Learn to Dive in Cairns

Cairns offers a range of Great Barrier Reef dive courses. From trying an Introductory Dive, to completing a Learn To Dive Course, becoming an Advanced Diver and more, you can do it all here, in the sheltered, warm waters of the Coral Sea.

VIEW SELECTED TOURS BELOW:

Pro-Dive Cairns learn to dive course with scuba divers

Pro Dive Cairns: PADI Open Water Dive Course

Learn to dive with one of Cairns' most respected PADI Dive Instruction Centres. 4 and 5 day courses, allowing you to tailor your course to suit your budget & itinerary. PADI Open Water Certification.
Scuba Diver with Red Sea fan

Deep Sea Divers Den: PADI Open Water Dive Course

Enjoy a total of 9 x dives on this 5-Day PADI learn to dive course. 2-days swimming pool and classroom followed by 3-days/2-night liveabaord.
Scuba Diver with Giant Mauri Wrasse Fish

Overnight Liveaboard: PADI Advanced Dive Course 2-DAY/1-NIGHT

Take your scuba diving skills to the next level with an Advanced Open Water Course. Liveaboard trips in 2 day / 1 night and 3 day / 2 night packages, includes most things.
Scuba Divers with Sea Turtle.

Pro Dive: PADI Advanced Dive Course 3-Day/2-Night

Get your PADI Advanced Open Water Certification on this 3 day / 2 night trip. Must already have Open Water Dive License. Includes accommodation, training, meals and more.

Do you need help choosing?

Can't decide? We have personally been on every Cairns reef and diving trip. We can help you choose the best tour, to suit your experience and budget.

Why Learn to Dive in Cairns?

Learning to dive on Cairns’ Great Barrier Reef is amazing! People have been learning to dive here for over 30 years. The usually warm and relatively sheltered waters of the Great Barrier Reef offer a comfortable learning environment for new divers, with the added bonus of seeing some of the greatest marine life diversity, anywhere on earth!

Cairns dive operators are some of the most qualified, experienced and award winning in the world. You can choose between PADI and SSI certification courses, both are available in Cairns.

Cairns learn to dive courses are pretty flexible, and can be tailored to suit most budgets and itineraries. If you have already completed the theory part of your training and just need to complete the open water dives, then referral courses are available. You will need to provide evidence of your early training, then complete the skills component over two day trips to the Great Barrier Reef.

When booking a Learn To Dive Open Water Certification Course there are several options. Courses can be completed over 4 or 5 days, always including 2 days of classroom theory. The 4 day courses allow for theory and training dives, plus one certified dive. The 5 day courses give you one full day of certified leisure dives.

Cairns learn to dive
Open Water courses can be completed on Great Barrier Reef day trips or liveaboard trips. Prices and inclusions vary from operator to operator.

Becoming an Open Water scuba diver means you are certified to dive anywhere in the world. You will be certified to scuba dive to 18m with a buddy and you will have learnt the core skills of safe diving practices. There are some medical requirements, please visit Open Water Courses for more information.

Cairns’ Great Barrier Reef is the perfect training ground for Open Water divers. Its sheltered waters (generally) do not have strong currents and some of the best reef and marine life can be seen in the first 15m. All Cairns learn to dive courses visit the Outer Great Barrier Reef.

Padi and SSI Dive Courses

As a professional PADI and SSI scuba diving training centre, Cairns also offers Advanced and Rescue Diver courses. These courses can be completed on a liveaboard trip to Cairns’ Outer Great Barrier Reef or the Ribbon Reefs and Coral Sea. You need to already have an Open Water certification to book one of these courses.

All Cairns scuba dive courses are run by professional, accredited diving operators and Instructors. Diver safety is paramount and all appropriate precautions are taken: this is one of the safest places in the world to go scuba diving. All dive courses include: tuition, dive manuals, certification cards, equipment and training dives. Multilingual courses and manuals are available and vary from operator to operator.

Cairns Dive Adventures has completed both PADI and SSI Open Water Dive Courses and PADI Advanced Dive courses in Cairns. We are pleased to provide you with unbiased advice on the best course and operator, to suit your needs and budget.

Introductory Diving

If you have never scuba dived before and want to try it out, Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef is the perfect place for you. All Cairns dive boats offer Introductory Diving: no experience necessary. To participate in an introductory dive you will need to complete a medical certificate on the boat (some medical conditions, such as asthma, will prevent you from diving) and participate in the dive introduction and equipment and skills briefing. All equipment is included and introductory dives are guided, going no deeper than 12m (usually less than this). This is a great way to see if you are comfortable under the water and enjoy the scuba diving experience.

Please note: We are not affiliated with any of the boats. We are Cairns locals who love diving and want to make sure any diver who books training in our town has the very best experience they can. This site is built and funded by us. We give unbiased advice and trip reviews, which are designed to give you a thorough overview of the trip and what you can expect to experience. We hope it is informative. We make our income from booking your tours and courses, so if we can be of assistance with bookings, please contact us +61 7 4041 1638 | reservations@cairnsdiveadventures.com

Pro-Dive Cairns learn to dive course with scuba divers

Pro Dive Cairns: PADI Open Water Dive Course

Learn to dive with one of Cairns' most respected PADI Dive Instruction Centres. 4 and 5 day courses, allowing you to tailor your course to suit your budget & itinerary. PADI Open Water Certification.
Scuba Diver with Red Sea fan

Deep Sea Divers Den: PADI Open Water Dive Course

Enjoy a total of 9 x dives on this 5-Day PADI learn to dive course. 2-days swimming pool and classroom followed by 3-days/2-night liveabaord.
Scuba Divers in the new Port Douglas Training Centre

Quicksilver Dive – Learn to Dive Port Douglas

Quicksilver Dive are the newest learn to dive company in Port Douglas. A state of the art dive training centre and day boats visiting the Agincourt Ribbon Reefs!
Scuba Diver Entering Water

Reef Encounter: 3-Day Open Water Learn to Dive Course

The Reef Encounter: 3-Day Open Water Learn to Dive Course is amazing, Why? Forget the swimming pool and classroom training! All confined water dives are completed in the shallow coral gardens of the Great Barrier Reef!
Scuba Divers Prepare to Dive

4-Day PADI Learn to Dive Course (Day Trips to Reef)

Don’t want to learn to dive on an overnight liveaboard? (Are you worried about seasickness or perhaps you have already booked your hotel in Cairns?) The 4-Day PADI Learn to Dive Course with day trips to the reef is for you!
Dive Training Onboard

Sea Quest: 2 Day Open Water Referral

Sea Quest offers a 2 day referral dive course on a comfortable 24-metre catamaran departing Cairns for the Outer Great Barrier Reef. Offering a total of four(4) dives.
Scuba Divers with Anemone fish

Pro Dive Cairns: 3 Day 2 Night Ocean Referral

Pro Dive Cairns Ocean Referral Course offers nine (9) dives in total on the Great Barrier Reef. Book today to complete your PADI Gold Open Water Certification.
Scuba Diver with Giant Mauri Wrasse Fish

Overnight Liveaboard: PADI Advanced Dive Course 2-DAY/1-NIGHT

Take your scuba diving skills to the next level with an Advanced Open Water Course. Liveaboard trips in 2 day / 1 night and 3 day / 2 night packages, includes most things.
Scuba Divers with Sea Turtle.

Pro Dive: PADI Advanced Dive Course 3-Day/2-Night

Get your PADI Advanced Open Water Certification on this 3 day / 2 night trip. Must already have Open Water Dive License. Includes accommodation, training, meals and more.
Scuba Diver with Sea Turtle

Down Under Dive: 2-Day PADI Advanced Dive Course

Down Under Cruise & Dive offer a 2-Day PADI Advanced Dive Course. Enjoy two 1-day trips on the reef! Starts Tuesdays only! All dives are on the Reef!
Training dives under the boat!

2-Day PADI Advanced Dive Course (2 One Day Trips to the Reef)

Short of time? or Have you already booked your Cairns hotel and would just like to do day trips to the reef? This PADI 2-Day Advanced Dive course is for you!

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Cairns learn to dive information

Click the links below to find out more.

Do you need help choosing a trip?

Can't decide? We have personally been on every Cairns reef and diving trip. We can help you choose the best tour, to suit your experience and budget.

Special

FREE UNDERWATER CAMERA HIRE*

Cairns Underwater Camera Hire Service

Spend over $550.00 AUD on your Great Barrier Reef tour with us and receive the latest Digital Underwater Camera Hire. Take amazing High-Resolution images and 1080 HD Video. Only when you book online thru our website. 

Not available for any tours to the Islands as fine white sand damages the seals on the cameras and makes them leak!

You need to come into our shop located on the Cairns Esplanade the day before departure to pick up the camera before 5:30 pm. You also need to supply your own SD Camera Card and drop the camera off back at our shop before 5:30pm.

 

Please Remember there is no other way to collect our cameras! All passengers must come into our shop the day before departure day before 5:30 pm.