wiarton, it’s straight up Hwy 6. Use a maps app on your phone such as Google Maps and search the address of your accommodation or the dive shop.

Tourist Sites of Interest to Divers:

St. Edmunds Penninsula Museum: This Museum contains the rudder and propeller from the wreck of The City of Grand Rapids, formerly an elegant passenger steamer that today is one of the popular snorkelling sites in Big Tub harbour.
website
7072 Hwy 6, Tobermory, ON N0H 2R0
(519) 373-7032
Open Saturday and Sunday, 11 am to 4 pm in June

Fathom Five Visitor Centre
website
address & map: 120 Chi sin tib dek Rd.
Video: 16 minutes
Exhibits: 45-60 minutes
Tower climb: 15 minutes – 112 steps!
Hiking Trails: 30 minutes to 2.5 hours

.More touristing ideas

Club Policies
Blue North club policies.