Learn

There is no better place to Learn to Dive than Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. The adventure of learning to dive as well as staying out on the reef for 3 days and 2 nights on one of our premium live aboard vessels is quite unique.

Your course includes 9 dives on some of the best dive sites the Outer Great Barrier Reef has to offer as well as plenty of time to snorkel, relax and really enjoy the reef experience. All this makes this course unmatched for experience and value.

Your 5 Day PADI Learn to Dive Course is broken down into two components – 2 Days of classroom and pool and training and then a 3 day 2 night 9 dive liveaboard dive trip to some of the best Outer Reef dive sites available.

The first two days of your course are spent at our modern training centre learning the theory and practical skills of scuba diving. At the end of day 2 we recommend the option of attending ‘Reef Teach’. ‘Reef Teach’ is a fun and informative marine biology presentation that will greatly enhance your reef experience. (Additional cost)

The next 3 days and 2 nights are spent living on board one of our premium live aboard dive vessels. You’ll have the opportunity to participate in 9 dives on a variety of our 16 exclusive dive sites on the outer Great Barrier Reef. Your first 4 dives will complete your open water certification and then as certified diver you are able to undertake up to 5 more recreational or pleasure dives. One of these dives is a guided night dive! These extra dives will be a highlight of your course and a truly memorable experience.

On the night of your return to Cairns you have the option to join your fellow passengers and the crew for a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

Inclusions

• 9 Dives (4 training dives and 5 pleasure dives – inc one night dive)
• PADI Gold Open Water Certification
• PADI Open Water manual
• Dive Log Book
• 2 Passport Photos
• All dive & snorkelling equipment – includes dive computer, wetsuit and dive torch.
• Dive Insurance
• Corrective lens mask (if required)
• Accommodation transfers (Cairns city & northern beaches)
• All accommodation, meals and bed linen (on board the boat)

Extras

Important Information For Learn to Dive Course Participants continuing on with their dive education. Prior to commencing your Learn to Dive Course you are required to complete the self-assessment Entry Level Student Dive Medical Declaration. A positive response to any question means that there is a pre-existing condition that may affect your safety while diving and you must consult a medical practitioner preferably with experience in diving medicine to obtain a dive medical certificate that states that you are fit to undertake recreational diver training.

To avoid disappointment we suggest that you complete the Student Diver Medical Declaration and if necessary obtain a dive medical from a doctor prior to commencement. (Any costs associated in this process are payable direct to the doctor).

Important Note: Student Diver Medical Declaration and Dive Medical (if required) must be completed within 90 days of commencement of your learn to dive course.

Important Information

The minimum age to learn to dive in Queensland is 12. There is no maximum age. It is a dive course requirement that you be able to swim 200 metres or snorkel 300 metres and tread water/float for 10 minutes. We recommend that you do not fly within 24 hours of diving. This means that the earliest you should fly is 12 pm (midday) on the day after your dive course concludes This course is a nationally recognised training program and is delivered under partnership arrangements with PADI RTO (RTO ID 6729)

The first two days of your course are spent at our modern training centre learning the theory and practical skills of scuba diving. At the end of day 2 we recommend the option of attending ‘Reef Teach’. ‘Reef Teach’ is a fun and informative marine biology presentation that will greatly enhance your reef experience. (Additional cost)

The next 3 days and 2 nights are spent living on board one of our premium live aboard dive vessels. You’ll have the opportunity to participate in 9 dives on a variety of our 16 exclusive dive sites on the outer Great Barrier Reef. Your first 4 dives will complete your open water certification and then as certified diver you are able to undertake up to 5 more recreational or pleasure dives. One of these dives is a guided night dive! These extra dives will be a highlight of your course and a truly memorable experience.

On the night of your return to Cairns you have the option to join your fellow passengers and the crew for a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

Enriched Air (also known as Nitrox) is a nitrogen/oxygen mix that has a greater percentage of oxygen and a lesser percentage of nitrogen in it than normal air which means safer diving and potentially longer bottom times due to reduced nitrogen absorption. Enriched Air diving is ideal when doing multiple dives over multiple days like on our 3 day dive trip.

The Advanced Open Water course is the important first step in continuing your dive education. It is designed to give the newly certified or not so experienced diver added confidence and enjoyment in their diving through additional skills and training. The pre-requisite for this course is a PADI Open Water certificate or equivalent with another training agency.

The combo is run in conjunction with our 3 day 2 night dive trip and consists of theory and training dives. It can all be easily completed onboard as there are no formal classroom or pool training sessions involved with either course. The required theory involves reading the PADI Enriched Air (Nitrox) Course and the Advanced Open Water manuals and completing the relevant knowledge reviews before the five training dives. You will have plenty of free time to work on your knowledge reviews on the initial trip out to the reef.

The trip schedule allows for a total of 11 dives with 5 of these dedicated to training. The remaining 6 are recreational dives for divers to explore and enjoy the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef. The 5 training dives consist of: Deep, Underwater Navigation & Night Dive. The remaining dives are a choice of Underwater Naturalist, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Boat Diving or Underwater Photography.

Pro Dive Cairns has access to 19 outer reef dive sites over four magnificent reefs: Flynn, Thetford, Milln and Pellowe Reef. Diving at different times throughout the day, you will be able to encounter an amazing diversity of marine life including giant clams, sea turtles, stingrays, reef sharks, an incredible variety of tropical fish, spectacular coral formations with consistent underwater visibility. Night diving will introduce a whole new dimension of nocturnal life.

Between dives, relax in comfort onboard one of our three premium Scubapro dive vessels. These purpose-built, liveaboard dive vessels feature air-conditioned twin bunk bed or double bed cabins, spacious decks, WiFi and catered meals. With small passenger numbers, we are able to offer a high-quality, personal experience with dedicated attention from our professional staff.

Departing Cairns every day except Tuesday, the three-day ocean referral course offers a truly memorable and exciting way to fully immerse yourself and experience our magnificent world heritage Great Barrier Reef environment.