Learning to Dive...
padi Courses
Never tried diving?
Looking to get certified?
ready to take the next step?
You have come to the right place!
Below you will find a list of the most popular PADI courses. Other specialty courses and refreshers are available but may not be listed. If you don’t see what you are looking for or you have some specific questions after reading the information on our site, please send us a message. We are happy to get back to you, and no question is a ‘dumb question’ or too small of a detail to ask about. If you have some concerns or are a bit nervous, we want to put you at ease. We specialize in personalized attention and taking things at your pace. Unlike some big dive centers that operate like a ‘Dive Factory’, we usually teach very small groups. You may even get your own private instructor. How’s that for personal service? We love what we do, and it shows. So you can be at ease and trust that you will be in good hands…
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Discover Scuba Diving (DSD)
This is probably the most popular PADI program in the history of Scuba Diving because it allows a total non-diver to give it a try for the first time with about an hour of basic instruction. You will be led step-by-step by a PADI instructor. The whole program takes only a few hours and it can be an amazing way to see why so many people have fallen in love with the world beneath the waves.
What to expect:
- You will be given a set of Scuba equipment fitted to your size to use during this program.
- Some lessons on the theory of diving and what you can expect as well as what you will need to do in the water. This can last anywhere from 20-45 minutes and we will address any concerns or answer every last question you may have.
- Next comes the "Confined Water" training. Unlike some dive centers we don't like to teach people to dive in a swimming pool because you are not going to be diving in a pool so why learn that way. We start the training on the beach in just a few feet (about 1 meter) of water so you can stand up at any time. Once you are comfortable and have completed a few basic skills, we will go a little deeper and practice moving around under water up to a maximum depth of 6 meters (about 20 feet). If you enjoyed that then you're ready for the next step.
- Now it's time to put all that practice. After a short break (and a fresh tank of air), we will do a relaxing dive with no further skills or practice needed. The focus will be on having fun and looking for cool creatures and fish as we go to a maximum depth of 12 meters (40 feet). If you have a waterproof camera this is a good time to bring it. You will still be in the direct care and supervision of your instructor and we will take you on a guided tour of the reef, pointing out a lot of beautiful things along the way. Later we can even tell you the names of the fish you just saw.
- Want to do more? The next steps for you would be to do an additional Discover Dive from the boat or if you're ready to get certified then we can start your Open Water Diver course the very same day. You will be happy to know that you have already done the first few exercises of the Open Water course, so you don't have to start from scratch.
- Kids ages 8-9 can participate in the same program, but their depth is limited to 4 meters. Extra time and care is taken with kids and parents are encouraged to be present and participate as well. This is a perfect opportunity for divers to expose their kids to the world of diving while in a controlled and safe environment.
Who can participate:
- Age 10+ (ages 8-9 can do a 'Bubble Maker' program)
- Medically fit (see medical form)
- Able to follow basic instructions
What to bring:
- A bottle of water and a snack
- Your waterproof camera
- A friend to share the experience with
- Your sense of adventure!
Who can do this:
- Age 10+ (10-12 Max 12 meters)
- No serious medical issues (see form)
- Can swim or snorkel a short distance (for those who have trouble swimming, we can teach you how to do that too)
- Humans only (sorry scuba cats and dogs)
Open Water Diver (OWD)
The Open Water course is where you learn the ‘meat and potatoes’ of diving. This course is designed to teach you to be a self-sufficient diver, and once completed you will be certified to dive with any other certified diver up to 18 meters (60 feet) for the conditions in which you have been trained. The course is split up into 3 main parts: Theory, Confined water dives, and Open water dives. The total length of the course is about 3-4 days but if you let us know in advance we can arrange for you to do most of the theory section ahead of your arrival, thus bringing the time required down to about 2 days. Additionally, there is some flexibility in how the course is conducted. So don’t worry about being bored with studying because we will get you into the water on the first day, and we do our best to make sure you have as much fun as possible while you are learning. This course is designed for anyone ages 10 and older. Some of our students from Thailand actually wrote a great blog about learning to dive if you’re interested to read about it from their point of view. Thanks for that Walker Family!
What to expect:
- You will be given a set of Scuba gear to use, a book, a log book, and other study materials
- The theory portion of the course consists of 5 sections. You can watch videos for this (if you haven't done so ahead of time), while you follow along in the book. There will be some short quizzes and a 50-question multiple choice test. It's easier than it might sound, and we will prepare you for each step along the way.
- Next comes 5 "Confined Water" training dives. Just like the DSD section above explains, we start the training in just a few feet (about 1 meter) of water so you can stand up at any time. During this time we will give you all the skills necessary for you to master the techniques of the Open Water course. Although the focus of this section is on learning skills, we like to make it fun and if a cool fish swims past we pause to check it out. One more reason it's better to learn in the sea vs a pool.
- Next comes 4 Open Water dives. The first two will be to a max depth of 12 meters and after that you can dive to a max depth of 18 meters. During these dives you will repeat the essential skills learned in the shallow water. Each dive begins with a few skills and the rest of the time we just float around enjoying the sights and looking at fish. Most of the time it's possible to complete the necessary skills in the first three dives and when possible we like to use the last dive for extra practice or just to have some fun. Once you have completed this...
- Congratulations, You are now a certified PADI Open Water Diver!!!
- Want to do more? How about an extra dive on us? This is where we go the extra mile. While most dive centers would end things here, Dive Hero wants to see you diving like a pro. To achieve this we will spend some extra time doing advanced buoyancy games, teach you some additional kicking styles, and give you the chance to lead your instructor on a dive instead of the other way around! This is because we are passionate about producing the best divers possible.
Advanced Open Water (AOW)
The Advanced Open Water course is the perfect follow up to your Open Water training. If it’s been a while since your last dive we recommend starting with a refresher dive to get you back up to speed with the skills you may have forgotten. Either way, you will absolutely have a blast on this course. By completion, you will have been trained to dive up to a depth of 30 meters (100 feet), and you will learn advanced navigation techniques. Additionally, you have the opportunity to get acquainted with diving on shipwrecks, identify fish and other marine creatures, learn advanced buoyancy and kicking methods, and one of the coolest parts is the chance to dive at night. Diving at night might sound a bit scary to some, but once you get accustomed to using the dive lights and seeing all the different creatures that come out of their daytime hiding places, you will be amazed at how exhilarated you feel afterwards. To answer the most common FAQ: No, sharks and other ‘monsters of the deep’ will not be hunting you – nothing is coming to eat you. Regardless if you choose to do a night dive or not, the PADI Advanced Open Water will give you even more skills and confidence in your diving abilities.
What to expect:
- You will be given a set of Scuba gear to use, a book, and other study materials
- The theory portion of the course consists of 5 sections, but unlike the Open Water course, there are no required videos to watch or tests to take. Your book will have a knowledge review at the end of the chapter for the 5 types of dives that you choose to do. The Deep and Navigation dives are compulsory and the other 3 dives can be your choice. We fully recommend the Peak Performance Buoyancy Dive as it teaches greater control and therefore a more relaxed sense of diving.
- Your 5 training dives will start as soon as you are ready, and can be completed in about a day and a half in most cases. Once again, we focus on the fun aspects of this training as much as we do the skills and performance requirements. As mentioned above, you will be required to learn about deep diving up to 30 meters, and advanced navigation techniques. By completing the navigation portion of the training, you will be able to lead you and your buddy around a dive site without having to rely on a guide. Although you will need to practise these skills, so you may still want to have a guide such as a Divemaster or Instructor there to show you some of the key features of the reef and it's more notable inhabitants, before you try it on your own. We focus on giving you the tools to do this, and let you practise guiding us to build your confidence without fear of failure.
- The choices for your 3 elective dives can depend on what interests you have. Here are some of the more popular choices. Wreck diving, Night diving, Fish ID, Coral reef and Shark awareness programs, Search and Recovery, Underwater photo and video, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Drift diving, Boat diving, Underwater basket weaving... Ok, we made that last one up, but you get the idea. There are a lot of options on how to complete your PADI Advanced Open Water course.
- Congratulations, you are now a certified PADI Advanced Open Water Diver!!
- Where to go from here? You could join us for a Project Aware Dive Against Debris as a volunteer to help survey and remove marine debris from the water. This program is one of our focuses and exemplifies what it means to be a Dive Hero. Or you can take a specialty diver course. Most of the elective dives in the Advanced course are the first dive of the specialty course. Another natural step is to go on to take the PADI Rescue Diver course and receive CPR and First Aid training as an Emergency First Responder.
What to bring:
- Your Open Water card (we can also look you up if you lost it)
- Your log book if you still have it (if not we have more)
- Water, sunscreen, and your swimsuit because we are 'family friendly'
- Your sense of adventure and humor
Rescue Diver & Emergency Responder
A lot of people think that becoming a PADI Rescue Diver is very serious and stressful. It’s actually one of the most fun courses you will probably ever take. While it’s true that the subjects you will learn about are pretty serious, the role playing required to be a ‘victim’ or ‘rescuer’ means we cannot help having a lot of funny moments during this course. Don’t be fooled into thinking we fool around. We take this course seriously, as should you, but sometimes it’s hard not to laugh while ‘playing dead’.
The PADI Rescue Diver and Emergency First Responder (EFR) are actually two separate courses but they are often taught as one course with two parts. If you have taken an accredited First Aid training course, including CPR in the last two years you may not need to take the EFR course prior to taking the PADI Rescue Diver course. You will however need to show proof of this, and it must be by a recognized and accredited training agency, such as the Red Cross for example.
What to expect:
Emergency First Response:
This course is actually available for divers and non-divers alike. The focus of the course is learning how to help others in need of medical attention. This can mean anything from a friend who cut themselves in the kitchen, to a stranger that had a motorbike accident. You will also learn the proper way to give CPR and the basics of administering emergency oxygen. Much of the focus is on keeping yourself safe as you attempt to help others. There is a video to watch and we will also ‘act out’ many scenarios so you get a lot of hands on practice. There is a short multiple choice test taken before certification, but everything will be well explained to make sure you feel prepared for it.
For those going on to do the PADI rescue course, you will need the skills learned during EFR to build upon as you apply the lessons to diving-related situations. The course takes a full day, or it can be broken up into two days for a more relaxed pace. We can’t say enough good things about the EFR course and we wish that everyone learned these skills because you never know when they might come in handy. Want more info? Check out the EFR page for info on CPR and First Aid.
PADI Rescue Diver:
This course starts off with the basics of keeping yourself safe by teaching you ‘self-rescue’ techniques, and then moves on to helping others. You will learn how to respond to a wide variety of situations. Some of the situations covered include; a swimmer near the beach that is in trouble, divers in distress on the surface or below, finding a missing diver and how to bring them back to the boat or shore and resuscitate them safely, and many variations and varieties of possible emergencies.
Scenarios are broken down into small steps and then put together into a few ‘real life’ emergency dramas. We do such a good job of acting like victims, that occasionally bystanders run up to ‘help’, only to find out that everyone is just fine. For this reason we try to do this training away from any crowds of onlookers. This course holds a special place in our hearts as instructors, and we go above and beyond the minimum requirements to give you as much practise as possible. You will learn different signs and symptoms for a variety of diving illnesses and accidents such as DCS, oxygen toxicity, carbon monoxide poisoning, heat exhaustion and hypothermia. Did we mention this course is a lot of fun? OK, after that list of serious stuff, it may not sound like it, but it actually is. We make the serious stuff fun too!
After you complete the PADI Rescue course you will dive with a new found sense of confidence and realization that a majority of diving related accidents can be spotted and prevented before it becomes life threatening. Being a Rescue Diver doesn’t mean diving with a cape on like a super hero. It is more about having situational awareness, spotting small things that could go wrong, then taking the correct action to prevent any need for a big dramatic rescue. This, more than anything, is what we try to pass on to our rescue students. Becoming a PADI Rescue Diver puts you in a distinct group of divers, almost like being in a secret club, because Rescue Divers have an earned respect in the diving community. This is also the logical step to take if you are even thinking of going on to become a PADI Divemaster, as it is a required step to all the professional levels of diving. Not sure if the Rescue course is right for you? Have some questions about it? Drop us a message. We are more than happy to discuss it!
Who can do this:
- EFR requirements: You must have a heartbeat and a willingness to help others.
- Rescue Diver requirements: Advanced Diver with current CPR and 1st aid training
- Opposable thumbs are required or at least helpful for this training.
- For other terms, conditions, and price information send us an email or message.
PADI Divemaster Course
What can we tell you about the Divemaster program that you don’t already know? Chances are if you are a potential candidate for the PADI Divemaster program you probably already know that Divemasters are role models to other divers. They give pre and post dive briefings, guide certified divers on recreational dives to point out things of interest on the reef, and remind divers to check their air supply among other things. They also assist instructors on courses and can work with student divers who need extra help to improve a specific skill that they might be having trouble with. Divemasters have a unique role to play in PADI learning programs because they bridge the gap between novice and experience. All that being said let’s look at what you can expect from our Divemaster program.
As a PADI Divemaster Candidate (DMC), you will begin by learning more about the science of diving, the roles of a Divemaster, and how to perform basic skills with an instructor level demonstration. You will also undergo extensive in-water training and ultimately be given the responsibility to lead groups of divers and snorkelers on dives and snorkel tours under the supervision of an instructor. Becoming a PADI Divemaster is a lot of fun, but it’s also serious business. A DMC will be expected to conduct themselves with a certain level of professionalism and hospitality toward the guests. It also helps if you can be a bit outgoing and like to speak to groups of people. If you are becoming a Divemaster, you will probably want to purchase your own set of dive equipment and we can help you do that at a discounted rate. To begin your training though you can use our equipment until you get your own.
Dive Hero takes a high level of personal interest and attention in our Divemaster candidates. Upon successful completion of the program you will start your professional diving career and will be representing us as well as yourself. For this reason we try to pass on our high standards and philosophy and not simply meet the performance requirements. We recognize that most Divemasters will go on to become PADI instructors at some point, so we tailor our course to prepare you for that eventuality. The length of the DM course will be different for everyone but on average you can expect it to take 4-6 weeks depending on the season as you will be required to assist on several courses with student divers. You can also expect to dive or be in the water almost every day as we work with you to develop your skills and confidence. The cost of doing the Divemaster training will depend on how it is structured, and once qualified opportunities may be available for you to recoup some of this cost by continuing to guide certified divers, thereby giving you additional experience as a newly certified Divemaster.
MEDICAL RELEASE FORM
Below you can read the medical questions that you will be required to fill out before participating in a PADI dive course. If you answer “YES” to any of these questions we encourage you to DOWNLOAD and print out the complete form. Have your doctor examine you, then sign the form before you come to take your course. Lastly, we recommend that you read the questions carefully before you answer. Many times we have seen someone answer ‘yes’ to a question simply because they didn’t read the complete question before filling it out. For example, not everyone over the age of 45 is required to check Yes. Similarly, not everyone who gets motion sickness on a long car ride is in danger of becoming nauseous underwater. That being said, we are not doctors. If you write a ‘Yes’ on the form, we will require a doctor to give you their permission to take a diving course.
