Cairns 3day 2night-Ocean Referral Course

Cairns
Snorkelling / Diving
Special Experience

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.

If you have completed PADI pool and theory training elsewhere, Pro Dive Cairns can help you complete your Open Water certification training onboard one of our three-day liveaboard trips; during which you will have the opportunity to participate in up to nine dives. The first four are training dives, which will complete your PADI Open Water certification. Once certified, you can enjoy five more recreational dives, one of which is an exciting night dive guided by your dive instructor.

Pro Dive Cairns has access to 19 outer reef dive sites over four magnificent reefs: Flynn, Thetford, Milln and Pellowe Reef. Diving at different times throughout the day, you will be able to encounter an amazing diversity of marine life including giant clams, sea turtles, stingrays, reef sharks, an incredible variety of tropical fish, spectacular coral formations with consistent underwater visibility. Night diving will introduce a whole new dimension of nocturnal life.

Between dives, relax in comfort onboard one of our three premium Scubapro dive vessels. These purpose-built, liveaboard dive vessels feature air-conditioned twin bunk bed or double bed cabins, spacious decks and catered meals. With small passenger numbers, we are able to offer a high-quality, personal experience with dedicated attention from our professional staff.

Departing Cairns every day except Tuesday, the three-day ocean referral course offers a truly memorable and exciting way to fully immerse yourself and experience our magnificent world heritage Great Barrier Reef environment.

Important Health and Safety Information:Prior to commencing your dive course, you are required to complete the self-assessment Student Diver Medical Declaration. A positive response to any questions 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. Medical must be complete within 90 days of starting your dive course.

Tips:

Ask plenty of questions, our instructors are keen to help you gain your confidence as a diver

Let us know if anything is making you uncomfortable e.g. straps too tight

Drink lots of water and stay hydrated

Don’t give up and stay positive! If you are having problems, you are not alone and we will help you

What to bring

Clothing and swimwear

Warm clothes for the evening

2 x towels (ocean/shower)

Dive medical if required

(ask us if you are not sure)

Sun hat

Marine safe sunscreen & toiletries

Certification card (certified divers)

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)

Health and safety

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. 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 here. The medical must be completed within 90 days of starting your dive course.

The minimum age to learn to dive in Queensland is 10. There is no maximum age.

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.

Tour Itinerary

We suggest you drop into our retail shop located on the corner of Grafton and Shields streets the night before your trip, to arrange your diving/snorkelling equipment, and fill out the necessary paperwork. The shop is open Monday – Sunday: 12.00am – 6.00pm.

Please note, the below itinerary is a guide only, and the order of sites may change. The skipper will always adapt the plan to the prevailing weather, tides and currents.

Day1:Great Barrier Reef

-06:00 Complimentary hotel transfer

Available from Cairns city and Northern Beaches hotels/hostels.

-06:20 Check 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.

-11:00 Dive 1: Training dive

-12:30 Lunch

-14:30 Dive 2: Training dive

-16:30 Snorkelling opportunity

-18:00 Dinner

-19:45 Night dive

Watch the certified divers participating in the first-night dive of the trip.

Day2: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 Dive5

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.

Day3:Great Barrier Reef

-06:30 Dive7

Your first dive of the day – a sunrise dive to enjoy the reef waking up.

-07:30 Breakfast

-09:00 Dive8

-11:00 Dive9

The last dive of the trip, finished by 1200 noon.

-12:15 Lunch

-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.

important information:

Some medical conditions may prevent you from diving. You will be required to obtain a dive medical certificate if you answer ‘yes’ to any of the questions on the Entry Level Student Diver Medical Declaration (https://prodivecairns.com/pdf/studentmedical.pdf). This must be valid within 90 days of commencing the course and must be done before you start with us. If you do need a dive medical, we recommend that you contact a doctor who is familiar with your medical condition, preferably with experience in diving medicine, to obtain written clearance for diving (the doctor must use the words ‘fit to dive’ or complete the physician’s section of the medical form). If you wait until arrival into Cairns, your medical can be done for an additional charge.

Please make sure that you bring your PADI referral papers signed by your PADI instructor, stating that you have completed all modules of pool and classroom training within 1 year. Please be aware that Pro Dive Cairns is a PADI training facility and if you have completed your pool and classroom training with another training agency and/or instructor other than PADI, you will be required to complete further training before your referral course on the boat commences. This further training will include an additional day to review water skills and theory. If you are unsure whether you hold a PADI referral or you need to organise this additional day of training, please do not hesitate to contact us further.

Please reconfirm your booking on Ph: 07 4031 5255 or call into our retail store on the corner of Grafton and Shields streets at least 48 hours prior to your date of departure. This will also give you the opportunity to advise us of your accommodation details in Cairns so that we can arrange transfers for you. You can organise your gear and verify your PADI referral paperwork and dive medical at the retail shop anytime between 4:30pm – 6:30pm the night before your departure for the boat.

Please note:

Some medical conditions may prevent you from diving

We recommend that all our divers take out travel insurance

We recommend that you wait 24 hours after diving before flying

What’s included

Included

9 Dives (4 training dives and 5 pleasure dives incl. 1 guided night dive)
PADI Open Water certification
Dive log book
All dive & snorkelling equipment, including dive computer, wetsuit and dive torch
Dive insurance
Corrective lens mask (if required)
Accommodation transfers (Cairns city & Northern Beaches)
All accommodation, meals and bed linen
Fuel surcharge

Not included

All inclusions are as indicated on the websites at time of travel. If not stated as included the item/s are at guests own cost.
Environmental Management Charge, Port and administration fee $100 per person and payable on check in

Ages

The minimum age to participate this tour is 15. 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

3 Day/2 Night Liveaboards (inc Nitrox Advanced, PADI Advanced, PADI/Nitrox Advanced, 3 Day Nitrox package, Refresher Course, Introductory Dives): Important Information: Some medical conditions may prevent you from diving. For example asthma, diabetes, epilepsy and heart or lung disease, as well as some other medical conditions. If you are unsure of a particular medical condition please contact us for more information. In the interest of safety we recommend that you not fly for 24 hours after diving. Your final scheduled dive of the 3-day trip will be completed by 12:00pm. Number of dives may vary subject to weather and/or other unforeseen circumstances. Travel insurance is highly recommended.

MEDICAL INFORMATION: Some medical conditions may prevent you from diving. For example asthma, diabetes, epilepsy and heart or lung disease, as well as some other medical conditions. If you are unsure of a particular medical condition please contact us for more information. In the interest of safety we recommend that you not fly for 24 hours after diving. Your final scheduled dive of the 3-day trip will be completed by 12:00pm. Number of dives may vary subject to weather and/or other unforeseen circumstances. Travel insurance is highly recommended.

How many people will be on the boat? Our vessels can carry a maximum of 32 passengers and 6 crew. There will be a mix of skill levels onboard: snorkellers, certified divers and students completing diving courses such as Open Water, Advanced, Rescue and Divemaster.

Dietary Requirements We are limited in catering for certain dietary requirements as we use cooks onboard our boats (not qualified chefs), so food substitution can be tricky. We serve buffet style meals during the liveaboard trip with plenty of fresh fruit and salads, so there will be a variety of foods available. We do have gluten free bread and pasta and soy milk onboard. If you are vegan or gluten free we recommend bringing your own snacks which don’t need to be refrigerated (refrigerator space is at a premium on the boat). The cook will be happy to speak with you once onboard about your diet, they will be able to show you what foods they will be cooking with and discuss how they can best accommodate your dietary requirements. Please notify the reservations team of your dietary requirements at the time of booking.

If a friend / partner is a certified diver or non-diver, can they come on the same trip with me whilst I’m on the course? Yes, your friend/partner will be buddied with another certified diver onboard while you complete your 4 Open Water training dives. After that you will have the opportunity to complete 5 pleasure dives together. There will be opportunities throughout the trip to snorkel and socialise with a non-diver if you are travelling with someone who doesn’t dive.

What accommodation facilities are available onboard ‘Scubapro’ vessels? All three vessels have 14 twin share bunk bed cabins and 2 double bed cabins available at the same cost. All cabins are for 2 people only. Double bed cabins are allocated on a first come first serve basis. There are 8 shared bathroom/shower facilities throughout the vessel. For clients travelling alone, we will arrange a twin share cabin with another person of the same sex.

What do I bring on the boat? Please take two towels – one for swimming and one for showering. Please also pack swimwear, comfortable clothing for three days including something warm, a hat, toiletries and marine safe sunscreen. We recommend packing a small bag as space is limited on the boat. Any excess luggage can be kept safely in storage for you at our retail shop.

Can I bring alcohol on board? Yes, Pro Dive Cairns does not sell alcohol onboard the boat. You are more than welcome to bring alcohol onboard, but in moderation as there is limited space on the boat. Please note once any alcohol has been consumed, you will not be permitted to enter the water again until the following day. Pro Dive Cairns encourages responsible drinking.

What if I am travelling alone? Who will I dive with? There will be other customers travelling alone and the dive crew will assist you in finding a dive buddy once onboard. Throughout the trip, you are more than welcome to change your dive buddy.

What depths will I be diving to? The Great Barrier Reef is generally not a deep dive destination. Our dive sites have an average depth range of 10-25 metres (30-80 feet). As coral relies on sunlight for growth, some of the best diving can be done in depths around 10-15 metres (30-50 feet).

What happens if I fail my Medical? (Liveaboard) If you fail your dive medical, you can still go on the liveaboard trip as a snorkeller.

Please check more Q&A here: https://prodivecairns.com/faq.html

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.

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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Cairns 3day 2night-Ocean Referral Course

Overview

What’s included

Ages

How to use

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