nope, you can do what's called a Resort Dive. It is limited to 50 feet in depth but that is the best depth anyhow because any deeper light starts to diffuse and you lose all the beautiful colors as they become darker. Expect to spend around 250-300 bucks though. I did it when I was 12 and it inspired me to go through the entire certification process. I have been diving for about 11 years now