PADI Discover Scuba Diving Course in Chennai

Duration: Half Day

This is a half-day program for beginners and consists of a guided dive on a reef with an instructor.

Options:

• • Experience Scuba Program (pool):  here, you will get a theory briefing, a gear orientation and then practice some basic safety skills.   After that, you get to experience what scuba is all about, in the familiar environment of a swimming pool.   Obviously, you don’t see any fish this way, but it is a great way to get a taste of diving and the feeling of being weightless in the water. An ideal option for people who are short on time or not sure about going out into the ocean. And if you like it, you can continue onwards to the PADI Discover Scuba Diving program in the ocean.
  • PADI Discover Scuba Diving (open water): this starts out the same way as the Experience Scuba program – you will get a theory briefing, a gear orientation and then practice some basic safety skills in a pool. After that, we take you to an open water dive site (either the ocean or our deep-water quarry), where you get to dive in wilder, deeper conditions and experience the magic of scuba.   This is a full-day session

Participants who are not sure can always decide whether they want to do after doing the pool training – there is no pressure! We want you to have fun.

Do note that this is not a training course, but an experience program. No swimming skills are required, but candidates do have to complete a short medical, to ensure they are fit for diving. A Certificate of Completion and photos of your dive are included.

Price:
Experience Scuba pool program: Rs 3,500
PADI Discover Scuba Diving program:  pool + open water session: Rs 7,000

The Scuba Diver course is a 2-day certification course, conducted as per the international standards laid down by PADI, the world’s largest diver training agency.    This certifies divers to dive to depths of 12m with professional supervision.

The program consists of 3 components:

• • • Academic development: this can be done online before you come here, or over the course of 3-3.5 hours of video/online sessions once you are here. Here, you learn more about the physics, physiology and other aspects of diving and the underwater world
    • Confined Water training: This is half a day (usually) of skills training, where you learn more about dive equipment as well as master the various skills needed to dive safely.
    • 2 Open Water dives: these are deep water dives, where you practice the skills you have learned in confined water and also get to experience and enjoy the magic of the underworld world.

The entire program takes 2 days, and is scheduled as follows:
– Day 1: theory and confined water
– Day 2: 2 open water dives

Basic swimming skills (ability to float/tread water for 10 minutes) are required for this program, and divers also need to review a medical form and get a doctor’s clearance if relevant.

Price: Rs 18,500

The Open Water Diver course is a 3-4 day certification course, conducted as per the international standards laid down by PADI, the world’s largest diver training agency.    This certifies divers to dive to depths of 18m without professional supervision, and is generally considered the first full level of diver training.

The program consists of 3 components:

• • • Academic development: this can be done online before you come here, or over the course of 4.5-5 hours of video/online sessions once you are here. Here, you learn more about the physics, physiology and other aspects of diving and the underwater world
    • Confined Water training: This is half a day (usually) of skills training, where you learn more about dive equipment as well as master the various skills needed to dive safely.
    • 4 Open Water dives: these are ocean dives, conducted on the reef, where you practice the skills you have learned in confined water and also get to experience and enjoy the magic of the underworld world.

The entire program takes 3 days, and is scheduled as follows:

– Day 1: theory and confined water (may take 2 days, depending on the student)

– Day 2: 2 open water dives

– Day 3: 2 open water dives

Basic swimming skills (ability to float/tread water for 10 minutes and also ability to swim 200m) are required for this program. Divers also need to review a medical form and get a doctor’s clearance if relevant.

Price: Rs 29,000

For people who are going somewhere else to dive, it is possible to complete just the theory and pool training in Chennai, and then complete the 4 ocean dives elsewhere (either with us in the Andamans, Sri Lanka or one of our DIVEIndia Outbound trips, or at a destination of your choosing).      We will provide you with a training documentation sheet (called a Referral) – you take that to the dive center where you plan to complete your course, and they will then register you for the dives and certify you.

The program consists of 2 components, which are the same as in the PADI Open Water course:

• Academic development: this is done via self-study online, followed by an online session with an instructor. Here, you learn more about the physics, physiology and other aspects of diving and the underwater world
• Confined Water training: This is half a day (usually) of skills training, where you learn more about dive equipment as well as master the various skills needed to dive safely.   Do note:  the actual duration depends on how long it takes to learn the skills – in some cases, the training may take more time.

The entire program typically takes 1-2 days, and is scheduled as follows:

– Upon registration and payment, we send you details on how to complete your theory online.     We recommend you book your course atleast one week prior, to allow time for processing this.

– On the scheduled day, we meet at our designated training pool and complete your confined water pool training: the essential diving and safety skills that you need in order to dive safely.

Do note that basic swimming skills (ability to float/tread water for 10 minutes and also ability to swim 200m) are required for this program. Divers also need to review a medical form and get a doctor’s clearance if relevant.

Price:
– Rs 14,500 for the training
– Rs 4,500 for the materials and certification costs: while buying this from us is option, please note that it is mandatory to purchase it for certification.   So if you choose not to buy from us, you will have to purchase this from the dive center where you complete your ocean dives.

For divers who have completed their theory and confined water training elsewhere, we offer the option to complete your Open Water dive here in Chennai.

Conducted over 2 days, this program will consist of 2 dives per day.    We can conduct this over a weekend, over weekdays or as per your schedule, no problems.

Do note that this program assumes that all your confined water skills and theory has been completed, and also that there are no issues with performing the essential skills.    In case you are having difficulties with the skills, we will be happy to review them with you – however, in case significant remedial training is required, there is a charge for that. Similarly, if it has been several months since your confined water training, you may need to do a refresher before getting into the water. Contact us and we can go over this with you.

Price:
– Rs 16,000 for the 4 Open Water dives
– Rs 4,500 for materials and certification fees (if you did not get this as part of your confined water training)
– Rs 5,000 for one session of remedial confined water training (if need be – a short refresher is included at no charge)

For certified divers, we offer dive trips to a variety of reefs around the region.    We meet at our base in Kovalam, and then either depart directly from there or transfer by car to the boat launching point if we are going to a site that is further away from the city.

Price:
– 2-tank day trip: Rs 6,500, including full gear rental
– 3-tank day trip: Rs 9,000, including full gear rental
(There may be a surcharge for remote trips).

For certified divers who live in Chennai or plan to visit it regularly and are interested in diving regularly, we have the following “season packs” consisted of discounts on dive bundles.     These can be used at any time within the season., subject to space availability on the boat.

Price:
– 5 day (10 dive) pack: Rs 29,000, including full gear rental
– 10 day (20 dive) pack: Rs 52,500, including full gear rental
(There may be a surcharge for remote trips or for additional dives).

Are you already a certified diver, and planning a dive holiday somewhere?     Or do you want to work on your dive skills, such as reducing your air consumption or improving your buoyancy?

If so, why travel all the way to a remote location and then waste diving days doing skills training in a pool or confined water?   Instead, come down to Chennai and our team of experienced dive professionals will work with you to improve your dive skills, freeing you to focus on your diving while on holiday.

For beginners, this consists of a one-day Scuba Refresher program, where you will do a thorough review of your open water skills,  as well as review some of your open water dive theory and other useful habits to maximize your safety and fun while diving.  This is also a great opportunity to correct any bad habits that might have crept up during your initial training.

You can also use this session to check your gear and make sure you are familiar with all aspects of it, try out alternative equipment that may be better suited for your trip and generally make sure you are all good to go for your holiday.

Price: 
Pool session only: Rs 5,000
Refresher + 1 dive: Rs 6,500

Are you already a certified diver, and planning a dive holiday somewhere?     Or do you want to work on your dive skills, such as reducing your air consumption or improving your buoyancy?

If so, why travel all the way to a remote location and then waste diving days doing skills training in a pool or confined water?   Instead, come down to Chennai and our team of experienced dive professionals will work with you to improve your dive skills, freeing you to focus on your diving while on holiday.

For beginners, this consists of a one-day Scuba Refresher program, where you will do a thorough review of your open water skills,  as well as review some of your open water dive theory and other useful habits to maximize your safety and fun while diving.  This is also a great opportunity to correct any bad habits that might have crept up during your initial training.

You can also use this session to check your gear and make sure you are familiar with all aspects of it, try out alternative equipment that may be better suited for your trip and generally make sure you are all good to go for your holiday.

Price: 
Pool only: Rs 5,500
Refresher + 1 dive: Rs 6,500

The PADI Advanced Open Water course certified you to dive up to 30m.  It is a certification required by many dive centers and liveaboard operators for their trips – and not coincidentally, those are often the type of trips where you see the bigger pelagics (hammerheads, anyone?).

Unlike the Open Water course, this is more of a practical course – the idea is to give you, the diver, experience of diving in different sort of circumstances or with different goals in mind:  deep diving, navigation, refining your buoyancy, etc.

The intended outcome is to provide a more in-depth understanding and application of the content you have learned in the open water course, and also refine your diving skills further.   It is also a great way to correct any bad habits that may have crept in during your Open Water course or address any areas that you want to improve.   As a result, we recommend that divers do the advanced course early in their diving progression, in order to get the most benefits out of it.

Price:   Rs 27,000

Do you use up too much air when you dive?     Do you have trouble descending quickly or maintaining your depth during safety stops?   Do you feel that you are working harder in the water than other divers around you?     Do you struggle with your legs going up or sinking?

If so, our Buoyancy Bootcamp is for you.

This program is designed for relatively new or moderately experienced divers who want to improve their overall diving skills and increase their comfort in the water.      The program covers the following areas:
– Advanced buoyancy concepts to help you relax in the water and improve your control over depth using just your lungs
– Weight check and distribution
– Trim
– Matching fins to kicking style and leg strength
– Real world air and dive planning
– Advanced troubleshooting concepts when things go wrong
– Improving air consumption
– Mindset of an independent diver

The duration of this session is typically 1-2 days: a lot depends on how fast you learn and how much development work you need. We recommend planning on one day and adding a second later, if needed. Obviously, you will not master perfect buoyancy skills in one session, but the goal is to teach you enough that you can then practice on your own in future.

We feel very confident that this program is going to significantly improve not just your diving skills but also your confidence in the water – so much so that we guarantee you your money back, if you are not satisfied.

Price:
Rs 7,000 per day

The Emergency First Responder course is a non-diving course.   Not only is it (or a comparable CPR/First Aid program) is a mandatory requirement for the Rescue Diver course, but it is also a very useful program in its own right, as it  trains regular laypersons on how to manage any medical emergencies that they may encounter in their day to day life.

The skills involved here can save the life of someone, and we cannot recommend this program highly enough!

The program consists of 2 components:

• Primary Care: this covers how to handle life-threatening situations, and teaches participants on how to provide CPR, as well as how to handle serious bleeding, head/spinal injuries and shock.
• Secondary Care: This portion of the course teaches participants on how to handle potentially less critical injuries, ranging from cuts, choking, burns, fractures and others.

The entire program takes a full day.

Price:
Rs 12,000

The PADI Rescue Diver course is nearly universally considered to be one of the most rewarding courses that a diver can take, after the Open Water course.    Not only does it teach you how to handle any diving-related emergencies that may occur, it also increases your awareness of how accidents happen and how to prevent them beforehand.      This is one of the “breakthrough” courses in terms of how you approach diving.

The program consists of 2 components:

• Academic development: the bulk of this is done via self-study before you come for your in-water training.     However, there is also a significant portion on discussion time with an instructor, where we build upon and add to the ideas covered in the manual,
• Rescue Skills training:  these are conducted in a mix of the pool and open water, and cover a wide variety of scenarios, ranging from dealing with distressed divers on the surface, handling unconscious divers, running search patterns for missing divers and more.

The entire program takes 1-2 days.

A PADI or equivalent Advanced Open Water certification is required for this program. Divers also need to review a medical form and get a doctor’s clearance if relevant.

Price:
Rs 24,000

If you are going on a diving holiday where you will be doing a lot of diving, nitrox is invaluable – it helps you increase your bottom time significantly and get the most out of your diving holiday:  why end your dive with 100-110 bar in your tank when you can stay for another 10-15 minutes?

The PADI Nitrox course teaches you how to dive with mixes containing oxygen from 22% to 40%. In the program, you learn how to match your nitrox mix to dive depth, how to calculate your oxygen exposure, how to plan a dive on nitrox and stay within limits & how to test your tank.

The program duration is approximately 3 hours.

While not mandatory, we strongly recommend that you have your own dive computer or purchase one along with the course. Training on the use of the computer is included in the program.

The PADI Nitrox Course is a theory-only program (the dives are optional and we recommend you save your money for when you are actually on a diving holiday – doing the dives for training will not make the course any better or more useful).

Price: Rs 9,500
There is a 15% discount on this course for people who buy a dive computer from us.

Interested in in-depth training in a specific aspect of diving – consider a Specialty Course.   These are… erm, deep dives (no pun intended) into various topics, covering advanced theory as well as in-water skills development.     Programs include Deep Diving, Wreck Diving, Sidemount Diving, Underwater Naturalist, Underwater Photography and more.

Price:  Varies upon the specialty – please contact us for more info

If you are interested in going pro with us, we offer PADI Divemaster programs in Chennai as well.

The pre-requisites for enrolling for a PADI Divemaster program are:
– PADI Rescue Diver or equivalent
– PADI Advanced Open Water or equivalent
– Valid CPR/First Aid training in the past 2 years
– 40 logged dives

Please contact us for more information on the program as well as details on how to cover any gaps in the pre-requisites above.

Price:
Rs 35,000-70,000 excluding mandatory materials, depending on your experience and how you want to structure the course;  please contact us for details

While many people go directly from Divemaster to Instructor, there is some benefit to getting up to Assistant Instructor and working on developing one’s teaching skills and problem recognition/solving skills.

The Assistant Instructor program is a 5-7 day program covering the essentials of how to teach – and then you can choose to add our our internship module to it where you get to work with an instructor and gain real-world experience.       It is a great way to gain valuable experience into all aspects of a dive professional’s life and also allows you to spread out the time/costs of a full Instructor Course over a longer period.

Price:
Rs 30,000, plus mandatory materials

Our main Instructor Development Course (IDC) is conducted in the Andamans.    However, our expanded program includes an extensive prep work and an internship at the completion of the course, where you gain valuable experience in what it is like to actually work as a dive instructor in the real world.        So you can complete the bulk of the training needed to actually be an effective dive instructor right here in Chennai.

Price:
Contact us