Course overview

Earn a recognised entry-level rating with the PADI Scuba Diver course out of Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. Across a few days you complete the first knowledge sections, confined-water skills and two supervised open-water dives in sheltered Galapagos shallows where sea lions and turtles roam, qualifying you to dive to 12 metres with a PADI professional. It's a flexible stepping stone toward full Open Water certification.

What you’ll learn

• Assemble and use basic scuba equipment confidently
• Breathe, equalise and descend with control
• Clear your mask and recover and clear your regulator
• Maintain neutral buoyancy and fin efficiently
• Plan and complete a guided dive within Scuba Diver limits

Prerequisites

• Minimum age 10 (Junior Scuba Diver)
• No prior certification required
• Basic swimming ability and water comfort
• Diver medical questionnaire completed beforehand

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 & confined water

   Complete the first knowledge sections and confined-water skill practice near Puerto Ayora.
2. Day2
   First open-water dive

   Apply your skills on a supervised open-water dive in a sheltered Santa Cruz bay.
3. Day3
   Second dive & certification

   A second supervised open-water dive, with sea lions and turtles often nearby, completing the Scuba Diver certification.

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 Galapagos.

Frequently asked questions