Course overview

Try breathing underwater for the first time with the PADI Discover Scuba Diving experience in Cairns, the easiest way to sample the Great Barrier Reef. Under direct instructor supervision you complete basic skills and a guided reef dive to a maximum of 12 metres, no certification or prior experience needed. It is the perfect taster on a day trip to the outer reef among coral gardens, turtles and tropical fish.

What you’ll learn

• Breathe comfortably underwater using scuba equipment
• Equalise your ears and clear water from your mask
• Recover a regulator and breathe from it underwater
• Move and control your position with fins under instructor guidance
• Follow a divemaster or instructor on a guided shallow reef dive

Prerequisites

• No diving experience or swimming certification required
• Minimum age 10
• Reasonable health and comfort in water
• Complete a simple medical questionnaire before diving

What's included · What's not

Probability of sightings · month-by-month

What you're likely to see each month, based on historic operator logs.

Day-by-day itinerary

1. Day1
   Try scuba on the reef

   After a full equipment and safety briefing, practise basic skills in shallow water, then make a guided dive to a maximum of 12 metres on an outer Great Barrier Reef site.

Verified through iDive

Every partner school in the iDive network is vetted on safety, instructor credentials, equipment standards and student feedback. Talk to a iDive dive pro on WhatsApp for current availability and reviews specific to Cairns.

Frequently asked questions