Product Name:
Reef Encounter: 3-Day Open Water Learn to Dive Course
FROM: $1,195.00
3-Day SSI Open Water Learn to Dive Course. Wake up and go to sleep on the reef, there is no need to spend two days on land finishing your swimming pool and classroom training, this entire course is completed on the Great Barrier Reef.
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$1,195.00
All Prices in Australian Dollars.
Camera Special
*FREE UNDERWATER CAMERA HIRE
Book this trip with us, you must spend over $550.00 AUD to receive our 1 x Free Cairns Underwater Camera Hire. Only when you book online thru our website. You must come into our Cairns Esplanade Shop to pick up the camera the day before departure day before 5:30 pm. You also need to supply your own SD Card. Reserve your camera today!
*Not valid for any tours visiting the islands. Fine white sand damages the seals on the cameras and makes them leak!
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.
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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.
Product Name:
Reef Encounter: 3-Day Open Water Learn to Dive Course
Tour Type: Open Water Learn to Dive Course | Operates: Daily | Departs: 8:00 am | Returns: 4:30 pm | Transfers: No, Make Own Way
HIGHLIGHTS:
3-Day SSI Open Water Learn to Dive Course. Wake up and go to sleep on the reef, there is no need to spend two days on land finishing your swimming pool and classroom training, this entire course is completed on the Great Barrier Reef.
| AVAILABLE ON THIS TOUR: | |
|---|---|
| 3-Day Learn to Dive Course: Yes | Includes All Dive Gear: Yes, BCD, Regs, Dive Computer |
| Meals: Yes, Chef Prepared Meals | Online E-Learning Yes, to be completed before departure. |
| TWIN Share Rooms Yes | SSI Open Water Certificiation Yes, Max Depth 18 Meters |
| Wetsuit Hire: Yes, $5 per day | Reef Sites: Norman, Saxon, Hastings Reefs |
You can also book a 3-Day/2-Night SSI Advanced Adventure Dive Course (option for ‘certified diving’ persons) on this boat! Please see the price list below:
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! It’s true, the shallow coral gardens are your giant swimming pool! Once you have completed the 4 confined water training dives in the shallow coral gardens of the reef, you can then finish the 4 ocean training dives on the outer reefs!
This course starts and finishes on the liveaboard dive boat Reef Encounter. Join the 3-day/2-Night liveaboard and spend all of your time on Norman, Saxon, and Hastings Reef systems. Beautiful diving in shallow coral gardens with many different species of soft and hard corals. Easy gentle sloping walls, with wonderful marine life. Wake up and go to sleep on the reef, there is no need to spend two days on land finishing your swimming pool and classroom training, this entire course is completed on the Great Barrier Reef.
The SSI Open Water Diver certification allows you to scuba dive, to a maximum depth of 18 meters anywhere in the World. Did you know SSI is a global leader in scuba diving education? SSI Dive centers are found at some of the best dive locations all around the world. Did you know both PADI and SSI recognize each other’s certifications? This means you can scuba dive at any PADI dive center too!
In this learn to dive course you will receive an email to login into the SSI online e-learning module. This needs to be completed before arriving on the boat. The boat trip is a 3-day/2-night liveaboard that includes all chef-prepared meals, full dive gear, and all bed linen. Bedrooms have 2 x single beds with private bathrooms. Wetsuits are only $5 per day to hire.
Once completed this 3-Day Open Water Learn to Dive Course gives you the SSI Open Water Diver Certification. See the price table below to book this course.
Optional Extra 3-Day/2-Night SSI Advanced Adventure Dive Course (option for ‘certified diving’ persons) this course includes 5 specialty training dives with an instructor. (Please note you need to have already completed your Open Water Learn to Dive Course with either PADI or SSI before you can do the SSI Advanced Dive Course). The course includes a total of 9 x dives including 2 x night dives.
There are three mandatory specialty dives for the SSI Advanced Dive Course:
- Navigation
- Night Dive
- Deep Dive
You can then choose two specialty dives from the list below:
- Boat Dive
- Perfect Buoyancy
- Fish ID
- Nitrox Introduction
- Search & Recovery
Please note: Reef Encounter has a $100 surcharge per person for travel on X-mass Day 25th DEC. If you select Travel Date 25th DEC the price will add $100 per person. There is also a $100 surcharge on all other public holidays.
All prices in Australian Dollars:
| CHOOSE OPTION | PRICE | DIVES |
|---|---|---|
OPEN WATER DIVE COURSE: | - | |
| Personalized Open Water Dive Course 3-Day/2-Night TWIN Bed Stateroom Includes 7 x Day Dives | $1,195.00 | 7 |
ADVANCED ADVENTURE DIVE COURSE: | - | |
| 3 Day/2 Night - Stateroom + (SSI Advanced Adventure Dive Course) | $1,205.00 | 9 |
| 3 Day/2 Night - Stateroom + (SSI Advanced Adventure Dive Course + Nitrox Course) | $1,480.00 | 9 |
Itinerary:
Check-in is on the day boat Reef Experience which is located on A-Finger Marlin Marina Cairns at 7:30 am. Reef Experience will take you over to the mother ship Reef Encounter. Hot cooked breakfast is served onboard before Reef Experience departs at 8:00 am. Travel time is just over 1 hour and 20 minutes to arrive at Norman, Saxon, and Hastings Reefs.
This course includes a total of 7 x day dives completed over the 3-Days at sea. Once onboard Reef Encounter you will be allocated rooms either TWIN share rooms or if you are a couple and have booked the DOUBLE bedrooms. All rooms have their own private en-suite bathrooms.
Meals are prepared in the galley by the onboard chef, please let the crew know if you have any food allergies or requirements. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Morning and Afternoon Tea are provided daily.
On the last day, you will dock back in Cairns at 4:30 pm. Remember the SSI recommendation to allow up to 24 hours after diving before flying.
Diving:
All dives are completed on the Great Barrier Reef. Enjoy diving over beautiful coral gardens filled with hundreds of different species of soft and hard corals.
The dive course requires you to complete the online E-learning before departing on the boat for the 3-Day/2-Night liveaboard. You will complete all your confined training dives up in the shallows of the coral gardens of the Great Barrier Reef. You will then finish your deeper Open Water Dives to then be certified SSI open water divers.
The trip includes full dive gear like snorkel, fins, mask, lycra suit, BCD, regulators, and dive computer. Wetsuits you can hire on the boat for $5 per day. Once you are certified all certified dives are unguided this gives you the freedom to buddy up with another certified diver on the boat, perfect for exploring the great barrier reef. But you can still get a dive guide if you wish they do charge $15 per dive per person. Just talk to the crew on the boat to arrange this.
Remember to try any form of scuba diving you must be medically fit with no asthma and not be taking any prescription medication. SSI (Scuba Schools Internation) recommends allowing up to 24 hours after diving before flying in an airplane. Please note Reef Encounter has a strict no-refund policy on any dives not completed for any reason, also please note if you are over the age of 45 years you will need the Australian Standards A.S. 4005.1 Dive Medical. Please contact you local GP to arrange this before traveling on the boat.
Snorkeling:
Yes once you have completed your dives there is plenty of time to relax and snorkel on the reef. There is also a hot tub up on the front deck of the boat. Talk to the crew to set this up so you can relax.
Customer Reviews:
CUSTOMER TOUR REVIEWS & FEEDBACK
Customer reviews are written by our customers using our 1 x FREE Digital Underwater Camera Hire Service. Remember to collect our camera you do need to come into our shop the day before departure day before 5:30 pm to pick up the camera. You also need to supply your own SD camera card.
By: Daniel Bierbaum
Staff Service - 5 out of 5
Reef Quality - 5 out of 5
Vaue For Money - 5 out of 5
Overall Rating - 5 out of 5
Travelled on: 07/06/2022
I came to Cairns to get myself a Open Water Divers license. After checking with Clint on the possibilities, I’ve decided to go to Reef Encounter, because you can complete the theory at home on your mobile phone and then do the practice out in the worlds biggest swimming pool - right in the great barrier reef! I’ve booked a 3 day/2 night liveaboard tour,
Full Reviews:
CAIRNS DIVE ADVENTURES TRIP REVIEWS:
Here you will find our dive trip reviews. Our staff have completed over 700 dives on the Great Barrier Reef. We love our scuba diving and we love to write reviews on what you can expect to see and do on a dive trip. See our full range of Cairns Dive Adventures trip reviews.
Reef Encounter 2-Day/1-Night Trip Review!
By Clint |
Wow, just magnificent! We spent two days and one night on the magnificent liveaboard dive boat Reef Encounter. This really is a wonderful way to spend some time diving on the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns. It really gives you the time you need to explore this magical part of the World. Don't take our...
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Remember to try any form of scuba diving everyone needs to be medically fit with no asthma and not be taking any prescription medication. PADI recommends allowing up to 24 hours after diving before flying in an airplane. Some tour operators have a no refund policy for any dives not completed for whatever reason. Please note the art of freediving is not permitted on any of the day boats or liveaboard dive boats from Cairns & Port Douglas. With the high instances of (shallow water blackout) companies do not allow this for safety reasons. It is highly recommended that passengers take out full comprehensive travel insurance for all tours and travel arrangements.
Do you have Medical Issues:
Please note if you have any medical issues you will need to go see your local GP where you live and get them to write you a letter on the practice letterhead signed and dated by your doctor that you are “Fit to dive” If you have one of these letters then all dive companies in Cairns will take you diving. Please note these letters are only valid for three months from their date of issue.
Remember to try any form of scuba diving you must be medically fit with no asthma and not be taking any prescription medication. SSI (Scuba Schools International) recommends allowing up to 24 hours after diving before flying in an airplane. Please note Reef Encounter has a strict no-refund policy on any dives not completed for any reason, also please note if you are over the age of 45 years you will need the Australian Standards A.S. 4005.1 Dive Medical. Please contact you local GP to arrange this before traveling on the boat.
Trip Cancelations and date changes. Please note Reef Encounter has a strict 30-day cancelation policy. If you cancel within 30 days of travel, there is no refund and they charge you the full value of your trip. So, if you need to change your trip date and cancel your trip you need to give more than 30 days’ notice!
The minimum age for enrolling in a Learn to Dive Course in Australia is 12 years old. Upon completing the course, students aged between 12-15 years will receive a ‘Junior Open Water Dive Licence limited to a max depth of 12 meters and must dive with a guide or instructor at all times. The Junior Open Water Dive Licence automatically rolls over to the Open Water Dive License once turning 16 years of age.
Persons 16 years old and above will receive a full adult ‘Open Water Diver Licence’. While there is currently no maximum age limit, scuba diving is a potentially strenuous activity and should be undertaken by fit and active people of all ages. (Aforementioned medical and health restrictions apply)
Unguided Diving: Remember once all of your training dives are completed all dives are unguided. This gives you the freedom to buddy up and explore the reef in your own buddy pairs. Just perfect for exploring the beautiful underwater world of the Great Barrier Reef. The crew gives fantastic detailed dive briefings, charts, and maps before each dive. Please note you can still get a dive guide if you wish but the charge is $15 per person per dive. Just talk to the crew on the boat to arrange this.
Wetsuit Hire: Please note wetsuits are 5mm short sleeves. They are $5 per day to hire. Just talk to the crew on the boat to arrange this.
X-Mass Surcharge: Reef Encounter charges an extra $100 per booking per person for bookings placed 23rd thru 31st December Each Year.
Special
FREE UNDERWATER CAMERA HIRE*
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.