Cairns 5 Day Learn To Dive PADI Course
- Cairns
- Snorkelling / Diving
- Special Experience
- Watersports
Overview
Starting May 1, 2026, due to events in the Middle East, we will be adding a small fuel surcharge of $25 per person to the liveaboard portion. Prices are subject to change without notice.
There is no better place to learn scuba diving than Australia’s famous Great Barrier Reef!
This immersive five day course will take you all the way from first-time driver to certified diver with plenty of fun experiences in the between. The course includes 9 dives at some of the best dive sites in the area and your schedule will be quite full — so get ready to be busy from early morning till the very evening. But don’t worry about overworking yourself — there will also be plenty of time for snorkeling, relaxing and enjoying the reef experience. All the necessary equipment will be provided on the spot and you will get a PADI Gold Open Water Certificate upon completion of the course.
The five-day course consists of two parts:
Two-days in pool and classroom training in Cairns.
Three-days and two-nights on an Outer Great Barrier Reef liveaboard trip.
The first two days of the course are spent at our five-star PADI training centre where you will learn dive theory in air-conditioned classrooms and basic skills of scuba diving in the pool. Centrally located in Cairns city, our modern training centre features the deepest four-metre diver training pools in the region, ensuring a professional and safe learning environment. Then it’s time to head out to The Great Barrier Reef for a three-day, two-night liveaboard adventure to become a certified diver!
Once on The Great Barrier Reef, you will have the opportunity to participate in up to nine dives. The first four dives are training dives, which will complete your PADI Open Water Certification. After these are completed, you can enjoy five recreational dives, one of which is an exciting night dive guided by your dive instructor. This is a highly personalised certification course and you’ll have the same instructor for the entire duration.
Pro Dive Cairns has access to a variety of diving and snorkelling experiences across 19 exclusive Outer Reef dive sites over four magnificent reefs: Flynn, Thetford, Milln and Pellowe Reefs. Diving at different times throughout the day, you will be able to encounter an amazing diversity of marine life including giant clams, majestic sea turtles, graceful stingrays, reef sharks, an incredible variety of tropical fish and spectacular coral formations, with consistent underwater visibility. Night diving will introduce a whole new dimension of nocturnal sea-life.
Between dives, relax in comfort on board one of our three premium Scubapro dive boats. These purpose-built liveaboard dive vessels feature air-conditioned twin or double cabins, spacious decks, WiFi, catered meals, and all the comforts of home. With small passenger numbers and close crew-to-guest ratios, a high-quality, personalised experience with dedicated attention from our specialist staff is ensured at all times.
Starting in Cairns every day except Sunday, this five-day open water course offers a truly memorable and exciting way to become a certified scuba diver while having the opportunity to explore the magnificent World Heritage Great Barrier Reef environment.
Course Schedule
Day 1: Academic & Pool Training
08:00 Complimentary hotel transfer
Available from Cairns city and Northern Beaches hotels/hostels
08:30 Check in at Pro Dive Cairns training centre
Located at 116 Spence Street
08:45 Course starts
Academic training begins in the classroom
12:30 Lunch break
Lunch is not provided
13:30 Pool training
Practical dive training begins
17:30 Complimentary return transfer
Return transfer to your accommodation
Day 2: Academic & Pool Training
07:30 Complimentary hotel transfer
Available from Cairns city and Northern Beaches hotels/hostels
08:00 Equipment briefing
Hands-on scuba gear walk through with instructors.
09:15 Pool training
12:00 Lunch break
Lunch is not provided
13:15 Gear up at the Pro Dive Cairns retail shop
Dive equipment fitting for the liveaboard trip
14:00
Final academic training session and exam
17:45 Complimentary return transfer
Return transfer to your accommodation
Day 3: Great Barrier Reef
06:00 Complimentary hotel transfer
Available from Cairns city and Northern Beaches hotels/hostels
06:20Check in at Pro Dive Cairns retail shop
Corner of Shields & Grafton Streets, Cairns City
07:00 Depart Cairns for 3 days & 2 nights on The Great Barrier Reef
Light breakfast served on board
11:00Dive 1: Training dive
On the Great Barrier Reef
12:30 Lunch
14:30 Dive 2: Training dive
16:30 Snorkelling opportunity
18:00 Dinner
19:45Watch the night dive
Watch the certified divers participating in the first night dive of the trip
Day 4: Great Barrier Reef
07:00 Dive 3: Training dive
First dive of the day, before breakfast
09:00 Breakfast
11:15 Dive 4: Training dive
This will be the last training dive for Open Water certification
12:45 Lunch
15:15 Dive 5
First dive as a newly certified scuba diver
17:45 Dinner
19:30 Dive 6: Night dive
Guided night dive experience for all newly certified divers
Day 5: Great Barrier Reef
06:30 Dive 7
Your first dive of the day – a sunrise dive to enjoy the reef waking up.
07:30 Breakfast
09:00 Dive 8
11:00 Dive 9
The last dive of the trip, finished by 1200 noon
12:00 Lunch
Last lunch on The Great Barrier Reef before returning to Cairns
16:00 Complimentary return transfer
Return transfer to your accommodation
19:30 Farewell dinner (optional, additional cost)
Join fellow passengers and crew at a local restaurant for a farewell dinner
What’s included
Included
- 9 dives (4 training dives and 5 pleasure dives including one night dive)
- PADI Open Water Certification
- PADI Open Water manual
- All dive and snorkelling equiptment (prescription masks if required)
- All meals and bed linen on board the boat (All accommodation onboard the vessels are Double or Twin Share Cabins.)
- Dive Insurance
- Dive Log book
- Accomodation transfers (city and northern beaches)
- 2 passport photos (required for certification)
- Fuel Surcharge – $25 per person
Not included
- Other personal expenses
- 2 nights local accomodation in Cairns city for the two first nights of the 5-day PADI
- Flights to and from Cairns
- Transfer from all Northern Beaches pickups up to Palm Cove are $25 each way
- Environmental Management Charge, Port and administration fee- $100 per person and payable on check in
- Underwater Canon digital camera hire
- Nitrox air fills
- Cost of Dive Medical (if required)
- Trip cancellation or interruption Insurance
- Deck and bath towels
- Personal toiletries
Ages
The minimum age to learn to dive in Queensland is 10. There is no maximum age.
How to use
Please arrive at the hotel lobby 10 minutes before your selected pick up time
Operator will reconfirm your pick-up time in advance, and this is a shared transfer and early or late pick-up is possible
Good to know
Your safety and comfort is our number one priority. Please let our experienced instructors know if you are worried, stressed or not feeling well at any point.
Before commencing your dive course, you are required to complete the self-assessment Entry Level Student Diver Medical Declaration. Please click https://prodivecairns.com/online-medical-qa.html . A positive response to any question indicates there is a pre-existing condition which may affect your safety while diving and you must consult a medical practitioner, preferably with experience in diving medicine, to obtain a dive medical certificate that states you are medically fit to dive.
To obtain a copy of the Entry Level Student Diver Medical Declaration, please click https://prodivecairns.com/pdf/studentmedical.pdf. The medical must be completed within 90 days of starting your dive course.
It is a dive course requirement that you be able to swim 200 metres or snorkel 300 metres and tread water/float for 10 minutes
We recommend that you do not fly within 24 hours of diving. The earliest you should fly is 12 pm (midday) on the day after your trip concludes.
Digital underwater cameras are available for hire onboard our dive boats for a cost of AUD40 per dive. Please note you will not be able to use the underwater camera until you are a certified diver
What to bring (Day 1&2 at the Training Centre) ：Swimwear, Towel, Marine safe sunscreen, Money for lunch, Dive medical if required (ask us if you are not sure), Passport or Australian driver's licence
What to bring (Day 3, 4 & 5 on the Great Barrier Reef) : Clothing and swimwear, Warm clothes for the evening, 2 x towels (ocean/shower), Sun hat, Marine safe sunscreen & toiletries, Seasickness medication, Shoes are not necessary, Alcoholic beverages if you would like a drink in the evening
Please do not bring: Sleeping bags, Pillows, Extra luggage (luggage can be stored securely at our retail shop)
SURCHARGE: Due to potential significant volatility in supply & operational costs a surcharge may be applied due to unforeseen circumstances. In such cases any charge will be collected on departure.
Disclaimer
After the product is successfully booked, we will send you a confirmation voucher. The main information about the reservation and the precautions for participation will be provided on the confirmation voucher. Please read it. If you do not have any feedback, we consider that you have read and know all the information on its confirmation.
As an intermediary agency, we are only responsible for making travel product reservations for tourists.
We recommend that tourists purchase travel insurance. Tourist product suppliers such as tourist attractions, hotels and transportation companies will be directly responsible for the quality, service and safety of travel products. We are not responsible for any safety issues with the products ordered.
In the event of an unexpected situation without insurance, we will only assist in handling it.
If the booking is forcibly cancelled due to the reasons of the travel product supplier, we will refund the full amount corresponding to the booking without additional compensation.
We will try our best to assist tourists to communicate and negotiate solutions with tourism product suppliers.
After the product is successfully booked, we will send you a confirmation voucher. The main information about the reservation and the precautions for participation will be provided on the confirmation voucher. Please read it. If you do not have any feedback, we consider that you have read and know all the information on its confirmation.
As an intermediary agency, we are only responsible for making travel product reservations for tourists.
We recommend that tourists purchase travel insurance. Tourist product suppliers such as tourist attractions, hotels and transportation companies will be directly responsible for the quality, service and safety of travel products. We are not responsible for any safety issues with the products ordered.
In the event of an unexpected situation without insurance, we will only assist in handling it.
If the booking is forcibly cancelled due to the reasons of the travel product supplier, we will refund the full amount corresponding to the booking without additional compensation.
No show: Ticket holders who 'no show' without prior cancellation or notification are not eligible for a refund.
We will try our best to assist tourists to communicate and negotiate solutions with tourism product suppliers.
For some marine products (including but not limited to various cruises, whale watching cruise, etc.), the supplier reserve the right to arrange alternative vessels or make changes to itineraries, service timetables, routes and/or destinations. The supplier may cancel or abandon the cruise if they consider it necessary for weather or safety reasons and except as expressly stated in these Terms and Conditions, we will not be liable for any loss or expense incurred by the Passenger caused by such substitution or cancellation.
When visiting attractions or participating in activities, please strictly adhere to the instructions provided by the venue or staff. Ensure you fully understand the associated risks (refer to venue announcements or the safety waiver required for signature for specific details), cooperate as required to implement appropriate safety precautions, and strictly refrain from engaging in any dangerous behaviors during the activity.
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