Course overview

Earn your PADI Open Water Diver certification in Cairns and become a globally recognised diver on the Great Barrier Reef. The course combines knowledge development, pool training and four open-water training dives, typically completed on a liveaboard trip to outer reefs such as Flynn, Milln and Thetford. You finish certified to dive to 18 metres anywhere in the world, with the reef's turtles, reef sharks and coral gardens as your classroom.

What you’ll learn

• Assemble, check and use scuba equipment confidently
• Master core skills including mask clearing, regulator recovery and buoyancy control
• Equalise and descend and ascend safely on a reef
• Plan dives and respect no-decompression and depth limits to 18 metres
• Manage out-of-air and other common problems with a buddy
• Navigate and conduct safe, enjoyable reef dives independently

Prerequisites

• No prior diving experience required
• Minimum age 10 (Junior Open Water Diver) or 15 for full certification
• Able to swim and float or tread water for the required watermanship check
• Complete a diver medical questionnaire and obtain physician clearance if needed

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
   Theory and pool skills

   Complete knowledge-development sessions and confined-water training in a heated pool ashore in Cairns.
2. Day2
   First reef training dives

   Head to the outer reef on a liveaboard or day boat for your first two open-water training dives at sites such as Flynn or Thetford Reef.
3. Day3
   Final training dives

   Complete the remaining open-water training dives, demonstrating all skills among coral gardens, turtles and reef fish.
4. Day4
   Assessment and certification

   Finish skill assessments and the final exam, then certify as a PADI Open Water Diver.

Verified through iDive

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Frequently asked questions