SSI Open Water DiverBecome a Diver
Get certified on the Great Barrier Reef — and home every night. No liveaboard. No pool. Study at home, then 3 days on the Great Barrier Reef, starting any day of the week.
Learn to dive together
Parents and children can do the SSI Open Water course side by side. Kids can start from age 10, every course runs in small groups of no more than 4 students per instructor, and you are back in Cairns every night with no overnight boat.
From age 10
The SSI Open Water Diver course starts at 10. Divers aged 10 and 11 are limited to 12 m.
Small groups
A maximum of 4 students per instructor. Children aged 10 or 11: no more than 2 with one instructor, and no more than 4 people in the group.
On the Great Barrier Reef
Online learning at home, then 3 reef days at Moore Reef. No pool, no liveaboard.
Recognised worldwide
Your SSI certification is accepted at dive centres around the world.
| Age | Maximum depth | Group size | Certification you receive |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10–11 | 12 m | No more than 2 children aged 10–11 with one instructor, and no more than 4 people in the group | Junior Open Water Diver: dives with a dive professional or a certified adult |
| 12–14 | 18 m | No more than 4 students per instructor | Junior Open Water Diver: dives with a dive professional or a certified adult |
| 15 and over | 18 m | No more than 4 students per instructor | Open Water Diver |
A Junior Open Water certification upgrades automatically when the diver turns 15.
Every student needs
The RSTC Diver Medical questionnaire, with a doctor’s sign-off if you answer yes to anything. A water fitness evaluation before the first open water dive: a 200 m swim, or 300 m with mask, snorkel and fins, plus 10 minutes floating or treading water. For under-18s, a parent or guardian must sign the consent form and be present.
The certification that opens everything up
Once you have it, you can hire gear and dive with a buddy anywhere in the world, to 18 metres, without an instructor. Internationally recognised.
Under 15? You receive a Junior Open Water Diver certification: you dive with a dive professional or a certified adult, and divers aged 10 and 11 stay within 12 metres. It upgrades automatically when you turn 15.
Most people do this in a pool in a cold city. You get to do it on the Great Barrier Reef — without giving up your whole holiday.
Study at home, then 3 days on the reef
Before you arrive — study at home
6 sections of SSI digital learning on your phone or laptop, with videos and quizzes. Allow 8–12 hours at your own pace. Do it on the couch or on the plane. Finish it before Cairns and your days here are spent in the water, not in a classroom.
Days 1 and 2 — skills, then your first 2 dives
Start on the custom training platform in our pontoon dive training centre — enclosed, sheltered, and shallow enough to stand up in: mask clearing, regulator recovery, buoyancy, sharing air. Flat water, stand-up depth. Once your instructor’s happy, your first 2 open-water training dives on the reef, to a maximum of 12 metres.
Day 3 — last dives and your certification
More skills, more confidence, then your final 2 training dives to a maximum of 18 metres. Final exam, water fitness evaluation, and you’re certified. Your digital card lands on your phone.
9 training dives across 3 days on the Great Barrier Reef
5 confined-water dives in the sheltered training centre beneath the Moore Reef pontoon, then 4 open-water dives on the reef. Plenty of divers do their first training dives in a pool. All of yours are on the reef.
Daily schedule
Check-in 9:30am, depart Cairns 10:15am, depart Moore Reef 4:00pm, back at Cairns Marina by approx. 5:30pm — each of the 3 days.
What’s in the price
Training
SSI digital learning and all materials, your SSI Open Water Instructor, 5 confined-water training dives and 4 open-water training dives on the reef.
Equipment
All scuba equipment for the duration of the course, plus wetsuit or stinger suit.
Your reef days
Moore Reef day trips, lunch and refreshments.
Certification
Your SSI Open Water Diver digital card, issued through the free SSI app.
Not included
A dive medical examination, if you need one. Everyone completes the RSTC Diver Medical questionnaire before getting in the water — if you answer yes to anything, a doctor needs to sign it off before you arrive, and that appointment is at your own cost. Additional dives beyond the course itinerary are not included.
Download the free SSI app before you start
Your theory lives in the app, and so does your certification card once you pass. It’s free, and it works offline — handy on a plane.
Search for SSI App — Education and Fun, or scan below.
4 things to know
The RSTC Diver Medical form
Every diver completes the RSTC Diver Medical — Participant Questionnaire before getting in the water. Same form, every course, every diver. If you answer no to everything, you’re cleared to dive. If you answer yes to anything, the Physician’s Evaluation section has to be signed by a doctor first — get that done at home before you travel and bring it with you.
Allow enough time
3 days on the reef, plus your online learning beforehand, plus at least 24 hours between your last dive and any flight. Don’t book this right up against your flight home.
Weather
If we can’t run a day due to conditions, we’ll move you to the next available one.
Plans can change
Free cancellation or rescheduling up to 5 days before your course commences. Book at least 24 hours ahead so there is time to finish the online theory before you board.
3 days in a row, 4 students
The 3 days run consecutively and cannot be split across your trip, so pick 3 days you are free. Each intake is capped at 4 students to 1 instructor. That is our own limit rather than the industry maximum, and it is the reason the course feels personal rather than processed.
Click to learn more
What does "confined water" mean?
It's the shallow, controlled area where you first practice every skill before doing it in the ocean — training wheels for your first few dives.
What's a buddy check?
A quick run-through with your dive buddy before every dive, making sure both of your gear is set up and working properly. It becomes second nature fast.
Why does everyone talk about equalising your ears?
As you descend, the water pressure builds and needs to be matched inside your ears — usually just a gentle pinch-and-blow. Your instructor teaches this properly before you go anywhere near open water.
What can I actually do with an Open Water certification?
Dive to 18 metres, anywhere in the world, with a buddy of similar certification — no guide required. It's the card that opens up recreational diving worldwide.
What the course actually looks like
Ready when you are
Pick your dates and book online in a couple of minutes. Not sure yet? Leave your details and we'll answer your questions first — no pressure either way.
No payment, no obligation.