PADI Scuba Diver
Halfway to Open Water, the quickest way in officially. Two days off Mirissa, a pool session and two ocean dives, one certification — always under the guidance of a PADI Pro.
Scuba Diver is the short path to a real, recognised certification. It’s a subset of the Open Water course — less theory, fewer dives, two days instead of three — and it certifies you to dive to 12 metres under the direct supervision of a PADI Professional. Perfect if you’re short on time or want to test the water toward full Open Water; you can upgrade later and only complete the difference.
What’s included
- Both open-water dives
- All PADI course materials and certification fees
- PADI e-learning — the link is sent by our manager after you book; complete it before Day 1
- Full equipment throughout, plus water, tea and snacks
- A day-by-day schedule in your confirmation and reminder emails
- Book with a 50% deposit online; the remaining 50% is paid in person on Day 1
Not included
- GoPro photos and video (not included on PADI courses)
- DAN dive insurance (recommended)
- The upgrade to Open Water (separate, later)
Good to know
Minimum age 15, and you must be able to swim 200 m and float for 10 minutes. No prior experience needed.
Highlights
- Get certified in two days.
- Two real ocean dives, not a pool tour.
- Upgrade to full Open Water later — your progress counts.
Requirements
- No prior experience needed.
- Water skills: you must be able to swim 200 metres (or 300 metres in mask, snorkel and fins) and float or tread water for 10 minutes — the same PADI watermanship standard as Open Water.
- Minimum age 15. Standard PADI Scuba Diver only — for ages 10–14 we offer the PADI Junior Open Water Diver course instead.
- Certifies diving to 12 m under PADI Professional supervision (not independent — that’s Open Water).
- Diver medical questionnaire, and your e-learning completed before Day 1.
Programme & duration
Two days. See the day-by-day times in the schedule above.
Medical, flight & insurance
Most people answer “no” to every question on the diver medical questionnaire and are cleared to dive. A “yes” to any question means a physician must sign the medical form confirming you’re fit to dive — bring the signed form with you on Day 1.
Planning to fly after diving? PADI and DAN recommend waiting at least 12 hours after a single dive, 18 hours after multiple dives, and ideally 24 hours for complete peace of mind.
We recommend DAN Europe (Divers Alert Network) dive insurance — recommended, not required, and no sign-up is needed to book. Dive safe, dive insured — get covered with DAN →
What to bring
- Swimwear
- Towel
- Biodegradable sunscreen
- Passport or ID for Day 1
- Your e-learning completed before you arrive
Meeting & pick-up
- Arrive 30 minutes before your start time — for registration, briefing and equipment fitting.
- Meet at the Diving Mirissa centre. Optional tuk tuk pick-up within 12 km, priced per tuk tuk by road distance — the exact fare shows at checkout when you enter your address.
- Your confirmation email carries the exact meeting point and time.
Who it’s for
For: People short on time who still want a certification, or a stepping stone to Open Water.
Not for: Not for those wanting to dive independently (do Open Water), and not a no-commitment try-dive (that’s a Discover Scuba Dive).
Dive sites & marine life
Our south-coast diving is rock-and-reef diving — boulder formations, channels and swim-throughs rather than open-water big-game water. The reef starts just off our centre, and green turtles are usually the first thing you see. A few of the sites we run:
- Batic Rock (~12 m) — large rock formations with reef fish, moray eels, lionfish and the occasional turtle; an easy Open Water depth.
- Athule Gala (~8–20 m) — a rocky reef of channels and formations with schools of fish, morays and the occasional ray; the range of depth suits mixed certification levels.
- Diyaba Para — a rocky offshore reef with strong fish life and a chance of larger schools, rays and turtles.
- Goda Para — rock and reef formations with plenty of tropical fish; turtles, morays and rays turn up now and then.
- Atharamba Rock — an interesting rocky landscape, good for the smaller finds: reef fish, nudibranchs and morays.
- Magedi Rock (~14–30 m) — a deeper site for Advanced divers, with rock formations and the best chance of larger marine life.
Around Mirissa you may also come across eagle rays, stingrays, turtles and big schools of fish. Whale sharks pass through from time to time, but they're rare and can't be guaranteed. As always, the sea gives what it gives — nothing is ever promised.
Choose your date
September 2026
Select a date to see availability for PADI Scuba Diver.