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Down Under Cruise’s PADI Open Water course takes 4 days to complete. It includes 2 days of classroom theory and pool practise, followed by 2 full day tours to the Great Barrier Reef, visiting sites on Norman Reef and Saxon Reef. You will complete 5 scuba dives and on successful course completion, will be a certified PADI Open Water Diver. Down Under Cruise’s 5 Star PADI Dive Centre has been operating in Cairns for over 30 years. Their learn to dive courses start every Thursday. The maximum group size per class is 8 dive students, to 1 Dive Instructor. The minimum age to participate is 12 years old. Their course pricing covers instruction, the rental of all diving equipment needed, the PADI training materials, transfers to and from city accommodation and a BBQ buffet lunch on the reef days.
This course is suitable for those that do not want to participate in a liveaboard dive experience.
PADI Open Water Course. 4 day course, including 2 Great Barrier Reef day trips. Up to 5 dives.
PADI Open Water Diver Manuals and Instruction, Dive Equipment Rental, Pool Sessions, 5 Dives, Cairns city accommodation transfers, 2 Reef Day Tours including BBQ lunch.
Let us know your preferred date, and we will check availability and email you shortly.
Get a free underwater camera rental when you book tours through us valued at over $750, we’ll lend you a GoPro underwater camera to use for the duration of your tours. Numbers are limited and allocated on a first-come basis. Get in touch with us to claim this deal today.
Down Under Cruise provide day tours to the Great Barrier Reef for snorkellers and divers. They are also a PADI 5 Star Dive Centre and offer those wanting to learn to scuba dive the option of a PADI Open Water Courses. These 4 day courses start every Thursday. The first 2 days are spent in Cairns, completing classroom theory and practise dives in the Down Under Cruise pool. The next 2 days are day tours to the Great Barrier Reef aboard their boat, Evolution. Evolution takes a maximum of 150-180 passengers, which will be a combination of snorkellers, introductory divers, certified divers and dive students.
Scuba diving is a technical activity* and as such, learning to dive does include classroom and theory work. This section of the course forms the foundation of safe and confident diving. During the theory sessions, you’ll learn how scuba equipment works, how to manage buoyancy, safe descent and ascent methods, breathing and pressure changes. Knowledge development is delivered through instructor-led sessions and guided learning, with time to ask questions and review key concepts.
*Dive Medicals: Scuba diving is suitable for most people, however, some medical conditions mean diving is not permitted for safety reasons. This can include pregnancy, asthma, epilepsy, heart or circulatory conditions, ear or sinus issues and uncontrolled high blood pressure. A basic level of fitness is required. All students must complete a simple swim assessment during the course. Before starting, you will also be asked to complete a Dive Course Medical Questionnaire.
Under Queensland law, anyone aged 45 years and over wanting to participate in an Open Water Dive Course, must provide a medical clearance from a doctor confirming they are fit to dive. This can be arranged with your own GP or a local medical practice. Some medical conditions, higher BMI, or certain prescription medications may restrict participation. Completing the Dive Course Medical Questionnaire in advance will help identify any requirements before you arrive.
Learning to use scuba equipment and breathe underwater in a swimming pool, helps you become familiar with how the gear feels and how your body responds underwater. The benefit of having a controlled environment with no waves or current, allows you to practise essential dive skills such as mask clearing, regulator recovery and buoyancy control, without the added stress of the ocean. These sessions are relaxed and supportive, giving you the time and confidence to develop core skills before progressing to open ocean dives.
The Down Under Cruise PADI Open Water Course includes 2 x day tours to the Great Barrier Reef. These will be on a Saturday and Sunday. Your Down Under Cruise PADI Dive Instructor will accompany you on both days. During your time at the reef, you’ll complete the 4 x training dives required and then have 1 x free dive as a newly certified scuba diver. Down Under Cruise has access to 12 moorings at 6 reef locations, on Norman and Saxon Reef. They will pick the best sites on your days of travel, to maximise your reef experience. Once you’ve completed the course, you’ll be a certified PADI Open Water Diver, able to dive anywhere around in the world in accordance with your certification level.
As we’ve mentioned the Down Under Cruise PADI Open Water Course takes 4 days and starts on a Thursday. It’s a small group course, with 8 students to 1 Dive Instructor. Days 1 and 2 are classroom and pool theory days, held at their Dive HQ which is located at 287 Draper St, Parramatta Park. City accommodation transfers are provided and included. Days 3 and 4 are day tours to the Great Barrier Reef.
Theory and Pool Training. Check in at Down Under Cruise’s Dive HQ at 7.30am. The address is 287 Draper St, Parramatta Park, Cairns. City accommodation transfers are available if required. Lunch is not included, so bring money for this.
Meeting your fellow dive students and Dive Instructor. Participating in the diver training pool sessions.
The first day of the course covers a lot of the technical aspects of scuba diving. You’re guided by a professional PADI Dive Instructor, supported by videos. Check in is at 7.30am and the academic component occupies the morning. After a lunch break (lunch at your own expense), there are pool sessions for diver training. Make sure you bring swimwear, a towel and money for lunch. Your Certified Dive Medical and passport or Australian Driver’s License.
Exams and Pool Training. This morning it’s a quick refresher on theory, followed by a small exam. The priority focus today is on practising your skills in the Down Under Cruise dive pool.
Completing academic work and practising dive skills. This day prepares you for scuba diving in the open water on the Great Barrier Reef. Let’s go!
Check in again to Dive HQ and complete your theory, followed by an exam. The focus of today is practising core dive skills, including mask clearing, ascent and descent and buoyancy. This prepares you for the open water, in a controlled environment. There is a lunch break (lunch is at your own expense). Make sure you bring swimwear and a towel, sunscreen and money for lunch.
Great Barrier Reef. Check in at the Down Under Cruise counter at the Reef Fleet Terminal from 7.15-7.45am. City accommodation transfers available. Today is a full day tour on Evolution and includes 2 training dives with your Dive Instructor.
Scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef. This is what you came for and today you will do 2 training dives on the reef.
Check-in at the Reef Fleet Terminal between 7.15am-7.45am with an 8am departure. Evolution is moored at Marlin Marina, a 5 minute walk from the Reef Fleet Terminal. Today you will visit 2 separate reef sites and participate in 2 training dives with your Dive Instructor. The first dive will be in the morning, at the first reef site, and another in the afternoon at the second reef site. A BBQ buffet lunch is served from 11.30am. The boat moves between reef sites while you eat lunch. You return to Cairns around 4.30pm.
Make sure you bring a small day bag with your towel and a change of clothes, swimmers, a hat and some sunscreen. Bring additional cash / credit cards to purchase additional drinks and snacks.
Great Barrier Reef. Today runs the same as yesterday, for check in and return times. It’s a day tour from Cairns to the Great Barrier Reef.
Becoming a certified PADI Open Water Diver. Complete your training dives and become a certified diver. 1 free dive to celebrate the course completion.
Check-in at the Reef Fleet Terminal between 7.15am-7.45am with an 8am departure. Evolution is moored at Marlin Marina, a 5 minute walk from the Reef Fleet Terminal. Today you will visit 2 separate reef sites and participate in 2 training dives with your Dive Instructor and 1 dive as a certified diver. A BBQ buffet lunch is served from 11.30am. The boat moves between reef sites while you eat lunch. You return to Cairns around 4.30pm.
Make sure you bring a small day bag with your towel and a change of clothes, swimmers, a hat and some sunscreen. Bring additional cash / credit cards to purchase additional drinks and snacks.
The minimum age to learn to dive in Queensland is 10 years old. However, Down Under Cruise has set their own minimum age to be 12 years old to participate in their PADI Open Water Dive Course.
Yes. You must be able to swim and be comfortable in the open ocean, which might have currents and waves. It is a PADI dive course requirement that you can swim 200m or snorkel 300m and tread water / float for 10 minutes. This is for your own safety and is a standard, international requirement for scuba divers. You will need to demonstrate this in the pool session component of your dive course.
No. The PADI Open Water Course is designed for beginners and requires no prior scuba diving experience. The course starts with 2 days of classroom theory and pool training, before progressing to open water dives on the Great Barrier Reef.
Yes everyone wanting to participate in a Down Under Cruise PADI Open Water Course will need to complete a Dive Course Medical Questionnaire. Under Queensland regulations, participants aged 45 years and over who wish to complete an entry-level scuba diving course must provide a medical certificate confirming they are fit to dive. This clearance can be obtained from your regular GP or from a local doctor in Cairns. Some medical conditions, including asthma, heart disease, diabetes, certain prescription medications or a higher BMI, may affect eligibility to dive. All students are required to complete a Dive Course Medical Questionnaire prior to the course to determine whether a medical clearance is needed.
No. Scuba diving is not recommended during pregnancy. You can not learn to scuba dive if you are pregnant.
Certain medical conditions may prevent participation, including asthma, epilepsy, heart conditions, chronic middle ear issues, uncontrolled high blood pressure and pregnancy. If you have any of these then you will require a Dive Medical Certificate. This can be obtained in Cairns and should be arranged prior to starting the course.
Your Dive Instructor will provide additional guidance, time and support where needed. Down Under Cruise is committed to supporting their dive students.
Students are trained in small groups with a dedicated PADI Instructor. The maximum in-water student to instructor ratio on a Down Under Cruise PADI Open Water Course is 8 students to 1 instructor.
You must be of reasonable general fitness. Scuba diving is a strenuous activity and you will need fitness to be comfortable in and out of the water. It is a dive course requirement that you can swim 200m or snorkel 300m and tread water / float for 10 minutes. You will need to demonstrate this in the pool session of your PADI Open Water Course.
The rental of all required scuba diving equipment is included in the course price. This includes tanks, regulators, buoyancy control device (BCD), wetsuit, mask, fins and weights, along with PADI training materials and instructor supervision. It includes 2 days of classroom and pool work, then 2 x day tours to the Great Barrier Reef where you will complete 4 training dives and 1 dive as a certified diver.
Upon successful completion, you will receive a PADI Open Water Diver certification. This internationally recognised qualification allows you to dive worldwide to a maximum depth of 18 metres with a buddy.
Certified PADI Open Water divers can dive to a maximum depth of 18 metres. Depth limits are always dependent on conditions, experience and local dive guidelines.
All seasickness medication is a prevention not a cure. If you’re worried about getting seasick, then it’s best to take the medication 30 minutes before getting on the boat. There’s lots of options and considerations to ensure you can still have the best time. We know, because we get seasick; which is why we’ve written a post on our top tips to prevent seasickness.
You will complete up to 5 dives in total. This includes 4 training dives required for certification and 1 additional dive on the last day.
Training dives take place on the Outer Great Barrier Reef at Norman Reef and Saxon Reef. Down Under Cruise has multiple moorings across these reef systems and selects the best dive sites each day based on weather and ocean conditions.
The reef days are conducted aboard Evolution, a large three-level dive and snorkel vessel departing from Cairns Marlin Marina. The boat offers shaded seating areas, air-conditioned spaces and a spacious dive platform for easy water entry.
Evolution is a large, purpose-built reef vessel licensed to carry up to 300 passengers, however Down Under Cruise limits guest numbers to around 150–180 to ensure a more comfortable experience. As one of the larger boats operating from Cairns, Evolution offers generous space across three deck levels, with multiple indoor seating areas and open-air decks where guests can relax throughout the day.
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