The Great Barrier Reef is the perfect ‘classroom’ to complete your PADI Open Water Referral course, Port Douglas. Complete your pool work and PADI eLearning at home so you can concentrate on diving the reef when here. Blue Dive’s team of experienced instructors provide private tuition, helping you successfully complete the training dives and skill requirements for certification. More than that, they will be your personal dive guide, navigating you around the magnificent Agincourt Reefs on your first dives as a certified diver. Blue Dive provide the best PADI Open Water Referral courses in Port Douglas. Locally owned and operated, we’re committed to outstanding customer service and our diving courses are delivered with a focus on safety and fun. Your training dives will be conducted on some of the Great Barrier Reef’s most pristine dive sites, on the edge of Australia’s continental shelf. When you choose us, you’ll receive first class service, 2 full days scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef with all of your tuition, transfers and equipment included in the price. The minimum age to participate is 10 years old. You must have completed your theory and pool sessions prior to arrival and course commencement. Sound good? Let’s dive in …
Our Port Douglas PADI Open Water Referral courses are privately taught. Your dive instructor provides individualised attention to each student, making the learning experience more enjoyable. Ask questions when you want – get the help and advice you need, when you need it. Our private courses are recognised as being ‘the best quality learn to dive PADI course and the best reefs in Port Douglas’ (Trip Advisor, July 2022). We travel to the outer Great Barrier Reef on a modern boat which provides a fast and comfortable ride. Our dive sites and destinations have excellent underwater visibility and coral cover. You will see a multitude of tropical reef fish and marine life, including but not limited to wrasse, cod, trout, trevally, sea turtles, seastars, stingrays and much, much more.
Your Port Douglas PADI Open Water Referral course will be completed on Silversonic over 2 consecutive days. All travel, equipment and a hot and cold buffet lunch and morning and afternoon tea are included.
On successful completion of our PADI open water referral courses Port Douglas, you will be a certified Open Water Diver. This enables you to scuba dive on the Great Barrier Reef and around the world, to the limits and requirements of your certification – which for adults is buddy diving to a maximum depth of 18m. We do require you to complete the necessary PADI eLearning modules and pool sessions, prior to your arrival and course commencement. There is an extra cost for this which is payable direct to PADI. PADI eLearning can be accessed from the banner above this text. Feel free to please email us with your potential dates, so we can explain your options, availability and prices.
The structure of your 2 reef days are similar – with a 7.45am start and 4.30pm end – during which time you’ll complete your training dives and skill tests. Once that is out of the way, you’ll enjoy your first dive/s as a certified diver on the Great Barrier Reef, with your own private guide. Please note there are some specific requirements regarding the PADI eLearning, participant age, swimming abilities, health and medical requirements – scroll down for these. Also, you must bring your completed PADI Referral form signed off within the year and medical clearance if needed (additional details below).
To participate in our Port Douglas learn to dive referral courses, you must have successfully completed the PADI eLearning and pool sessions. PADI eLearning costs $230 (+10% GST for Australian residents) and is charged in addition to our course fee, payable directly to PADI. PADI Open Water Diver Online uses videos, audio, graphics and reading to help you learn, plus short quizzes to gauge your progress, and a review of anything you miss. The program covers various dive skills and safety information. It usually takes between 6-8 hours to complete. You should consult with your local PADI Dive School regarding the pool sessions, costs and requirements. The minimum age for participants is 10 years old – who on successful completion will be certified as Junior Open Water Divers. Those aged 15 years and above will be PADI certified Open Water Divers on successful completion of the course.
There are medical requirements for those wanting to learn to scuba dive on the Great Barrier Reef. By law each Open Water student needs to complete a medical declaration that they are medically healthy or in several very important cases obtain a medical clearance from a physician.
If you need a medical, we strongly encourage you get it in your country/city of origin. Here is the appropriate PADI form that would need completing. Please note active asthma within the last 10 years will probably prevent you from diving. Please see our medical page for further information.
Please Note: The current safety regulations require an 18 hour surface interval between diving and flying. All diving would be completed by 2.30pm, so any flights could be booked for departure anytime after 8.30am on the following day. For more information please visit our medical page.
Blue Dive is passionate about scuba diving and the Great Barrier Reef. When you choose us to complete your PADI Open Water Referral course, you’ll receive individualised instruction by experienced PADI professionals. Cancellations: For peace of mind please take out travel insurance in case you need to cancel your course. Cancellations must be made at least 5 days before your first dive day, in which case you will incur a $100 per booking administration fee to cover costs. Additional cancellation fees apply if cancellation made less than 5 days before your first dive/snorkel day. As a small dive centre – all services and staff are arranged to order – and we require at least 5 days to have a chance to resell the spaces. Please note your credit card may be charged for the balance due.
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