The online PADI Open Water course offered through Divers Den is a convenient way to learn to dive. Learn the theory and lay the foundation for your practical learn to dive training on the Great Barrier Reef!
You’ll complete the academic part of the PADI Open Water Diver course through online learning in your own time, and in your own language (Click ‘Other Languages Available’ below to see all language options).
Sign up on the PADI website and make your way through the course material. This includes interactive presentations, video, audio, graphics and reading, along with short quizzes to gauge your progress. The eLearning portion takes around 12-15 hours to complete.
Once you’ve finished your online PADI course, you can book your practical training at the Great Barrier Reef with us.
Choose from courses with day trips, or multi-night stays on our liveaboard vessel OceanQuest. With both options you’ll become a certified Open Water Diver amongst the flourishing coral reefs and diverse marine life of our exclusive outer reef dive sites.
Includes all equipment and tuition. Prices valid from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021. Taxes/Levies are per person, per day (subject to change without notice). Fee includes: Environmental Management Charge (EMC) $7.00. Fuel, Port, and Administration Charges $13.00.
9am: Check in at our Dive Centre at 319 Draper St, Cairns for your day of pool and theory. Remember to bring your luggage for your overnight experience
5pm: Finish your training, shower and change before transferring to our liveaboard vessel OceanQuest
6pm: Board OceanQuest and settle into your cabin
7pm: Dinner is served
8pm: Introduction and trip briefing and meet the crew. A complimentary drink will be offered.
10pm: Bar closes
2am: Vessel departs Cairns for a slow cruise to the outer reef
8am: Sit down to a full cooked breakfast
8.45am: Dive 1 briefing
9am: Dive 1
10.45am: Dive 2 briefing
11am: Dive 2
1pm: Enjoy a delicious lunch, then rest and relax while we move to a new location
2.45pm: Dive 3 briefing
3pm: Dive 3
6.30pm: Dinner is served!
7.30pm: Enjoy our Sharks in the Dark experience as a snorkeller, or from on deck
10pm: Bar closes
The vessel will move to a new location early in the morning with a chance to see the sunrise.
8.30am: Breakfast time! Fuel up – today you’ll become a certified Open Water Diver!
9.15am: Dive 4 briefing
9.30am: Dive 4 – congratulations, you’re now an Open Water Diver!
11.15am: Dive 5 briefing
11.30am: Dive 5 (fun dive)
1pm: Lunch is served
1.30pm: OceanQuest begins the return trip to Cairns
4-4.30pm (approx): Arrival back in Cairns
On arrival in Cairns we will offer a complimentary luggage drop off to your hotel or our dive centre.
For overnight option:
Bedding and bath towels are supplied on board. Excess baggage can be stored at our Draper Street office at check in.
OceanQuest has the following accommodation options:
Due to current social distancing regulations:
All scuba participants must meet medical questionnaire requirements. Some conditions or medications may prevent you from diving.
Currently the rules state that for a single no decompression dive, you should not fly/go to altitude for at least 12 hours, or 18 hours after multiple dives. Divers Den recommends waiting a minimum 24 hours whenever possible. These are guidelines only, there is no guarantee that these recommendations will prevent decompression sickness. There are no current guidelines regarding diving after flying.
Altitude is defined as 300m/1000ft above sea level. Certain other tourist attractions around Cairns and Tropical North Queensland involve travelling to altitude. These include the Atherton Tablelands and the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, so we recommend a gap between booking these experiences and any dive course or trip. Under normal circumstances, you should be out of the water on your last dive by 12pm (midday) on our overnight trips and 2pm on our day trips.
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“Had an absolute blast doing my Open Water and Advanced course on board OceanQuest – it was everything I dreamed it would be on the Great Barrier Reef. My incredible instructors were amazingly knowledgeable Everyone was so helpful and welcoming. Thanks so much, I will definitely be back again!”
– Alex
