PRO DIVE Open Water Weekend Scuba Diving Course

There are two schools of thought on this. One is that you should not really consider purchasing your personal gear until you are sure what type of diving you like. This school believes you should buy only mask, fins and snorkel, for fit and sanitary reasons.
The other school of thought is that rental gear, especially in international tropical locations, is often second rate and poorly maintained, and that gear you purchase will be better and more reliable.

Also once you have some idea about what you need, it is always recommended you buy the best quality you can afford. Scuba equipment is after all, life support equipment. 

Most start with mask, fins, snorkel, then probably move to a wetsuit, then regulator and BCD. Typically people agree a cylinder is probably the last piece of equipment to buy.

Source: http://scifi.squawk.com/scuba.html (adapted by Sue Crowe)

• There are many International Certifications around the worlds - ISC, PADI, SSI, SDI, NAUI, RAID, BSAC, CMAS just to name a few.
• All Internationally recognised certifications conform to the ISO Standard, which has been adopted by Standards Australia and by the major training agencies.
• Training agencies do not teach dive courses. Dive Centres and their instructors do. Since 1969 PRO DIVE has been teaching Sydney how to dive, longer than anyone else.

Yes, and failure to do so will mean that you wont be able to continue the course. The 200 meter swim and 10 minute test are to demonstrate that you are watersafe. The swim has to be continuous (no grabbing the side of the pool) , using any stroke and is not timed. 

As a Beginner,the course you need to do is one of our OPENWATER Courses. This beginners course is suitable for anyone who has never dived or snorkelled before as well as students who may have already experienced an Introductory Dive. On completion of the OPENWATER course you will be certified to dive to a depth of 18 meters,be able hire scuba cylinders and purchase air fills.  The certification you receive is recognised world wide.

1. All students must be able to swim.  There is a 200 meter swim test and 10 minute tread water/float test completed in the heated training pool (one of the confined water modules you will be required to complete and pass).
2. The Minimum age is 15 years of age and there is no maximum age limit
3. All students must be medically fit to dive.  Please refer to the Dive Medical Page on our website for information plus a link for the Student Medical Waiver form which all students are required to complete and suggest you complete and submit
4. If you have completed and submited the student medical waiver form and received an advice that you will be required to complete a full dive medical, for details for doctors who are registered to do the dive medicals please view this website www.spums.org.au.  Your own doctor may also be able to do this medical for you and you will need to provide the appropriate dive medical form. This form is linked to the Dive Medical Page and can be printed off.

Children as young as 10 years of age, however as the Student instructor ratio have to be halved for anyone under 15 years in a course, none of our standard openwater course are available for anyone under 15 years*. 

When considering if our open water course is suitable for your child, please note that we do not offer specific courses for children and they will be training with other adults on the course.

• We do require that the bookings for children under 18yrs of age be made directly at the Dive Shop/Training Centres as we will require
• Specific consent forms to be completed by a parent or guardian.
• The opportunity to meet our Team and to ensure that we have appropriately sized dive gear for the student.

* Anyone want a child under the age to complete a course in Sydney will need to look at a private course or a program specifically run for children under that age.

All students are provided with the following gear hire for the duration of the course

• Mask, fins and snorkel, 5 Mil wetsuit one piece with long arms and long legs, buoyancy vest, regulator with alternate air source and dive computer, scuba cylinders including air fills, weight belt and weights.

If you wear glasses, here is some information for you

1. You are able to dive with contact lenses provided that they are soft lenses. 

2. Alternatively you may wish to consider purchasing a prescription mask. There are masks available to purchase where the standard glass lenses can be taken out and replaced by prescription lenses. Lens sizes range from -1 diopter to -8 and are in half sizes ( i.e. 1.5, 2, 2.5 etc). (Masks with prescription lenses are not available for hire)..

• In Sydney, Pro Dive Coogee and Pro Dive Manly have the following instructor to student ratios. 
  • Week Day Course - Max 7 Students per instructor: 
  • Weekend Course - Max 7 students per instructor

Currently the e'learning is only available in English, French, Spanish, German, Italian and more. However all pratical training is done in English,

Immediately on receipt of your confirmation voucher  please action the following:
1. Via the link Dive Medical on your voucher, please complete and submit the completed dive medical questionnaire. If you receive an advice that you are required to have a full dive medical, this must be completed at least 7 days prior to course commencement

2. Please register for your E learning. Instructions on how to register are on your voucher.  To be allowed to start the course you must have completed all the theory prior to the start date. You will need to allow 6-7hrs to completethis. Once you have registered for the open water course theory, the Dive shop receives notification that you have registered and will confirm back to so  you will be provided with access. 

If you have not completed the online theory, you will not be able to start the course. $100.00 rebooking fee will apply if you need to change your start date.