— FOUNDATION
Foundation.
For first-time divers. The Open Water course, with the time and attention the skills actually deserve.
“First-time divers are my favourite students.
I still love sharing what's down there with someone seeing it for the first time, and the best part of any course is watching someone go from their first pool session to their open water dives — it happens faster than most people expect, and seeing this progression is the reason why I enjoy teaching it so much.”
— Dan Lipton
New to diving? This is the ultimate package for you.
Foundation is built for someone who has never breathed underwater — or who has tried it once, on holiday, and wants to do the proper course now. It suits individuals, couples learning together, and families. No prior experience is assumed, and the course is paced to the diver, not the instructor's schedule.
— THE COURSE —
The PADI Open Water Diver certification is the world's most widely recognised entry-level scuba qualification. It has three parts:
Knowledge development
- Online self-study covering dive theory, equipment, physics, and safety
- Completed at your own pace before in-water training begins
- Final exam closes the theory section
Confined water training
- Pool-based sessions to learn and practise the core dive skills
- Done in controlled conditions until each skill is comfortable
Water skills assessment
- A swim and a float
- Baseline water comfort, not an athletic test
Open water training dives
- Four dives at a real dive site, over at least two days — we add a fifth as standard
- Each dive includes instructor-assessed skills alongside time to explore
Certification trains you to dive to a maximum depth of 18 metres, with a buddy, in conditions similar to those you trained in.
— HOW WE RUN IT —
We add time and attention to every part of the course — more sessions, more dives, more one-to-one coaching than a standard run of the course provides.
Theory Workshops
In-person sessions that reinforce the eLearning and connect the theory to what you're about to do in the water.Low instructor ratios
1:1, 2:1, or up to 4:1 for families — quality time on every skill in confined water.Bonus dives
Additional open-water training dives as standard, beyond the agency-required four.Nitrox certification
Included as standard. Opens up longer, safer dives for the rest of your diving life. why we include it →Debrief dinner
Somewhere worth eating, and time to go through each Open Water day properly.The N35.9 kit
N35.9 dive journal with log pages, cap, water bottle, a fitted mask, and your own mouthpiece.
It's always great to see how quickly people gain confidence in the water. Most first-time divers arrive a little uncertain and finish the course wondering why they waited. The course is built to give that transition the time it needs.
— PRACTICALITIES —
Certifications earned
- PADI Open Water Diver
- PADI Enriched Air Nitrox
Duration (approx.)
- 4 days (Open Water only)
- 7 days (Open Water + Advanced Open Water, bundled)
Ratio
- 1:1, 2:1, or up to 4:1 for families and close friends
Minimum age
- 10 years (PADI Junior Open Water for ages 10–14; full Open Water from 15)
Prerequisites
- A completed medical questionnaire
- Baseline water comfort — a short swim and a float during training
Course durations are flexible to personal schedules — we'll plan around yours.
Groups of more than four divers are welcome — we'd arrange an additional instructor to maintain our ratio standards, with a corresponding adjustment to the trip cost. Please mention larger group plans on the enquire form.
Travel to the course destination is not included. Flights, accommodation, and arrival transfers aren't included — we're happy to advise on any of it.
— EQUIPMENT & LOGISTICS —
Provided
- All scuba equipment and tank fills
- Full dive-day logistics — site transfers, boat arrangements, and between-site transport
- eLearning access and certification fees
To bring
- Swimwear, a towel, and a mask if you own one
- We cover everything else
Continuing into Advanced Open Water
Foundation can be extended into a bundled seven-day programme covering both Open Water and Advanced Open Water back-to-back. Same instructor, same rhythm, no break between certifications. See Explorer for the AOW detail →