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Looking to up the ante on your scuba diving skills on the Great Barrier Reef? The Divers Den Cairns PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course might be for you. There’s no formal classroom sessions required, rather it’s straight out to the Great Barrier Reef where you’ll spend 2 days and 1 night, learning with experienced Dive Instructors and exploring the reef. At the successful completion of the course, you will have new scuba skills and be able to dive to a maximum depth of 30m / 100 feet. This gives you access to more dive sites here and around the world. The PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course incudes 5 training dives, where you practice and perfect core skills. Four of the training dives will cover Deep Diving, Underwater Navigation, Peak Performance Buoyancy and a Night Dive. The fifth dive might be Fish ID, Underwater Naturalist or Boat Diver.
The Divers Den PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course starts every day of the week. The price for this 2 day / 1 night course and liveaboard experience includes all instruction, PADI materials, dive equipment rental, transfers to and from Cairns and your overnight stay on the liveaboard boat OceanQuest. Accommodation is available in double cabins, twin share and quad share, and it’s first in best dressed with this. All meals, tea, coffee and chilled water on OceanQuest are also included. The minimum age to participate in this course is 12 years old (with an existing Junior Open Water Diver certification). Please note that due to limited availability on OceanQuest, we recommend locking in your preferred dates as soon as you know them.
PADI Advanced Open Water Course. 2 day course, including sleeping at the Great Barrier Reef. 6 dives.
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Divers Den has been teaching people how to scuba dive since 1974. They have successfully certified over 150,000 divers on the Great Barrier Reef. In Cairns they have a 5 Star Career Development PADI Centre, and they a employ a team of professional Dive Instructors. This 2 day / 1 night course includes an overnight stay at the Great Barrier Reef on OceanQuest. OceanQuest’s guest cabins are air conditioned and each has their own ensuite with shower and toilet. The boat has interior dining and lounge, with external sundecks. Guests on board will be a combination of snorkelers, certified divers and dive students.
As you are already a certified Open Water Diver, there is no formal classroom component to this course. There is some theory, which involves reading the relevant chapters in the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Manual and completing knowledge reviews, at the end of each chapter. This will be reviewed by your Dive Instructor. The theory covers aspects relevant to the 5 training dives, which are Deep Diving, Underwater Navigation, Peak Performance Buoyancy and a Night Dive. The fifth dive might be Fish ID, Underwater Naturalist or Boat Diver.
*Please note all students wishing to participate in a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course must complete a self-assessed medical declaration prior to commencing training. You can download the Diver Medical Self Assessment questionnaire here. Please ensure you complete this honestly and accurately, this is vital for your safety when underwater. If further assessment is required, you’ll need to get a doctor’s letter / medical clearance before you start the course, this clearance must be dated no older than 90 days before time of issue and time of course commencement. Some health conditions, including asthma, epilepsy, heart conditions, chronic sinus concerns and more, may prevent you from participating.
This Divers Den Cairns PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course includes a 2 day / 1 night stay at the Great Barrier Reef. You will be staying on OceanQuest, which is a spacious and comfortable liveaboard boat, come floating hotel. Divers Den has 19 moorings across several outer reefs, including Saxon, Norman and Hastings Reef. You will complete all 5 of the necessary training dives on the Great Barrier Reef. These are all completed with your Dive Instructor. On successful completion, you’ll be a certified PADI Advanced Open Water Diver able to dive to a maximum depth of 30m (100 feet) with a buddy, anywhere in the world. This course also provides the opportunity for you to enjoy 1 unguided buddy dive, with the freedom to explore the reef at your own pace. Which reef sites you will be diving on will be determined by the prevailing weather at the time of your course, the best sites will be chosen to maximise diver comfort on the day. Ocean Quest moves during your time at sea, so you will dive on a few different reef locations. If you would like to allow time for additional dives, then you can extend your overnight stay to 2 or 3 nights
OceanQuest is a very comfortable liveaboard boat for your overnight stay on the Great Barrier Reef stay. The 34.5m catamaran can host up to 48 guests, staying in its 4 double cabins, 18 twin cabins and 1 quad share room. All of the cabins are air conditioned, with their own private ensuite. Most of the cabins have windows, providing sea views. Linen and bath towels are provided (bring an ocean towel for use on the dive deck). All cabins have power outlets, to charge devices. OceanQuest has 3 decks offering a range of shared spaces, including the air conditioned dining room and upstairs lounge and bar, to the exterior dive deck and back deck.
OceanQuest has 4 double cabins, which are allocated on a first in best dressed basis. The cabins are spacious and have their own ensuite for your privacy and comfort. Maximum number of guests in double cabins is 2 passengers.
There are 18 x twin share bunk bed cabins on OceanQuest. These all have their own ensuite for your privacy and comfort. Maximum number of guests in twin share cabins is 2 passengers.
There is 1 quad share cabin on OceanQuest. It has its own ensuite for your privacy and comfort. Maximum number of guests in the quad share cabin is 4 passengers.
Divers Den has 19 moorings at 3 different reefs, Saxon, Hastings and Norman Reef. These are all considered Outer Reefs and generally have excellent underwater visibility, with an abundance of marine life. These sites are suitable for people completing their Advanced Open Water Diver course training. During your 2 days / 1 night on OceanQuest, the boat will move to a few different sites, allowing you to explore multiple locations. Which reefs and sites you will visit, is determined by the weather, tides and current during your time at sea.
All meals are included in your dive course price. On the first day you will enjoy morning tea and a tropical buffet lunch on the day boat, before transferring to OceanQuest in the afternoon. OceanQuest provides dinner and dessert, a hot and cold breakfast and tasty lunch. All meals are prepared fresh by the onboard chef. The menu changes daily to provide variety. The meals are plentiful and there’s fresh fruit available throughout the day for snacks, as well as tea, coffee and chilled water. Additional snacks, such as crisps and chocolate bars, soft drinks and other beverages, can be purchased at additional cost from the onboard bar. Speaking of the bar, OceanQuest is licensed and alcoholic beverages are available for sale, including beer, wine and cider. However, please note that once you have consumed alcohol you will not be permitted to enter the water again until the following day. The purchase of drinks and snacks is in addition to the price and the cost will be added to your room tab, which will be settled every day before lunch. Credit cards and cash are accepted.
Dietary requirements can be catered too with advance notice. Please let us know your needs at the time of booking.
You should bring clothing and swimwear (including warm clothes for the evening), a towel for use on the dive deck, a hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, toiletries, seasickness medication (if you need it) and a reusable water bottle. Linen and a shower towel are provided in your cabin. All dive equipment rental is provided and included. You can bring your own equipment too, but there is no discount provided for this.
Sleeping bags, pillows, extra luggage (can be safely stored at the Divers Den office at check in). Extra shoes. You will not be wearing shoes on the boat.
The Divers Den Cairns PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course starts every day. It takes 2 days and 5 training dives to complete. These dives are undertaken on the Great Barrier Reef. Please note: The itinerary below is based on the usual course schedule and is provided as a guide only. The timing and number of training dives completed each day may change due to weather, sea conditions or operational requirements. All 5 training dives required for the Advanced Open Water Diver certification will be provided as a part of the course. You will also have the opportunity to enjoy 1 unguided buddy dive, where you can explore the Great Barrier Reef at your own pace.
Great Barrier Reef. Check in at the Divers Den Dive Centre, for a shuttle transfer to the Marlin Marina. 8.30am depart Cairns for your overnight trip to the Great Barrier Reef.
Scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef. Today you will complete 4 training dives on the reef and spend your first night on the reef.
If you require transfers from your Cairns city accommodation, these commence at 7.30am and must be confirmed at the time of booking. You will first head to the Divers Den Dive Centre, with transfers provided from there to Marlin Marina. The day boat departs Cairns at 8.30am and during the 90 minute journey to the reef, your Dive Instructor will provide briefings on the Advanced Open Water Diver course requirements and discuss the first dives of the day. You will complete 1 training dive this morning, followed by lunch at 12pm. You will complete another training dive after lunch, before transferring to the liveaboard boat. A third training dive is completed this afternoon, before dinner is served at 6pm. Tonight there’s a Night Dive, which is another of your training dives. Dessert is served at 8pm. Please note OceanQuest is a licensed boat. Beverages can be purchased at additional cost at the saloon. There is no BYO. You can NOT drink and dive. Any drinking will be at the completion of your training dives for the day.
Great Barrier Reef.
Become an Advanced Open Water Diver. Also wake up early for a spectacular sunrise over the Coral Sea, it’s an amazing time of day on the water.
A hot and cold breakfast is served on OceanQuest at 7.30am. Then it’s time for your final training dive and becoming a certified Advanced Open Water Diver! Time for 1 more dive to complete the trip, this is an unguided buddy dive where you can explore the Great Barrier Reef at your own pace. This concludes your water time at the Great Barrier Reef. Lunch served at 12.30pm and at 2.30pm you transfer back to the Divers Den day boat, which takes you back to Cairns. You arrive back around 5pm.
The minimum age to participate in a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course is 12 years old, assuming you have already completed the (Junior) PADI Open Water Diver course.
This Divers Den PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course takes 2 days to complete, with 5 training dives. All dives will be completed with a Dive Instructor, at the Great Barrier Reef. The course price includes staying overnight at the reef on the Divers Den liveaboard boat, OceanQuest.
The Open Water Diver course is an entry-level course, which requires no prior experience. It provides you with the fundamental knowledge and skills required to be a safe scuba diver, diving to a maximum depth of 18m with a buddy. The Advanced Open Water Diver course provides you with skill development, including deep diving. On successful completion, you can dive to 30m / 100 feet with a buddy. This course also includes components of Underwater Navigation, Peak Performance Buoyancy and Night Diving.
Yes, you need to have an Open Water Diver certification to participate in the Advanced Open Water Diver course. This can be an existing certification, or one you do just prior to the Advanced Open Water Diver course. Divers Den provides the opportunity to do both together on a 6 day / 3 night liveaboard course.
The 5 Advanced Open Water Diver training dives are included in the course. You will also have time to complete 1 unguided buddy dive, to explore the Great Barrier Reef at your own pace. So a total of 6 dives included in this Divers Den package.
OceanQuest has 19 different moorings at Outer Great Barrier Reef locations. These are at Norman Reef, Saxon Reef and Hastings Reef. The exact reefs and dive sites are selected according to weather, sea conditions and diver comfort. OceanQuest will move during your time at sea, allowing you to explore multiple Great Barrier Reef dive sites.
The liveaboard course price includes rental of all scuba diving equipment, PADI training materials, Dive Instructor supervision and the 2 day / 1 night Great Barrier Reef trip, staying overnight on OceanQuest. All meals, linen and a bath towel are included, as is chilled water, tea and coffee. Additional snacks and beverages may be purchased but are at an additional cost. You should bring an ocean towel to use on the dive deck.
You will spend 2 days and 1 night at the Great Barrier Reef, staying on the Divers Den liveaboard boat OceanQuest. It has air conditioned cabins, all of which have their own ensuite. Linen and a bath towel are included. You will visit several different Cairns Outer Great Barrier Reef sites, during your time at sea.
Yes. Solo travellers can book this course. You will meet other students and divers during your time at the Great Barrier Reef. Twin and quad-share accommodation may be available aboard OceanQuest, subject to cabin allocation. This is on a first in, best dressed basis.
A certified diver can book an OceanQuest liveaboard package for the same dates, subject to availability. You will not be able to dive with the training group. However, once your dive student companion has become certified, you can do the buddy dive together. This allows you to really share your Great Barrier Reef diving experience with your friend and/or family members.
Non-divers may also stay aboard OceanQuest, subject to availability and the package they book. This can make the course suitable for couples or families, where only one person is completing dive training. However, your schedules and in-water activities will differ while course training is underway. Snorkelling from OceanQuest is excellent, for non-diving companions / family members.
Divers Den also runs courses where the training dives can be completed on day tours to the Great Barrier Reef (instead of the overnight liveaboard). You will still complete the required course dives, but you will return to Cairns each day, rather than staying overnight at the reef.
We strongly recommend booking your Divers Den liveaboard PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course as soon as you know your dates. OceanQuest does sell out, particularly during school holidays, so if you have cabin preferences or set dates, book as soon as you can.
Your Dive Instructor will provide additional guidance, time and support where needed. Divers Den is committed to supporting their dive students and have successfully certified over 150,000 divers. You are in safe, professional hands.
All seasickness medication is a prevention not a cure. If you’re worried about getting seasick, then it’s best to take the medication 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.
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