The Desert Oasis: 4 Huge Benefits of Getting Certified at Lake Pleasant

At 72 Aquatics, our mission is to turn Tucson locals into worldly scuba divers. That journey begins with world-class training, and the final step of that training—your open water certification dives—is a milestone adventure. While we love the allure of a salty ocean getaway and often recommend complete the open water dives in San Carlos, Mexico, there are compelling reasons why completing your certification at Arizona’s own Lake Pleasant is an incredibly smart, skill-building, and convenient choice.

Lake Pleasant is more than just a body of water; it’s a dynamic training ground that forges capable, confident divers. Here are four of the biggest benefits of earning your stripes at our favorite local dive destination.

1. The Ultimate Convenience

This is the most obvious benefit, but it can’t be overstated. Getting to Lake Pleasant is a 2.5 hr drive. It can be a simple weekend road trip, not a complex travel plan involving flights, TSA, and expensive hotels. This means:

• Less Time Off Work: You can complete your certification over a regular weekend without needing to book extra vacation days.
• More Cost-Effective: You save hundreds of dollars on airfare and coastal accommodations, money you can put towards your own dive gear or your first big dive trip!
• The Community Experience: The road trip to the lake is a rite of passage. It builds incredible camaraderie with your fellow students and instructors. The shared experience of camping or staying nearby, the post-dive stories, and the sense of local adventure create friendships that last a lifetime.

2. It Forges “Real-World” Dive Skills

This is the hidden secret of training at Lake Pleasant. Ocean diving in a tropical location is often in warm, crystal-clear water with near-perfect visibility. That’s amazing for vacation, but it doesn’t always challenge you. Lake Pleasant offers variable conditions that force you to become a better, more aware diver from day one.

• Mastering Buoyancy: You’ll learn to control your buoyancy over a silty bottom, a skill that is absolutely critical. Mastering it here means you’ll be effortlessly graceful over delicate coral reefs later.
• Navigating in Variable Visibility: Visibility can range from 5 to 30+ feet. Learning to stay with your buddy, monitor your gauges, and navigate in these conditions builds immense confidence. If you can dive confidently in Lake Pleasant, you’ll feel like a superstar in the clear Caribbean.
• Understanding Thermoclines: You will feel the distinct temperature layers (thermoclines) in the lake. Experiencing this and understanding its effect on your body and gear is a valuable lesson that many warm-water-only divers never learn.

3. A Truly Unique Underwater Landscape

Don’t let anyone tell you lake diving is boring! Lake Pleasant has a fascinating underwater world to explore, especially for new divers. The main dive sites, like “The Cove,” are specifically set up for training and offer more than just an empty bottom. You can expect to see:

• The Old Waddell Dam: Before the new dam was built, the original one was left in place. You can dive along this ghostly, massive structure—a truly unique piece of Arizona history.
• Submerged Canyon Walls: The lake is a flooded canyon system, and you can follow these impressive rock walls down into the depths.
• Purpose-Built Training Platforms: Large platforms have been sunk at various depths, providing the perfect stable environment for demonstrating your skills to your instructor.
• Freshwater Life: Keep an eye out for the lake’s residents! It’s common to see schools of bass, sunfish, and catfish patrolling the depths.

4. A Seamless Transition from Pool to Open Water

Because we train at Lake Pleasant so often, our 72 Aquatics instructors know it like the back of their hand. The transition from our pool in Tucson to the lake is seamless. We use the same high-quality rental gear and the same SSI training standards. This consistency removes stress and allows you to focus purely on applying the skills you’ve already learned in a new and exciting environment.

Completing your certification at Lake Pleasant doesn’t just make you a certified diver; it makes you a well-rounded, adaptable, and confident Arizona diver, ready to take on any ocean in the world.

Ready to take the final step in your underwater journey? Stop by the shop, give us a call, or email us to sign up for your SSI Open Water Diver course today. Your adventure at the lake is waiting!