Professional, personalised scuba diving instruction,
with Adelaide's friendliest PADI 5 STAR DIVE CENTRE

Learn to scuba dive in Adelaide, South Australia
with Underwater Sports Diving Centre

Learn to dive in as little as 2 evenings and 2 days!
Open Water courses start from just $495.

Find out what's involved

Why learn to scuba dive with Underwater Sports?

Small groups are our specialty

Here at Underwater Sports we focus on quality rather than quantity so small groups are our specialty. This gives us more time to teach you so that you receive personalised attention. Typically our classes are 3-4 students, with a maximum of 6 students per instructor.

Accredited Instruction & Money back guarantee

Underwater Sports has been owned and run by Dave Gordon for over 13 years, and we have been a PADI facility for over 10 years. We teach from beginners to dive masters and from Nitrox to deep technical courses. We also offer a money back guarantee.

Your diving journey will begin with the world recognised PADI Open Water Course.

PADI certification is the most common and widely recognised scuba diver certification. Plus, PADI courses are designed to be FUN! You get in the water quickly and our courses run over as little as 2 evenings and 2 days.

Don't have a lot of time?

We offer flexible course schedules:

Option 1 begins with theory on Tuesday evening, followed by pool sessions on Wednesday and Thursday evenings evening, and 4 ocean dives Saturday and Sunday.

Option 2 begins with theory on Friday night, followed by 2 pool sessions on Saturday and Sunday, and then 4 ocean dives the following Saturday and Sunday.

Option 3: You can complete the theory portion of your course at your leisure online through PADI's eLearning, and then join in a course at the beginning of the pool sessions.

Option 4: You can receive one-on-one instruction at your convenience (surcharge applies).

We provide top quality equipment for you to use during your Open Water Course

All the scuba diving equipment you need for your course is supplied - including wetsuit, BCD, regulators, tanks and weights. The only items you will need are your own personal mask, snorkel, fins and boots* (we also recommend gloves for the ocean dives). If you don't have these items we have some great student packages available in-store, and *ALL OUR DIVING STUDENTS RECEIVE AT LEAST 10% DISCOUNT off RRP).

Money Back Guarantee

We offer a money back guarantee for all students who don’t complete the pool sessions and decide not to continue. You will receive a full refund less the cost of the Open Water theory manual, or e-learning fees.

Price Options

Our Learn to Dive courses start from just $495.
In the PADI International Open Water Course we include all scuba hire equipment (excepting personal items, ie: mask, snorkel, fins and boots*), your theory manual, electronic recreational dive planner and instructions, diving log book, dive theory instruction, pool dives and four open water (sea) dives.

Or, if you'd like some added value and want to learn more about what diving has to offer, our Platinum Course includes both your Open Water and your Advanced Open Water certifications for only $895. The PADI Adventures in Diving Advanced Open Water course includes five Adventure dives to fine tune your skills, open up new dive opportunities and introduce some specialty options, and it also extends the maximum recommended depth you can dive to. With the Platinum option, 3 of the Adventure dives are done by boat! Including 2 dives on the ex-HMAS Hobart, and a night dive at Rapid Bay. Plus you receive 12 months store membership. With the Platinumn Course you have 12 months to complete both the Open Water and Advanced Open Water components.

You can upgrade your Basic course AT ANY TIME during your course, or within 2 weeks of completing your Open Water, by simply paying the difference.

One-on-one instruction is available for you to complete the Open Water Course at your convenience for $895. (You may deduct $100 from this price if you choose to do your theory online with PADI e-learning).

*Don't forget, ALL OUR DIVING STUDENTS RECEIVE AT LEAST 10% DISCOUNT off RRP on all equipment purchases.


Upcoming Open Water Course start dates:

Courses will also be run on demand.

Frequently asked questions:

Where to next?

Chances are, once you've learnt to SCUBA dive, the main thing you will want to do is GO DIVING!

You may also want to learn more by completing further dive courses.

We run regular dive trips and charters for divers of all levels. For new divers, our regular Divemaster-led fun days are a great introduction to popular local dive sites. While aimed at entry-level scuba divers, these fun days are a great day out for divers of all levels. Each fun day offers diving plus a BBQ and other fun activities, plus special deals on hire gear. Check the calendar, see our club pages or call the store on (08) 8263 3337 for more details!

Our next Fun Day is on Sunday Dec 6th.

We also offer a range of dive travel for divers of all levels

Your learn to dive or open water course teaches you all the skills you need to dive safely at depths up to 18m. But you may decide you want to go deeper, explore caves or wrecks, or dive at night. Maybe you'd just like to fine tune your dive skills, or perhaps you'd like to learn more about the fish and other aquatic life you've seen or learn techniques for underwater photography. There are endless opportunities to learn more about diving - you can even go professional! Find out more about the dive courses we offer.

What's involved with learning to dive?

Typical course schedule

All going to plan, you can learn to dive in just 2 evenings and 2 days! This depends on all students completing their home study prior to commencing the course, and learning the pool skills without any problems. However, please be assured that we don't cut corners, and will return for a second theory session and/or second pool session where necessary.

Option 1 begins with theory on Tuesday evening, followed by pool sessions on Wednesday and Thursday evenings evening, and 4 ocean dives Saturday and Sunday.

Option 2 begins with theory on Friday night, followed by 2 pool sessions on Saturday and Sunday, and then 4 ocean dives the following Saturday and Sunday.

Option 3: You can complete the theory portion of your course at your leisure online through PADI's eLearning, and then join in a course at the beginning of the pool sessions.

Option 4: You can receive one-on-one instruction at your convenience (surcharge applies).

Scuba diving theory

There are some things you need to know before starting the course, but it's not rocket science! We give you a book and DVD so that you can start home study immediately and at your own pace. You can get these materials by paying a deposit even if you don't book onto a specific course. If you are aiming for a particular date it's good to get the course materials about 2 weeks prior to your first night, but you can complete the study in just a couple of days if needed. We will ring you before our first get-together to make sure that everything is going alright and to see if you have any questions. Then, we meet at the shop for a theory session, to go over and explain the 'Knowledge Reviews' you've done at home, and you'll sit a multiple choice exam.

If you complete the theory portion online with PADI's eLearning, you'll sit a quick review with your instructor before joining in the pool sessions.

Go diving! - confined water dives

Once you have all your gear and we've reviewed the basic theory, you're in the pool SCUBA Diving. We take you through all the skills you need to know in a controlled environment so you can learn and gain confidence. In total you will do five dives in a "confined water" environment, ie a pool. Once you are proficient in all skills it's time to hit the ocean!

Open water (ocean) dives

The following weekend (or over a subsequent two-day period) you're diving in the ocean. The sites may vary according to where the weather is best, so we usually pick the spot late in the week - you could be at Pt Noarlunga, Rapid Bay, Second Valley, Ardrossan, Port Hughes or Edithburgh. All are great sites to dive (for more, see our dive sites pages)! Both days are full days of shore diving where you will do 4 dives in total - no theory lessons, just FUN FUN FUN.

If you go on to do your Advanced Open Water course you'll also do two dives on the wreck of the exHMAS Hobart. All the Advanced Open Water dives are ocean dives, again, exact sites will be chosen depending on where conditions are best. Once you are a qualified diver you can also join us on our regular fun days where we dive these and other great spots, with a divemaster or instructor available to introduce you to the site and to lend a hand if there is anything you aren't sure of.

A question of safety?

When performed properly scuba diving is very safe. However, there are a very few medical conditions that may restrict you from scuba diving or which may require you to take extra precautions. Therefore, a diving medical is required and must be completed before your first pool session. We can recommend diving doctors in your area who will provide this service.

By completing dive theory and confined water (pool) dives as practice we also ensure you have all the skills, knowledge and confidence you need before your sea dives. Finally, for your peace of mind and added protection, all our courses are run using SharkShield™ protection - so all you need to worry about is having fun!