What to expect
The breakdown of your Open Water Course is:
Online Learning - this takes up to 18 hours and must be completed prior to your Orientation. The great thing about PADI e-Learning is that it can be done in your own schedule, at your own pace! No sitting in a classroom for two whole days learning theory: you can do it at home, the beach, wherever and whenever suits!
Orientation - this is where you’ll meet your Adelaide Scuba Instructor, plus your fellow students. You’ll review what you learnt via e-Learning, talk about your course structure, and you will jump into the pool for your swim tests. The swim tests are a 200-meter continuous swim, followed by a 10-minute float.
Pool Session - Jump into our onsite private heated dive pool: no lane-sharing with swimmers or distractions, just yourself, your classmates, and instructors. We have private showers and changerooms too! You’ll learn skills on scuba and practice these in both the shallow and deep end of the pool until you’re blowing bubbles with ease!
Shore Dives - your class will spend a day in the ocean at Port Noarlunga. You’ll practice all the skills you’ve learnt in the pool with your Instructor, but this time in the beautiful marine protected waters alongside Port Noarlunga Reef!
Boat Dives - Our Open Water Course includes 2 boat dives on the final course day: this means you can dive up to 18 meters in unique sites, plus gain valuable experience for any boat you dive on in the future. Both our dive boats have showers, toilets, snacks and shelter: so you dive in comfort! Boat dives are incredibly fun, and gives you the opportunity to see reefs, wrecks and wildlife off the coast of Adelaide.
Certification - Once you’ve completed all your dives and passed your skill requirements, you will be certified as an Open Water Diver! You’ll receive an E-Card via PADI’s app, which you can take anywhere in the world with you to hire gear, book dive tours, jump on dive boats, and explore the underwater world!
What makes Adelaide Scuba different?
HIRE Gear
For the duration of the course you’ll have access to warm 7mm wetsuits, boots, fins, regulator, BCD, weights and tanks. You’ll learn how to use your scuba equipment in comfort!
Small Class Numbers
This means everyone gets focused attention and students get more time with a Dive Professional if they need extra assistance.
The Team
The Adelaide Scuba squad is a diverse team, coming from many backgrounds and different languages. We pride ourselves on professional, thorough training, and go beyond standards to ensure you leave any course confident and excited about diving!
PRIVATE dive pool
We have a private heated dive pool in-store, meaning no travelling to different facilities to conduct the pool section of your course! Having a private pool guarantees there is no lane-sharing or distractions from other patrons. Plus, being heated it is comfortable every season!
Dive BOATS
Adelaide Scuba has 3 boats on site, each launch from Glenelg North to all the amazing dive sites off Adelaide’s coast! Learning how to conduct yourself on a boat dive, and what to expect, is a great experience and gives you skills that can be used all around the globe.
We conduct boat dives as STANDARD for all Open Water Courses.
Have any more questions? Let us know!
Give us a call on (08) 8294 7744
Or send us an email at [email protected]
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I need to bring any gear myself (for example mask, snorkel, fins and dive boots)?
All gear will be provided by Adelaide Scuba (excluding mask and snorkel). However, we will still teach you about the different types of gear available and to maximize your enjoyment of the experience, we do recommend coming in-store to have a look at our mask range - your dive mask is the most important piece of equipment you will invest in. Feel free to come in and try some on!
What If I fail my dive medical?
It is always best to read through the medical questionnaire first to determine if you need doctor clearance. If you have a known medical condition we encourage you to seek out the medical and gain clearance before you commence your eLearning. A medical clearance by a diving doctor will last for 12 months. The eLearning portion of the course is not refundable and once commenced the course is not refundable by Adelaide Scuba. Please ask our friendly staff if you have any questions about how this process works.
Can I reschedule the course if I cannot complete the online training in time or get my medical in time?
Rescheduling is available for any reason, however there is rescheduling fee of $100 if this is within 14 days of the course start. As soon as your course space is booked with us there is a lot of preparation in place to ensure your gear and Instructor is available. We ask that you please give us as much notice as you can - our courses are scheduled 12 months in advance and can be booked out up to 3 months in advance at some times of the year.
I have a voucher, can I use this for the course cost?
Yes, of course! You can put your voucher towards your Learn To Dive Course, all vouchers redeemed MUST be within the expiry date & will not be extended.
What happens when there is a turn in the weather?
Adelaide Scuba staff monitor the weather forecasts closely all year round and will provide you with as much notice as possible if the conditions look unsafe for scuba diving. Water conditions are not always determined by sunshine but primarily by wind, rain, current and swell. South Australia has a variety of dive sites, which are suitable in varying weather conditions. If the prediction is for unsafe conditions we may have to reschedule the course dives to another time & will discuss this based on student and Instructor availability.
