Making Divers Since 1953

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Started in 1953 by Bill Tant, Southern Skin Divers Supply is the oldest surviving diving business in the South. We were already tradition when our competitors opened shop.

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  We're proud to still be associated with Bill, who is one of the pioneer SCUBA divers and a living legend, not to mention a very good friend of ours (and he's our uncle too). Owned and operated by Steve Phillips, his sons Forrest & Spencer, and Mark Tant, SSDS is truly a family business run by divers. Our new dive center includes over 4800 square feet of classrooms, dive store and an indoor heated 14' deep pool where you can test out equipment before buying. We offer classes all year long, day or night, and provide the best training, largest inventory, and the finest dive facility in the Birmingham metro area.

With owners dive experience ranging from 10 to 35 years in specialties like salvage diving, black-water diving, treasure diving, U/W photography, search & rescue recovery, crime-scene investigation, law enforcement, and SCUBA instruction, SSDS offers experience like no other dive store in the  area.

SSDS is a real, hands-on dive school run by divers and for divers.

If you are not a SCUBA diver now, it's time to get started.

There's no place as good as SSDS. We welcome you.

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Our open water dive course starts with Forrest teaching another classall class & pool training in our new 50' foot long, 14' deep heated indoor pool & includes:

 

Why Buy From An Authorized Dealer??

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Current Trip & SCUBA Class Schedule**

South Carolina  April 25th - 27th Fossil and Artifact Hunting Trip!

(details on the Trips & Travel link below)

Orange Beach Spearfishing May2nd - 4th

2-day flounder & spearfishing trip

(details on the Trips & Travel link below)

Panama City Wreck Diving May16th - 18th Panama City, Fl.

shore & shallow water boat trip for an easy,

entry-level weekend

Bonaire Schools Out Dive Party!

May 31st - June 7th, 2008

Airfare from Atlanta, oceanfront condo, unlimited diving, pickup truck rental and breakfast everyday.

(details on the Trips & Travel link below)

Oriskany Aircraft Carrier June 27th - 29th

Great trip off the coast of Pensacola

(details on the Trips & Travel link below)

Panama City Spearfishing Let us know when you want to go!

This is a trip set up special for our advanced divers as we dive some of the offshore wrecks of Panama City.

Advanced certification IS available on this trip.

(details on the Travel link below)

Enriched Air Nitrox Class Classes Ongoing (call us) Learn how to extend your bottom time with nitrox diving.

(class details below)

Basic Open Water Classes Ongoing (call us) details below
Stress & Rescue Class Classes Ongoing (call us) Class includes 3 classroom sessions and 1 day of open water work. Passport Diver Price $300. Non-member Price $350.
UW Photography Class Call us! Learn more from the best - Mark Tant
Cozumel Soon! Non-stop airfare from Atlanta, oceanfront resort

(details on the Trips & Travel link below)

Hawaii Soon!

 

The big island of Hawaii

(details on the Trips & Travel link below)

Truk Lagoon Soon! Now is the time to sign up for this 12 day trip. See photos from previous trips here

**times & dates for all classes & trips are subject to change, please call us for the latest schedules

CLASS DETAILS

BASIC OPEN WATER

We have a wide variety of classes starting soon for Tuesdays, Thursdays or Saturdays. All include a 30 hour course with 8 pool and classroom sessions, plus 2 days of checkout dives in Florida

ADVANCED OPEN WATER

This course is designed for the newly certified SCUBA diver or any diver that needs more experience.  This is a REAL Advanced certification course with classroom sessions & 5 ocean boat dives.  Once you have completed this you will be a more Advanced diver.  This is an ocean diving course, the dives are not done in a quarry, and all five dives are done from diving vessels.  It introduces the diver to several different diving conditions; boat diving, wreck diving, night diving, deep diving and underwater navigation diving.  The course fees include the classroom session at The SCUBA School, two days of offshore boat diving in the Panama City, Florida area, 2 nights in a hotel (double occupancy), and Advanced SCUBA Certification. 

Southern Skin Divers offers this course bimonthly from April until November every year.  This is also a great way for already advanced divers to do some good wreck diving in the Gulf of Mexico.

Passport Member Advanced Certification price $395 - Non-member student price $450 - *Passport Member tag along price $325

*Must have successfully completed an Advanced Diver Course previously.

STRESS & RESCUE

12 hour course with 1 night classroom session, plus 1 night pool session, plus 1 day boat diving

ENRICHED AIR NITROX COURSE

Topics covered will be assembly and use of the oxygen analyzers, how to analyze Nitrox cylinders, planning Nitrox dives, using Nitrox computers, Nitrox regulators and dive tables. 

A' LA CARTE MENU

For those who do not buy the complete life support package from SSDS

Basic SCUBA Course - $225

Complete audio visual presentations - Unlimited use of pool & air while a student - Use of SCUBA gear for pool sessions (personal gear must be purchased from SSDS, this includes mask, snorkel, fins, booties, & weight system)

Complete set of textbooks (required for each student, no sharing) - $125

Open water dive manual - Diver skills records - Student workbook - 6-month subscription to Dive Training Magazine - SSDS T-shirt and car tag or patch - Zippered deluxe logbook

Checkout dives in Florida - $220 with $50 penalty fee if cancelled or re-schedule

Includes 2 days of diving with 5 instructor-supervised dives in all - Worldwide recognized SCUBA certification card

SCUBA gear rental (Life support must be rented from SSDS for checkout dives) - $60/day

Includes regulator, octopus, gauge, buoyancy compensator jacket & SCUBA tanks

Refresher Course (includes pool sessions  & tanks while using facility) - $150

Audio visual presentations - Classroom session if needed or preferred

 

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Ask about our Passport Program Special!

That covers the basic Open Water class & certifications, as well as 2 days of checkout dives in Florida for only $350!

Want more info?? Email us for details!

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Home - Current Events & Info - Law Enforcement Dive Team - Pool & Class Schedule - Trips & Travel

Alaska Natural Nugget Gold Jewelry - Photos & Links - Executive SCUBA Classes - The Passport Club - Equipment - Try SCUBA Free

Alabama Underwater Cultural Resources Act Page (AUCRAp)    Further Adventures Of The AHC

IMPORTANT NOTICE ABOUT MAIL ORDER AND INTERNET SALES OF OUR PRODUCTS!

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SCUBA, prospecting & metal detector questions or comments go to SSDS

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Southern Skin Divers Supply - 4515 5th Avenue South - Birmingham, AL 35222 - (205) 595-3052

Call for hours - closed Sunday & Monday

Click here for directions and a map

We take Visa, MasterCard & Discover