Become a PADI Certified Open Water Diver for just $149
Four day course
Normally $800
Two days in the ocean doing the REAL THING
One day of informative lectures
One day in the pool
After you complete your course, you get TWO extra ocean dives, equipment included
Warning, if you have any history whatsoever of heart related troubles (however minor) get the medical first. Didn't think of that before I purchased one of these before.
defo good price!
their normal price is about 3 times the amount it would cost you in asia, and you probably still can fly to asia and factor in the OW and still cost the same as their RRP
Only problem I can see is they have not updated course schedules on website since 2006
http://www.prodivecronulla.com/PDcoursesdates.htm
Hence why we have a magical modern invention called telephones.
then why have a website?
so you mean that in 2006 they just "upgraded" from website to…the magical modern invention called telephone??? what about "Australia Post"? :)
All I'm saying is that it's not unusual for websites to have incorrect/outdated information and rather than complaining about it online, if you call the business they will usually be more than happy to provide any information you are after, especially if you are planning to spend money with them.
I'm not sure why people are so afraid of talking to humans these days, but unless the website was directly linked to their scheduling system differences would come up anyway. When I did my course recently, it was a 4 day course set for Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri and we ended up doing Mon, Tue, Wed due to requirements of other people. We agreed and asked for a discount and got half price equipment hire for having to change our plans.
I agree with Domingo. there are other ways of finding out.
$800 rrp seems a bit much considering I did a similar course for about 400 Dollars but at 149 it's great especially if the locations they take you too are good too.
Excellent value.
im crap at swimming, can I still do this course?
Me too?
Should be OK. You need basic swimming, but most of the time you are wearing flippers and don't use your arms much.
You probably need to be able to swim 50m at your own pace (not racing or anything) just so they know you will be OK if you are out of your BCD (buoyancy control device, makes you float/controls depth)
I basically can't swim, went scuba diving at barrier reef for many times, always want to get a certificate like this. asked a few instructors, told me I have to be able to swim for over 150m on my own, so I gave up…
I believe many dive schools require students to swim 200m unassisted without stopping. However, there's no time limit set to complete the distance.
I did the padi open water course in november and its a killer, may sure you actually practice some swimming before booking or at least give your self some time to practice before your course date.
as bacon said 200M unassisted without stopping (4 laps of most commercial pools), but can be any style you like. i switched to back stroke for 2 laps (don't bust out freestyle like its the school swimming carnival and all the girls are watching on your first lap like i did). the worst part is you have to do 10 minutes of treading water pretty much straight after the swimming which is a lot harder than most people think.
for anyone planning on continuing their certifications, I would recommend doing the advanced open water course in asia as part of a holiday (dive to 30 metres, night diving, wrecks or other specialties of your choice). I did mine through Calypso Divers at Boracay Philippines:
http://www.calypso-boracay.com
beautiful dive spots and good price (since they charge in USD it actually worked out to be cheaper than the places charging in PHP). really convenient since you can just walk to the boat from any of the hotels around (found it to be a hassle traveling to dive spots in Sydney since im at least an hour away from any beaches).
And I actually learned heaps more since the classes were just me, my partner and a dive instructor (no extra cost). the first open water course I did was about 10 people with 2 instructors.
to any one game enough to do it, diving is very fulfilling see some of the most beautiful places in nature untouched. If you want to see what Im talking about in person try a dive trip at El Nido in Palawan, Philippines. for the hardcore Tubbataha Reef (though you will need to book a live aboard boat).
website says its normally $445 for a weekend course, not sure where the $800 RRP is from…still a good deal though
Excellent deal! I just got my partner a 2 day course off zoupon here in VIC for $139, and doesn't even include all the gear. Seems to be a step below Open water, though I am not sure if it has its own title.
This is definitely a BARGAIN!!!!
Scuba Diver is one step below Open Water and certifies you to 12m, but not for hiring gear by yourself, only going with dive shops or resorts. You can upgrade Scuba Diver to Open water just by doing the final 2 ocean dives.
Thanks for the clarification!
Can't imagine him wanting to go off by himself (or with a friend) anyway, so it works!
Guys did a course like this 15 years ago it's amazing - a life changer for some….
Everyone should have a go and you can actually dive without being able to swim as you have a bcd - google it
Top price, I think I paid $300 + when i did it and that was cheap 15 years ago.
Always wanted to get back into diving but you really need a buddy and I don't seem to have the time to join a group maybe one day.
One last point - At the time I was young and a avid surfer and one of my friends was also a water baby but failed to complete the course because he couldn't handle it. It really surprised me because he was a better swimmer and had no fear when it came to surfing big waves unlike me who would go out to the big surf spots and hope the wave were manageable.
Guess it was more of a Claustrophobia type fear that I couldn't understand because you go under and the world seems to get bigger - I think it was being dependant on a life line but don't let this put you off as it is very safe at the depths you go to under the open water cert. (max 25m if I recall)
paid like 150 for this course about 10 years ago so definitely worth it! great bargain!
I did my course with ProDive in Manly NSW in August. It was excellent and I paid $500 for the 4 day padi course and two extra dives (and that was already a discounted price). Although if you are not at least an average swimmer or confident in the water then I do not recommend scuba diving. Remember that people have DIED diving at Manly and Bondi. If you do your two extra dives from the boat you will be going to a depth of 20m.
I also just checked their page and it looks like you'll need a dive medical. You can get a dive medical from most GP's (around $50-80)
Also I suggest that you go snorkeling before you do the course. This will give you time to get used to being in the water with a mask and fins.
Gah! Currently trying to get my license too. Live in VIC :(
Really good deal though. Best I can get is like $550.
sorry , do you mean that this deal is only avaialbe in Sydney not all over Au ?
I was hoping to do the course in coffs harbour :(
I am currently doing my course through elazmo. The PADI course requires you to swim 200m but you can use whatever stroke you want and take as long as you need. Going for my first real dive this weekend and really excited about it.
Most GPs I went to did NOT do dive medicals. I found a list here http://oceanworld.myfun.com.au/upload/Document/DIVE%20DOCTOR… and they all charge around $100-150.
I paid $250 to do this course in Taganga, Colombia and thought that was just about the cheapest I was going to get it anywhere in the world. We got to do all our dives in the ocean though with no pool work. But in any case this is an absolute steal and its loads of fun!
I have had 2 surgeries for nasal polyps and sinusitis. Will this rule me out of Scuba diving when I do my medical test? I rang my ear, nose and throat specialist/surgeon, who performed my last surgery last 2 weeks ago and he said he didn't know what would happen if I went diving, and so I could go diving but at my own risk. I wouldn't book to take my dive until late August to give my sinuses at least 6 months to recover from the surgery. I looked at some sample medicals on the net, and they ask if you have had a history of sinusitus or ear, nose and throat surgery so I don't want to spend all this money just to be stopped at the medical. Anyone with any experience with this? Sorry for the long post
You'd be better of calling a doctor that does diving medicals rather than your surgeon who wouldn't understand the implications. It's mostly about what the pressure will do to you and understanding what might go wrong.
Go visit a dive medical doctor first, they know what will stop you from diving and what won't. If your sinuses are bad, then you may be unlucky in that diving will hurt, but it's sometimes hard to tell before actually trying it. Hence why asking a dive medical doc will help better than anyone on here will
I have had similar surgery but was fine to dive (70 dives under my belt with no problems). Really, it all comes down to whether or not you can equalize (pop your ears) easily and quickly.
Unfortunately I won't have time to see a diving medical doctor before this deal runs out :-(
I wouldnt worry to much about the deal, there's been quite a few open water cert deals going on in the past 2 years. safety is more important. my buddy had some bad sinus and still decided to come on a deep dive. we only got to about 6metres and we had to abort the dive since she couldn't equalize. when we got back up to the boat her nose was bleeding. luckily was nothing serious, cleared up in a couple days and went and did the dive no problem.
OK clearing up a few facts here (I'm a qualified PADI divemaster so I know the industry well):
1. YOU MUST BE ABLE TO SWIM, if you can't swim and are relying on your BCD, you are a very very risky diver and are a risk to the others around you. Algeraist that is the sleast smart comment I've ever seen, seriously. Tell how would that non-swimmer go when their BCD stops working (holes/lack of air)? Oh that's right they would either, drown or kick fast to the surface and then suffer from embolism/bends. And the open water cert is to 18m depth.
The going price in QLD is about $350-400 for this course, and half price dives for a period after that. $149 is a very good price. But you must include the cost of a dive medical and the compulsory PERSONAL gear after that, which in QLD is Fins, Mask, Snorkel, Whistle, Knife and Safey Sausage ~ $150-300 and up depending on how good you stuff is and where you get it (good gear from a website is a good idea)
The $800 includes 2 boat dives with gear AND 6 months air fills, so that could add up to $800 if you do it enough. But yeah claiming $800 is a bit much, $600 would probably be closer to the mark for other shops.
All in all, if it's legit thats a pretty darn good deal at $149 if you ever get a spot on a course.
P41N please see above. I'm not asking for a medical from you (im not that dumb) but do you know anyone who has had the same type of problems I have and how they went with a diving medical?
Yep Zoom, I got that, I was just saying that you would need to ask someone who is qualified to get the real answer, I replied before I saw that you can't see a doc in time. Hopefully someone on here has had very similar surgery and can shed some light for you.
On that note I had basic nasal surgery when I was younger but it hasn't affected my diving.
Yours however is much more intensive surgery than mine was. I've been on courses where people who have really bad sinuses on land try it out and are fine and people who have never had issues try it out and can't get passed 3metres. good luck.
you should ask around about dive medicals since the prices vary from $60 up to $300 depending where you go. I think I got mine for about $60 at the time, if your in NSW and live near the area or don't mind a scenic drive go to:
ROUSE HILL
Dr Mark Charteris
257 Annangrove Road
02 96791098
He has all the proper equipment and charges a lot less than most.
Aww man. They did something similar last year on Scoopon in NSW if I remember correctly. Was hoping for a VIC deal to happen. Ah well. Keep hoping. +ve from me.
No you're not. You don't wanna go diving in VIC unless you're doing it in a dry suit, or are immune to cold :P
Ok finally signed up! Been using this for years. Anyway.
My partner and I are going to Borneo from Melbourne in April, and most of the incredible dives that Sipidan is famous for you can't dive unless yo have the PADI course - i think the open water. I mentioned to my partner that we should look into getting certified before we go so that we don't miss out. But $$
SO - por's, is this a good enough deal to fly to NSW for? If not, anyone got a suggestion of the most economical way to get certified? p.s - I hate diving masks, coz when the water goes into my nose i panic..
Noooooooooooooooo.. I missed it.. why didn't I see this Why WHy WHY!!!..
That's the best price ever.. I need to get my partner certified coz i don't feel comfortable buddying with strangers..
sherm838> lucky you.. Sipadan is great! so it's definitely a good idea to get the licence here than to mess around when you get to a good dive site..
I think this offer is still available..
http://au.elazmo.com/shopping/pgm-more_information.php?id=16…
word of warning though. Their booking system is completely useless so always ring and check whether you're really booked in
Water won't go up your nose while wearing a diving mask. A diving mask has your nose enclosed so that you can equalize the pressure inside your mask, avoiding you coming up from a 15m dive with 2 black eyes. (You will learn about that during the course).
However, at least 4 or 5 times during the course you are going to have to take your mask off underwater and put it back on. This can happen by accident for a few reasons, so it's pretty important that you're able to put it back on. The first time can be a bit rough, but once you trust in the equipment and the process its ok.
As for Borneo, apparently once you dive there everywhere else in the world is disappointing, so enjoy!
I can't comment on this provider's course, but I did the PADI Open Water diving course in Mooloolaba with Sunreef and it was fantastic. Our course had to be truncated to 3 days due to weather, so we did all the pool work in one day (was stuffed afterwards, PADI requirements demand that they teach you thoroughly, else you can get them roasted via a survey completed through email afterwards) and two days of boat diving (two dives a day, each around 30-40 minutes).
For $149, this is a steal. Open Water certification means if you so desired, you could hire equipment and go on your own dives, or easily jump onto an expedition with a dive shop or resort. This certifies you down to 18m and leads into a whole bunch of other courses you could do if you so desired.
Note that the medical usually costs about $120 or so done at a doctor's clinic, less if you can find dive doctors who operate out of their homes on weekends (no administration fees etc). The medical is pretty easy to pass assuming you don't have asthma, can walk a flight of steps without running out of breath, can blow up a balloon and hear reasonably well.