Guide · Queensland ·
Learn to dive in Cairns: how to choose a course
This publication shares ownership with PeptaraLabs, Lab Ranked Agency, and Dental Link.
Learn to dive in Cairns by comparing five things before you pay: the number of days, how many dives you get, the class size, the boat and the fees. Nearly every Cairns operator teaches the same PADI Open Water Diver course. What changes is the schedule, the group and the price, so those are the things worth checking.
This guide sets out what the course involves, the main formats on offer this season, and the questions to put to an operator before you book.
Sources for this section: Deep Sea Divers Den, PADI Open Water course page; Pro Dive Cairns, 5 Day and 4 Day Learn to Dive pages.
What the Open Water course involves
The PADI Open Water Diver course is the first scuba card. Deep Sea Divers Den says it has 5 pool sessions, 5 theory sessions and 4 training dives in the sea. The sea dives must be spread over at least 2 days, so the shortest course runs 4 days.
Before you start, you must pass a swim test. Both Divers Den and Pro Dive Cairns ask for a 200 metre swim and 10 minutes of treading water. Pro Dive Cairns also lets you snorkel 300 metres instead of swimming. The minimum age in Queensland is 12. Pro Dive Cairns says there is no maximum age.
With a standard Open Water card you may dive to 18 metres. Divers Den says many of the best reef dives are shallower than 15 metres.
Sources for this section: Deep Sea Divers Den, FAQ and PADI Open Water course page; Pro Dive Cairns, 5 Day Learn to Dive page.
Compare the days and the dives
Most Cairns courses use two days of classroom and pool work, then time on the Outer Reef. The formats differ in how long you stay out there.
| Format | Reef time | Dives | Price from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Divers Den, 4 days, day trips | 2 day trips, home each night | 4 training dives and one fun dive if time allows | A$665 |
| Divers Den, 5 days | 3 days, 2 nights on the OceanQuest liveaboard | 4 training dives and 6 fun dives, one at night | A$955 |
| Pro Dive Cairns, 5 days | 3 days, 2 nights on a liveaboard | 9 dives, 4 training and 5 pleasure, one at night | A$995 |
The prices above are for the season that began on 1 April and include the levies each operator lists. A day-trip course is the cheapest and suits a short stay. The liveaboard courses cost more but give you extra dives once you are certified, which is when many new divers get comfortable.
Sources for this section: Deep Sea Divers Den, 4 Day Trips and 5 Day 2 Night pages; Pro Dive Cairns, 5 Day Learn to Dive page.
Ask about class size and instructors
Class size is not usually printed on booking pages, so ask. Divers Den says PADI sets the maximum, which is 10 students to 1 instructor in the pool and 8 students to 1 instructor in the open water. It adds that courses do not always run full.
Also ask who teaches the sea days. Pro Dive Cairns runs its 4 day course in two parts. The pool days are with Pro Dive, but the 2 days at sea are on a boat run by a separate company, TUSA Dive. It states plainly that you will have different instructors and a different group for the ocean dives. That is fine if you know it, and a surprise if you do not.
Sources for this section: Deep Sea Divers Den, FAQ; Pro Dive Cairns, 4 Day Learn to Dive page.
Check the boat and the time on the reef
The Outer Reef is a long way out. On Divers Den day trips, the boat SeaQuest takes about 90 minutes each way from the Cairns marina. Lunch is included.
On a liveaboard you sleep on the reef, so you skip the daily trip and can add a night dive. Cabins are twin or double with an ensuite on the OceanQuest. If you get seasick, Divers Den suggests a twin hull boat, which tends to be more stable.
Box jellyfish are around from about October to April. Divers Den says it provides stinger suits during the season, so ask whether the price includes one.
Sources for this section: Deep Sea Divers Den, 4 Day Trips page and FAQ.
Agency, medical form and fees
Both operators named here teach PADI. Divers Den says that in most cases it also accepts certified divers from other agencies, so your card will still be useful if you dive with a different group later. Contact the operator first if you hold a non-PADI card.
Every student fills in a medical declaration. If you answer yes to any question, you need a dive medical certificate from a doctor before you can train. Pro Dive Cairns says the form, and any certificate, must be done within 90 days of the course start. Divers Den will refund your course in full if you fail the medical on day 1.
Check the extra charges too. Divers Den lists a A$6.50 per day Environmental Management Charge, plus A$13.50 a day for fuel, port and admin. Pro Dive Cairns asks for a Unique Student Identifier number on day 1 of its 5 day course. Plan to wait 24 hours after your last dive before you fly.
Sources for this section: Deep Sea Divers Den, FAQ, 5 Day 2 Night page and SCUBA Medicals page; Pro Dive Cairns, 5 Day and 4 Day Learn to Dive pages.
Questions to ask before you book
- How many students per instructor in the pool and at sea?
- Is it the same instructor and group for every day?
- How many dives, and how many are training dives?
- What do the levies and charges add to the price?
- What is the cancellation rule? Pro Dive Cairns gives a full refund up to the end of day 1. Divers Den allows a cancellation on day 1 or 2 for a reduced fee.
Prices and schedules change each April, so confirm current terms before you pay.
Sources for this section: Deep Sea Divers Den, FAQ; Pro Dive Cairns, 5 Day and 4 Day Learn to Dive pages.
Sources
- Deep Sea Divers Den, PADI Open Water Diver courses: archived page
- Deep Sea Divers Den, 4 Day Trips: archived page
- Deep Sea Divers Den, 5 Day 2 Night course: archived page
- Deep Sea Divers Den, FAQ: archived page
- Deep Sea Divers Den, SCUBA Medicals: archived page
- Pro Dive Cairns, 5 Day Learn to Dive: archived page
- Pro Dive Cairns, 4 Day Learn to Dive: archived page