PADI Open Water Diver Course
from $399
At Diving Adelaide we work with a progressive pricing system for most of our dive courses! Sign up with one or more friends for the Open Water Diver course and receive a $25 discount per friend, each!
So if you have decided to sign up for a course, make sure you call all your friends first! Not only will this make the course more fun, it also assures you that you are getting the best value for money!
Diving Adelaide is the only dive school in Adelaide providing all the necessary gear to complete the training, so there are no hidden costs as you are not required to bring any gear yourself (SAVE $200-$400)!
- $499 – Standard Course Price
- $474 – Bring 1 friend – SAVE $25 per person!
- $449 – Bring 2 friends – SAVE $50 per person!
- $424 – Bring 3 friends – SAVE $75 per person!
- $399 – Bring 4 friends – SAVE $100 per person!
Start your scuba diving adventures with the friendly and professional PADI diving instructors of Diving Adelaide!
* Open Water Courses in languages other than English attract a $25 (per person) fee
Why choose Diving Adelaide to start your diving adventures?
This is a question we get asked a lot by people who want to take the plunge with us, so we decided to put a short list of the main reasons on our website. This is just the short list, if you would like the longer version, please don’t hesitate to shoot us an e-mail!
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All Gear Included – No Hidden Costs (Diving Adelaide is the only Adelaide based dive shop that provide all the necessary gear for the course).
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Max 5 Students per Instructor (besides the added safety factor, learning in small groups means less waiting around and more personal attention).
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Scubapro School/Rental Gear (the world’s leading scuba gear manufacturer assures your safety on all Diving Adelaide dive courses).
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Genuine PADI Certification only (don’t get stuck on a holiday, your PADI certification card will be recognised worldwide by every dive centre).
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Fun and Passionate Dive Team (our team is dynamic and friendly, but most importantly professional and heaps of fun).
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Lowest Gear Prices (our gear prices are competitive in a global market and on average 20-30% lower than other Adelaide based dive centres).
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Location Close to the City (even though we are only minutes away from the Adelaide CBD, we have plenty of parking both out the front and back)!
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2 Minutes from Tram Stop 6 (you almost walk right into our dive centre when you step out of the tram).
Standard Course Schedule
The Diving Adelaide Open Water Diver Course will prepare you to safely and confidently dive to depths of 18 metres either with a dive professional or just with a buddy! Whether you have always dreamed about being able to breath underwater or just want to have a look beneath the surface to see what the underwater world has to offer, the open water course is the place to start!
The Open Water Diver Course schedule in short:
Home study (10 – 12 hours): Open Water Diver Course E-learning (Theory)
Tuesday evening 6:00PM – 9:00PM: Theory night and gear sizing
Friday evening 5:00PM – 10:00PM: Pool Session – Meet Pool Side 5:00PM
Saturday 9:00AM – 3:30PM: Ocean Dives 1 and 2
Sunday 9:00AM – 4:30PM: Ocean Dives 3 and 4 + Complete paperwork for certification at the shop
What you need to know before you start the course:
– To participate in this course, you have to complete 8 to 10 hours of online theory
– Besides the theory, you have to fill out a medical questionnaire before you start the course to check whether you are fit to dive (see below for more information)
– You need to be able to swim 200 metres in a pool.
– You need to be able to float or tread water for 10 minutes in a pool.
– All equipment is included in the course (Buoyancy vest, regulators, gauges, filled cylinders, weightbelts plus weights, wetsuit, mask, snorkel and fins)
– A minimum age of 14 years applies. Every student under the age of 18 needs to have a parent or a guardian sign a consent form (available from the dive centre). Students younger than 15 years old will attain a Junior Open Water Scuba Diver certification. It is recommended for students under the age of 18 to undergo a Dive Medical examination with a SPUMS dive doctor. Please have a look at http://www.spums.org.au to find a diving doctor close to you.
Start right now! Subscribe for e-Learning!
Where some dive schools still choose to teach the theory side of the learn to dive course in a traditional classroom setting, Diving Adelaide has chosen for the faster, cost-effective way of teaching the theory via online training. To us, the advantages of e-learning are clear:
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E-learning provides a single experience that accomodates the three disctinct styles of auditory learners, visual learners and kinesthetic learners, allowing for more efficient training.
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E-learning is self-paced. Advanced learners are allowed to speed through the theory, while others slow their own progress through content, eliminating frustration with themselves, their fellow learners and the course.
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E-learning has on-demand availability, which allows the student to complete the training conveniently at off-hours or from home (as a student you can log on and off to do parts of the theory as many times as you want) and doesn’t require the student to travel to training location.
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E-learning reduces the overall cost of the Open Water Diver Course for the dive centre, allowing us to lower the price of our learn to dive courses to an affordable level.
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E-Learning reduces the learning time on average by 40 to 60 percent, which means the overall time that you will be spending on the theory will most likely be only half of the time you would have spent in a classroom setting.
Please make sure that you fill out our online Dive Medical Questionnaire before the course, which will tell you whether you are fit to dive or whether you need to get a dive medical done by a diving doctor. If you need to see a doctor, please make sure that you do so before the course on Tuesday as we do not provide refunds for a failed medical after you have attended the Tuesday night session.
Also please make sure that you schedule enough time to complete your online training, as it takes approximately 8 to 10 hours to complete and please make sure that you select the right training for this course (Open Water Diver Course)! The PADI online theory includes an exam, which will be easy to pass after going through the theory.
If that hasn’t convinced you yet, swing by Diving Adelaide for a chat and to have a look around. We’ll happily show you around at the dive centre and walk you through our large classroom, top notch school dive gear and our showroom with globally competitive gear pricing!
Group bookings, private courses or pick your own dates?
If you have a group of 3 or more, you can pick your own dates for the course without paying anything extra! Or if you would like a private course for yourself and your partner or just for you, that’s possible as well! For all group, school and private course bookings, please have a look at our Private Courses and Group Bookings page for all details and pricing! Private courses are a lot more affordable than you might think!
Tuesday night 6:00 – 9:00PM: Time to show us your diving knowledge and try on some gear
Now that you have completed the online training, it’s time to finish a Quick Review. On the Tuesday night before your course, all students get together and do a quick recap of the most important bits and pieces of the theory with an instructor, before we take the Open Water Diver Quick Review. We also do all the gear sizing on this night!
Things to bring:
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A print of proof you have completed your PADI theory which you have received after completing your online training.
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A full stomach and something to drink. As the evening runs until about 9PM, make sure that you have eaten something and bring a bottle of water or something else to drink.
Friday night 5:00 – 10:00PM: Time to breathe underwater and practice skills!
We meet pool side on Friday afternoon at 5:00PM at the pool (usually the Adelaide Aquatic Centre in North Adelaide) for the pool session. During the pool session you will get comfortable with assembling and disassembling your gear, with all diving skills and with all the safety aspects of scuba diving. We practice all this in a (heated) pool first, just to get you used to being able to breath, move and look underwater. Make sure you had something to eat before, since the evening will run from 5:00 to 10 PM.
Things to bring:
- Swimmers and a towel
- A full stomach and plenty of water
Saturday 9:00AM – 4:00PM: Ocean Dives 1 and 2
It’s time to head to the ocean and do your first two ocean dives! You can go straight home after finishing the dives.
Things to bring:
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Swimmers and a towel
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Lunch and Water
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Sunscreen
Sunday 9:00AM – 5:00PM: Ocean Dives 3 and 4
After a good night sleep we meet at the dive site again at 8AM for your last two dives of the PADI Open Water Course! After the dives we’ll be heading back to the dive centre, fill out the rest of the paperwork and log the dives in your brand-new PADI Log & Training Book!
Things to bring:
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Swimmers and a towel
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Lunch and Water
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Sunscreen
Frequently Asked Questions
(click for answers)
”How fit do I have to be to learn to scuba dive?”
We have taught 14 year olds and 70 years old to dive, so don’t think you need to be superfit to participate in the course! Being comfortable in the water, being able to swim 200 metres continuously and being able to tread water for 10 minutes are the only requirements in terms of fitness.
”Where will I be able to dive with my certification? “
Any dive centre around the world will recognise your PADI certification card and will allow you to dive with them. PADI is the largest certification agency in the world with more than 6000 dive centres. Even if you dive with a non-PADI dive centre, they will still recognise your certification.
”Can I reschedule the course if I get sick (including COVID-19), cannot complete the online training in time, need to isolate or for any other reason? “
You can reschedule at any time before or during the course. For each rescheduled participant, we will charge a small rescheduling fee ($99). As soon as a course spot is booked, we reserve lanes in the pool, block a spot on the course and book one or more instructors in for the course. Unfortunately we have to charge the rescheduling fee because of these costs and the fact that you are blocking a spot that in most cases will not be filled by someone else.
”What happens when the weather isn’t looking too good?”
The main thing to remember is that we are going to get wet anyway, so if it rains a little bit that doesn’t matter (you will be nice and warm in your thick wetsuit anyway). However, we are of course dependent on the weather, with the wind and swell being the main factors that determine whether we can go diving or not. If the weather forecast predicts huge swells and high winds, we may have to transfer the course to a different weekend. We will of course notify you beforehand if this is the case!
``Is there a minimum number of participants on each course?``
Yes, the minimum number of participants for us to run a course is two. About 95% of our courses run as planned, as apart from the occasional midweek course in the middle of Winter, it hardly ever happens that we don’t get two bookings on a course.
If we have to cancel a course because of lack of interest, you have the option to reschedule (free of charge of course) or get a full refund of your course fees.
”Will I need to bring any gear myself (for example mask, snorkel and fins)?”
No, all gear will be provided by Diving Adelaide. However, to guarantee perfect fit and the most enjoyable experience, we do recommend coming in store to have a look at our masks, as the mask is the most important piece of equipment!
Booking Terms & Conditions
(click to view)
Terms & Conditions
No shows, cancellations and transfers
- If you cancel your course on or within 7 days of the start date of the course, no refund will be given.
- If you cancel your course 7+ days before the start date, a cancellation fee of $99 will apply and the PADI eLearning portion ($180) of the course will be non-refundable.
- If you fail to attend your course without notification, no refund will be given.
- You may reschedule your course before the course starts at any time and for any reason (including sickness, not completing eLearning in time, COVID-19 related issues such as isolation, etc). A $99 rescheduling fee will apply.
- If you answer ‘yes’ to any of the questions on the dive medical questionnaire, clearance to dive by a SPUMS dive doctor will have to be provided at the start of the course (stating you are fit to dive unconditionally). Failure to do so will result in a $99 rescheduling fee.
- You may transfer the course to someone else at no charge before the start of the course. The PADI eLearning portion ($180) of the course may need to be purchased again if the original participant has registered for PADI eLearning.
- All instructions are provided in English only. You are required to be proficient in English. Other students cannot translate on behalf of your instructor. No translation services can be used.
- If you fail to complete the course during the scheduled times, a $99 rescheduling fee will be payable to complete the course at a later date.
- Failure to adhere to all of the pre-course requirements found on the course overview page (including completion of any online training) will result in cancellation of the course. No refund will be given and rebooking will be at full cost.
- You need to be able to swim at least 200m continuously and tread water for a minimum of 10 minutes. This will be tested at the start of the pool session. Failure to perform these two tests within the allocated time frame will result in course cancellation without refund and rebooking will be at full cost.
- Courses must be completed within 90 days of the original start date.
- Under 18’s must have a parental waiver signed by parent/guardian on or before the start day of the course.
- All fees are per person.
