Start here
Diving Courses for Beginners
Get certified with our Open Water course, or give diving a try with our 1-day Try Scuba experience.
Contact us on WhatsAppNew to diving? These are your three options
If you really want to learn to dive, the best option is the Open Water course: the most popular diving course worldwide and the entry level to the underwater world. In only 3 days you learn every skill you need and become a certified diver for life.
Do 3 days sound like too much? There are options for you too. If you do not have time for the full Open Water, the most popular alternative is the Basic Diver, also known as Try Scuba.
Here you will find everything you need to choose the right course for you. Let's get into the details.
Where do you want to take your course?
Every course runs at our five dive schools. Pick your destination and the buttons below will take you to its dates, prices and booking.
Choose your beginner course
Three ways to start, all of them at our five dive schools in Thailand and Indonesia. Pick your destination and we will send you dates, prices and availability.
Most popular
Open Water Diver
3 days
4 dives
18 m
The Open Water course is the most popular diving course in the world and it is designed specifically for beginners. It is the best way to start your adventure as a certified diver for life.
- Day 1: class + training session in pool or confined water (shallow shore)
- Day 2: class + 2 dives (max. depth 12 m)
- Day 3: 2 dives (max. depth 18 m) + examination
Data and requirements
- Minimum age: 10 years old
- Prerequisites: None
- Academic sessions: Classes with your dive instructor
- In-water training: Pool / confined session + 4 open water dives
- Total program duration: 3 days
- Maximum depth: 18 meters
Scuba Diver
2 days
2 dives
12 m
The ideal beginner course if you do not have time for the full Open Water. You get the training and experience to dive in open water under the supervision of a dive professional, and your certification can be upgraded to Open Water later.
- Day 1: online learning + class with your instructor and pool / confined water session
- Day 2: 2 open water dives (max. depth 12 m)
Data and requirements
- Minimum age: 10 years old
- Prerequisites for certification: None
- Academic sessions: Classes with your instructor + online learning
- In-water training: Pool / confined session + 2 open water dives
- Total program duration: 2 days
- Maximum depth: 12 meters
Basic Diver · Try Scuba
1 day
1 dive
12 m
A 1-day beginner experience to feel the underwater world without committing to a 2 or 3 day certification program. Perfect for a first time, or when your trip is short.
- One 40-minute class to learn the basics of the equipment
- Practice session in the pool or off the beach
- 1 open water dive (max. depth 12 m)
Data and requirements
- Minimum age: 10 years old
- Certification prerequisites: None
- Academic sessions: One 40 minute class
- In-water training: Pool / confined session + 1 open water dive
- Total program duration: 1 day
- Maximum depth: 12 meters / 40 ft
Open Water course: get certified
The Open Water course is the most popular diving course in the world and it is specifically designed for beginners. This world-renowned certification program is the best way to start your adventure as a certified diver for life.
Personalized training is combined with in-water practice sessions so you get the skills and the experience to dive with confidence and control underwater.
You will obtain the SSI Open Water Diver certification, which allows you to dive anywhere in the world, always with a dive buddy, and up to 18 meters deep.
Chat on WhatsApp
Itinerary
Day 1
Class + training session in pool or confined water (shallow shore).
Day 2
Class + 2 dives to a maximum depth of 12 meters.
Day 3
2 dives to a maximum depth of 18 meters + examination.
| Data and requirements | Details |
|---|---|
| Minimum age | 10 years old |
| Prerequisites | None |
| Academic sessions | Classes with your dive instructor |
| In-water training | Pool / confined session + 4 open water dives |
| Total program duration | 3 days |
| Maximum depth | 18 meters |
There are more than 6 million divers worldwide, and they all started with the Open Water course. Sign up now and start your adventure.
Scuba Diver course
This is the ideal beginner course for those who do not have the time to complete the Open Water course. It gives you the training and experience needed to dive in open water environments under the supervision of a dive professional.
In only 2 days you learn the basics of scuba diving while enjoying 2 open water dives to a maximum depth of 12 meters.
You will earn the SSI Scuba Diver certification, which can be upgraded to the SSI Open Water Diver certification with additional training.
Chat on WhatsAppItinerary
Theory
Classes with your instructor plus online learning at your own pace.
Pool session
A pool or confined water session to get comfortable with the equipment.
2 open water dives
Two dives in the sea to a maximum depth of 12 meters.
| Data and requirements | Details |
|---|---|
| Minimum age | 10 years old |
| Prerequisites for certification | None |
| Academic sessions | Classes with your instructor + online learning |
| In-water training | Pool / confined session + 2 open water dives |
| Total program duration | 2 days |
| Maximum depth | 12 meters |
Once certified as a Scuba Diver, and with a little extra training, you can upgrade to Open Water with any SSI Dive Center anywhere in the world.
Try Scuba: your first dive
Try Scuba, also known as Discover Scuba Diving, is a 1-day beginner experience that gives you the chance to feel the underwater world without committing to a 2 or 3 day certification program.
You will have a short class in the morning to learn the basics of the equipment and get ready for the underwater environment, then a practice session in the pool or on the beach to get used to breathing underwater.
Once you feel comfortable, we make a dive that can reach a maximum depth of 12 meters. This is the right program if you want to try scuba diving for the first time or your trip is too short for a full course.
Chat on WhatsApp
Itinerary
Morning class
One 40 minute class on the equipment and the underwater environment.
Practice session
Pool or confined water session to get used to breathing underwater.
Your first dive
One open water dive to a maximum depth of 12 meters.
| Data and requirements | Details |
|---|---|
| Minimum age | 10 years old |
| Certification prerequisites | None |
| Academic sessions | One 40 minute class |
| In-water training | Pool / confined session + 1 open water dive |
| Total program duration | 1 day |
| Maximum depth | 12 meters / 40 ft |
If within 6 months of your Try Scuba you decide to take the Open Water course, your first open water dive counts as one of the training dives required for certification.
Five dive destinations
Where do you want to learn to dive?
100% online booking
Booked with one WhatsApp message
No forms on the website and nothing to print. Everything happens on your phone, from your first message to your last dive.
- Message us on WhatsApp Tell us the course, the destination and your dates, and we reply with availability and prices.
- Confirm your booking You receive your booking code (for example, DPM-2PB4F) and a payment link to confirm your place.
- Register in minutes With that link you fill in the medical form and sign it online, which takes about 4 minutes.
- Follow your course From then on, your course diary shows what's done and what's left: booking, registration, dives, final payment and certification.
All set! Your code: DPM-2PB4F
📝 Complete your registration (medical form + signature):
https://r.dpmdiving.com/en/DPM-2PB4F
🤿 Save this link — it's your day-by-day course journal:
https://r.dpmdiving.com/en/mi/DPM-2PB4F
💳 If you pay by bank transfer, write this code as the reference and send us the receipt:
DPM-PP-1015-37PNXD
See you at the front desk!
Included with your course
Your whole course, organised on your phone
From your first WhatsApp message to your certification, the whole process is 100% online. Our Mareaviva app takes you through your course day by day, before and after every dive.
Course tracker Every day of your course is laid out in the app, so you always know what's planned and what comes next. You know who your instructor is, and they follow your progress in the app from start to finish.
Dive briefing Each dive comes with its briefing: the site map and the dive plan, with time, entry and exit points, maximum depth and expected dive time.
Dive plan Start time, entry and exit points, maximum depth, expected dive time and the safety stop, drawn as a dive profile.
Species logbook See which marine life to look out for on each dive, then tick off the species you actually spot.
Photo pack When you finish, you get a pack of underwater photos from the best sites around your centre: not pictures of your own dive, but a keepsake to take home.
Surprise prize When you rate your instructor you always get a surprise gift: it could be a discount on another course or even a free course, chosen at random.
All of this is included in the price of your course. Send us a message to get started: we reply at any hour.
Chat on WhatsAppFAQ
Frequently asked questions about beginner diving courses
Which beginner course should I choose?
Open Water if you want a full certification for life in 3 days, Scuba Diver if you only have 2 days, and Try Scuba if you just want to try diving for one day.
Do I need experience or a certification to start?
No. None of our beginner courses has prerequisites and the minimum age is 10 years old.
How deep will I dive on a beginner course?
Up to 18 meters with the Open Water certification, and up to 12 meters on the Scuba Diver course and the Try Scuba experience.
Can I upgrade my course later?
Yes. The Scuba Diver certification can be upgraded to Open Water at any SSI Dive Center, and a Try Scuba dive counts as a training dive if you start your Open Water within 6 months.
Not sure which dive program is right for you?
Send us a message and we will help you decide where to start, at which school and on which dates.
