The first 2 days are the same for all Cairns Dive Centre PADI Liveaboard Referral courses, with the third day for those that wish to complete some additional fun dives as a Certified Diver. This is detailed below.

DAY 1 – LIVEABOARD: It’s an early start today, so wake up on time for your 6.45am pick-up from Cairns city accommodation. You are spending the next two (2) days aboard Cairns Dive Centre’s liveaboard boat (Kangaroo Explorer), so bring your luggage with you, where you will complete the four (4) training dives necessary to complete your course, and even have time for one ‘pleasure’ dive as a certified diver. Transfers to and from the Great Barrier Reef are provided aboard Cairns Dive Centre’s day boat. Your first training dive is this afternoon at 12.30pm: the second is at 4pm. Dinner is served from 6pm. All meals, accommodation and linen on board Kangaroo Explorer is included in the dive course price: bring your own towel and any extra money for beverages from the licensed bar.

DAY 2 – LIVEABOARD: Wake up on the Great Barrier Reef. Your first dive of the day (3rd training dive) is at 6am. Breakfast is served from 7am and then your next dive – your certification dive – is at 8am. You are now a certified diver! The final dive for the day is a ‘pleasure’ dive, which you will make as a certified scuba diver with your dive buddy (and without your instructor), this will be around 11am. Lunch is served and in the afternoon you disembark the liveaboard boat, returning to Cairns on the day boat. You will arrive back into Cairns around 4.45pm. This completes your 2 Day 1 Night PADI Referral Course. If you have chosen the 3 Day 2 Night Liveaboardption, you stay on the boat tonight and have the chance to take a night dive! More information below.

DAY 3 – LIVEABOARD: It’s your first full day of scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef as a certified diver! Last night you may have chosen to take advantage of the night dive, which would have given you a very different perspective on the Great Barrier Reef. Today there is the opportunity to complete three (3) more scuba dives, at different dive locations with your dive buddy (sans the instructor). Dive times and locations will vary, pending weather, but the first dive is usually around 6am, the second at 9am and your final dive of the day will be at 11am. This afternoon, you disembark from the liveaboard boat and return to Cairns on the day boat. You will arrive back into Cairns around 4.45pm. This completes your 3 Day 2 Night Cairns Dive Centre PADI Referral Course.

Please note: You may be required to complete and pass an Australian Dive Medical Certification. Please note that some medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes and heart conditions) will preclude you from learning to dive. For more information, please visit the Dive Medical page.