Itinerary Snapshot – PADI Rescue Diver Course

Day 1 – Theory & Pool Training (Land-based)

Your rescue diver training begins with a full day at the Pro Dive Cairns Five Star PADI Dive & Career Development Centre.

• Complimentary accommodation transfers are provided from Cairns City and Northern Beaches.

• 08:00 AM – On arrival, you’ll check in and meet your instructor and fellow students.

• Morning classroom session begins with structured theory covering key rescue diver topics such as diver stress, self-rescue techniques, recognizing emergencies, and managing diver first aid and oxygen delivery.

• Learn how to assess risks, respond to real-world scenarios, and implement emergency action plans.

• Lunch break (self-catered) – there are several cafés near the training centre.

• Afternoon pool training session – practical, hands-on skills are taught in a controlled, confined-water environment. Exercises include assisting panicked divers, surfacing unconscious divers, providing in-water rescue breaths, and using rescue equipment effectively.

• The day wraps up around 4:30 PM, with return transfers to your accommodation.

• You’ll be briefed on what to bring for the liveaboard trip and have the evening to prepare for departure the following morning.

Days 2–4 – Great Barrier Reef Liveaboard Trip

This is where the course gets exciting—three days and two nights living, training, and diving onboard Scubapro, Pro Dive Cairns’ purpose-built liveaboard vessel. You’ll combine real-world rescue training with incredible diving on the Outer Great Barrier Reef.

Day 2 – Depart for the Reef & First Rescue Training Dives

• 06:00 AM – Hotel pickup and transfer to the Pro Dive Cairns retail shop for check-in.

• 07:00 AM – Depart Cairns aboard Scubapro. Enjoy a light breakfast as you cruise toward the outer reef, approximately 3 hours offshore.

• 11:00 AM – Dive 1: Introduction to open-water rescue exercises. Practice managing tired or panicked divers from the boat.

• 12:30 PM – Lunch is served fresh onboard.

• 14:30 PM – Dive 2: Continue rescue drills, including approaches to distressed divers and basic surface rescue techniques.

• 16:30 PM – Dive 3: Focus on recognising underwater stress, surfacing unresponsive divers, and initiating in-water rescue procedures.

• 18:00 PM – Dinner is served in the main saloon.

• 19:45 PM – Dive 4: Night Dive – Enjoy a guided night dive at a familiar site. This dive is primarily recreational, helping you build comfort and orientation in low-light conditions.

Day 3 – Advanced Rescue Scenarios & Night Dive

• 07:00 AM – Dive 5: Begin the day with non-swimming rescue techniques and response drills.

• 08:00 AM – Hot breakfast served after the morning dive.

• 11:15 AM – Dive 6: Consolidation of earlier skills with scenarios that require teamwork, communication, and rapid response.

• 12:45 PM – Buffet-style lunch and surface interval to relax and refuel.

• 15:15 PM – Dive 7: Perform a missing diver search and recovery exercise, applying navigation and emergency planning skills.

• 17:45 PM – Dinner served onboard.

• 19:30 PM – Dive 8: Night Dive – Your second night dive, allowing you to apply rescue techniques in a low-visibility setting, enhancing awareness and coordination.

Day 4 – Final Rescue Scenarios & Return to Cairns

• 06:30 AM – Dive 9: Conduct your first major rescue scenario of the day. This dive replicates a full emergency response including search, recovery, and surface management procedures.

• 07:30 AM – Breakfast after the early dive.

• 09:00 AM – Dive 10: Final rescue scenario, where you’ll demonstrate your ability to manage a complete rescue—from identifying a missing diver to surfacing, performing CPR, and managing the scene.

• 11:00 AM – Dive 11: Your last dive of the trip, recreational in nature and a chance to enjoy the reef after an intensive training experience.

• 12:00 PM – Lunch served before departure.

• 13:00 PM – Depart the reef, cruising back to Cairns.

• 16:00 PM – Return to Pro Dive Cairns. Complimentary transfers back to your accommodation.

• 19:30 PM – Farewell Dinner (optional, additional cost) – Meet your fellow divers and instructors at a local Cairns restaurant to celebrate your certification and shared achievements.