About us
We are a bunch of fun loving divers who lover to get together to dive, have fun, drink, and involve ourselves in dive related activities. Join the group to meet other divers like yourself.
Not a diver yet? We can help you arrange classes.
The club holds happy hours in the Washington DC, Northern Virginia, Baltimore, and Annapolis areas. We also do local diving on the weekend and arrange national and international dive trips.
Share you dive photos and if you have a dive event in mind, let us know and we'll get the trip rolling. See you in the Water!
Upcoming events
3
Local Dive Weekend; Underwater Pumpkin Carving
Lake Phoenix Scuba Park, 1 Quarry Ln, Rawlings, VA 23876, USA, Rawlings, VA, USWe will have 2 things going on this weekend: (Zombie Apocalypse is on the 31st)
1) Local Fun Dive Weekend.
Officially starting on Saturday Morning, but I will get there late Friday afternoon to set up camp. You can choose to come down for Saturday only, Sunday only, or come down on Friday afternoon. If camping is not your thing, you can stay at a hotel 30 minutes away, or make a day trip out of it. People can dive as many dives as they care to.You can also choose to bring you own food and throw it on the grill, or I can cook for you. I'll have a menu and costs later.
2) Underwater Pumpkin Carving Contest
This event is run by Aquatic Adventures Scuba Academy, and you will have to register through their site. I'll post the link when it goes up. Cost of the event includes entrance to the park and lunch, so well worth it.How it Works
You must supply your own pumpkin and suitable (but safe) carving knife. Clean out all seeds before hand, but leave the pumpkin shell uncarved. Carving will commence on the bottom during the second dive. Prizes will be awarded for the best-looking results.Costumes are optional but there will be a prize for the most imaginative one. Your costume must not interfere in any way with safe diving.
Click here to Register with Aquatic Adventures for the Underwater Pumpkin Carving Contest
Additional Details:
- I will be taking a group roster, so please let me know if you are coming or not.
- If this is your first trip to Lake Phoenix this year, please make sure to watch that video before you get there.
- If you are camping at the lake for the first time, please watch that video before you arrive
- You will pay the Lake directly when you get there for entrance, air/nitrox (if you don't bring your own tank)
- Let me know your schedule either through the app or at RockTheDiver@gmail.com
- If you have any questions, email me. Please don't use the chat on this app for questions. I don't always see them.
- I plan to have a pavilion near Aquatic Adventures. Please set up in our pavilion. I'll let you know which that is.
2 attendees
Zombie Apocalypse Diver Certification
Lake Phoenix Scuba Park, Family Campgrounds & Paintball, 1 Quarry Ln, Rawlings, VA, USPicture this:
You have just arrived at your island paradise. You landed
three hours late, your airline lost the luggage and the bar is closed. How could this vacation get any worse? You ask yourself quietly. Then suddenly you have your answer: Zombies!The Zombie Apocalypse has happened and hordes of the walking dead are aimlessly moving about. Your vacation was an inconvenience , now it is a disaster. Zombies are approaching fast and looking for their next meal: You.
Searching for any means of escape you can find it dawns on you....you have the most sought after SCUBA certification in the world, you are a certified Zombie Apocalypse Diver!
How will this story end?
That is up to you! Will you become another member of the zombie hoard or will you be able to survive the apocalypse alive and well? 98% of divers feel they are unprepared for a zombie apocalypse according to
a recent survey we created and then falsified. To answer this incredibly high demand, we created a fun and challenging dive course to allow divers of all levels a chance to hone their skills for an impending apocalypse. If you've been diving for years, or are brand new then this course has something for you.Each student will be given a copy of the Zombie Apocalypse Diver Student Manual and Survival Guide. This book won the highly coveted Pulitzer Prize*. Successful completion of the course will entitle each student to a Zombie Apocalypse Diver
Once you get in the water it’s your turn to hone your Zombie Apocalypse survival skills. During our Zombie Open Water dives, we utilize skills from several other PADI Specialties
Yes, this is an actual PADI course and you get an an actual PADI certification card at the end of the course.
The club will be down at Lake Phoenix for the weekend, and on Saturday, you will break off and do this course while the rest of the club does a fun dive. You should be done early enough to participate on the pumpkin carving contest (but that is not a hard and fast guarantee...just have to be flexible)
### What You’ll Learn
Zombie Apocalypse Diver focuses on skill integration, not checkbox drills. You will think, communicate, and adapt while maintaining solid fundamentals
You will practice:
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Maintaining buoyancy while managing distractions
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Navigation in low-visibility, high-task environments
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Search and recovery techniques
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Team communication under pressure
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Problem solving when dives do not go as planned
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Staying calm and effective when things get chaotic
Every scenario is intentional.
Every skill has a purpose.We do two (2) open water dives and cover such skills as:
- Zombie infectious material recovery
- Underwater zombie observation and (photographic) documentation
- Underwater navigation through (almost certainly) zombie infested waters
- Underwater communication with zombie-signs
- Underwater defense using the latest anti-zombie defensive technology
- Underwater zombie victim assistance & above water first aid
Upon successful completion of the course: A plethora, yes a plethora, of
accolades will be bestowed upon the diver, including getting your logbook stamped with the most sought after logbook stamp in the non-infected world!Note: If you become infected during class your PIC card for class will feature your zombie photo! (This is with special permission from PADI)
You get your PADI certification card which clearly states that you hold the rank of Zombie Apocalypse Diver! Not that anyone will check your C-card after the world ends.
More Course Info:
Yes, this is a real certification, from PADI, and it can be used as a cert towards your Master Diver certification.
The Washington Area Scuba Club is bringing in specialty instructor Frank Lewis of Dive With Frank fame to teach this course. Anyone who wishes to take the class should register on this site, but also register and pay for the course at https://divewithfrank.wetravel.com/trips/the-original-padi-zombie-apocalypse-diver-dive-with-frank-3688384144
You will pay Frank directly for the course as the club is not a certified to train, nor does it offer certification training directly.
## What’s included
- ZAD Training Manual
- Open Water Zombie Dives
(2) - PADI ZAD PIC Card
- Instructor-Led Training
Fully supervised, immersive mission-style training led by Dive With Frank. - Scenario-Based Training
Yes, it’s fun. It’s also intentionally challenging and skill-driven. - A Whole Lotta Fun!
## What’s not included
- Equipment/Personal Dive Gear
- Tanks/Air
- Weights
- Entrance To Lake Phoenix
- Camping (register with the club on the other event for the camping)
- Lunch and other meals (unless camping with the club)
Prerequisite is Open Water/Jr. Open Water
Minimum Age: 12
Max Depth: 40 FeetClassroom: There will most likely be a classroom session via zoom. Frank will provide that information after you have registered.
Cost: $299
Washington Area Scuba Club Discount: $100
(pay by check)
Club Cost $199Find out more info about the certification and to view pictures, go to https://zombie.divewithfrank.com
Click Here to sign up for the Zombie Apocalypse Certification Class
This event will be in conjunction with other events that the club will be doing this weekend such as camping and other diving. We are awaiting information on the Pumpkin Carving Contest through Aquatic Adventures. too. If you plan to participate in the other events, please sing up for them also as they get posted.
There will be a lot of activities, so come on down.
2 attendees-
- $500.00
Belize Aggressor III (Liveaboard) Dive Trip aka a Dive Cruise)
Fort George Hotel & Spa, 2 Marine Parade Blvd, Belize City, BZThe club did this trip in 2024 and everyone agreed that it was some of the best diving they had seen in the Caribbean, so we are going back. We saw sharks on almost every dive, lots of fish, sea horses, etc. We even did a dive in the iconic Blue Hole, which allows you to dive to the recreational max of 130 ft.
Snapshot:
- Diving begins Sunday morning & ends Friday around noon when the yachts returns to port.
- Average of up to 27 dives, including 4 daytime dives and one night dive on most days.
- Depth Range: 25 – 130 ft (8m – 40m)…Yes, weather permitting, you have the chance to dive to the recreation max at the famous Belize Blue Hole.
- All dives are from the yacht.
- 3mm wetsuit recommended
- Water temperatures 78 - 80 F.
- By yourself? No problem. You will not be charged a single supplement unless you want a room to yourself.
A 15 ft. x 4 ft. tender can take guests for optional shore excursions during the week.
Included: All meals (excluding Friday Evening Dinner), snacks, non-alcoholic beverages, local beer, wine, all tanks, weights, weight belt, and air refills (excluding Nitrox, which is an add on of $100)
Charter does not include: insurance, equipment rentals, Nitrox fills, certification and/or specialty courses, hotel stays/day rooms, dinner on final evening, crew gratuity, port/park fees, taxes, or fuel surcharge (when applicable).
Charter does not include air fare, but I will be working on getting group bookings.
Costs and Payments:
Base Cost of the Aggressor is $3,695.00.
Early Bird Discount of $400 for reservation and full payment by 8/20/26 for a total discounted cost of $3,295.00
After 8/20/95 there is a regular club discount of $300 for a total of $3,395.00A $500 deposit will be required to reserve your space. Full payment is due to Aggressor 90 days out, so I'll require full payment by 8/20/26 in order to allow for funds to clear prior to payment to Aggressor, and I'll send an invoice through Quickbooks to collect that. Payment can be made by credit card, cash app, or check. Charges for credit card or cash app will be added to the cost.
After 8/20/26, full payment will be required at the time of booking and an invoice will be sent immediately.
For more info, join an info session, catch me at a Deco Stop (Happy Hour), or contact me either at RockTheDiver@gmail.com or 703-801-3154.
The Yacht: The Belize Aggressor III is 110 ft long with a 22 ft beam. It has 9 staterooms & staff of 6. This boat is equipped with a hot tub on the upper deck.
Diving: @ Turneffe and Lighthouse Reefs. Sheer walls like Painted Wall, Half Moon Caye Wall and Quebrada are adorned with huge crimson gorgonians and wandering, lilac rope sponges. Weather permitting; divers explore the mystical Blue Hole, a collapsed freshwater cave system.
Opportunity for five dives per day (2 on the last day) including night dives. All diving should be within the limits and standards of your certification. No decompression dives.Itinerary: Diving begins Sunday morning and ends Friday before lunch when the yachts return to port. Saturday morning at 8:00 am, guests are transferred to the Belize Airport or a local hotel. Throughout the week there will be opportunities to go ashore for swimming, snorkeling and beach combing.
Diving Amenities: Diving amenities include individual dive lockers, camera table with low-pressure air hoses, and two hot, freshwater showers.
Diving Conditions: Winter Water Temp averages 78 - 80 °F. A 1-3mm wetsuit or shorty is recommended. If you get cold easily you might want a 5 mm or a 3 mm plus a vest.
RENTAL DIVE EQUIPMENT A full line of Aqualung rental gear is available onboard including regulators, BCs, dive computers, and lights. If any of your dive equipment fails while onboard, the staff will loan you equipment free of charge.
Cabins: Most cabins have a double bed lower and a twin bed upper. Cabin #1 has 2 twin beds. All cabins have a window except Cabin #1. All cabins have a private bathroom. All pricing is for 2 people to a cabin. Traveling solo, the club or Aggressor will try to pair you with someone, which will lock in your double rate even if no pair is found. If you want a cabin by yourself, you can pay the single supplement rate.
Link to Yacht: https://www.aggressor.com/destination/Belize
Getting There: Fly into Belize City. The Aggressor will pick us up from the airport & take us to the ship. Couldn’t be easier.
Passport & other requirements: Passport that is valid for 6 months past the cruise, so June 12. Not a Passport Card, or a Real ID Driver’s license. A full book Passport, and it must have blank pages. No visa is required.
C-Card: Bring your certification cards. Only have electronic ones? Download them to your phone.
Certifications: You can dive with Open Water, but you will get more out of the trip if you are Advanced Open Water and have a Nitrox Certification. Deep Cert is also nice to have, but it will only be helpful for 1 dive (the Blue Hole). Talk to me if you are interested in getting any additional certifications on or before the trip and I can help you get schedule with either the Aggressor or a local dive shop.
Insurance: While we are not expecting any issues, it is good to have a membership with the Diver’s Alert Network (DAN) membership & accident insurance. Since we are traveling during Hurricane Season, it may be prudent to have DAN Trip Insurance also. You can sign up for any of that through these links below. Feel free to email me directly or catch me at a Deco Stop/Happy Hour if you want to talk more about these.
DAN Membership: https://apps.dan.org/join-dan/?rc=3183259
DAN Trip Insurance: https://dan.org/partner/3183259/trip6 attendees
Past events
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