Course overview

Become a PADI Divemaster in Hikkaduwa and earn your first professional rating on Sri Lanka's south coast. Working alongside instructors on the warm house reef and coral gardens, you build the dive-leadership, mapping and supervision skills needed to guide certified divers and assist on courses. You finish certified to work as a dive professional anywhere PADI is recognised.

What you’ll learn

• Lead and supervise certified divers in open water
• Map a dive site and conduct thorough dive briefings
• Demonstrate all 24 dive skills to professional standard
• Assist an instructor with student divers in confined and open water
• Manage dive logistics, risk and emergency procedures
• Use dive-theory knowledge to support and advise other divers

Prerequisites

• Minimum age 18
• PADI Advanced Open Water Diver (or equivalent)
• PADI Rescue Diver (or equivalent)
• Emergency First Response primary and secondary care within 24 months
• At least 40 logged dives to begin and 60 to certify
• Diver medical clearance signed by a physician

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
   Orientation & theory

   Programme briefing, dive-theory study and the role of the divemaster.
2. Day2
   Watermanship & stamina

   Swim, float and tired-diver tow assessments plus equipment-exchange skills.
3. Day3
   Skills workshop

   Polish the 24 demonstration-quality skills to professional standard in confined water.
4. Day4
   Mapping & leading dives

   Create a site map and lead certified divers on Hikkaduwa's reefs.
5. Day5
   Course internship

   Assist an instructor with student divers in confined and open water.
6. Day6
   Assessment & certification

   Final practical assessments, exams and certification as a PADI Divemaster.

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 Hikkaduwa.

Frequently asked questions