Should I Get Certified to Dive Before Going to The Great Barrier Reef?

As the world’s largest coral reef system, the Great Barrier Reef is unsurprisingly a hugely popular destination for scuba divers and snorkelers from all corners of the globe. And with good reason too – as well as being home to over 1,500 species of fish, the reef also boasts an impressive array of colourful corals, turtles, manta rays and other marine life.

However, before you can begin exploring this underwater paradise for yourself, you do need to be a certified diver. You can get certified on the reef, but it is best if you can get certified before going to the reef.

You can take a scuba diving certification course on the reef, but that will mean that you will need to waste four days of your holiday learning to dive. Much of the time will be out in the sand learning how to clear your mask, rather than if you were already certified, you could be on the actual reef among marine life.

What Type of Certification Should You Get?

The PADI Open Water Certification is your finest choice. The Open water certification will enable you to dive to 18m and see everything that the reef has to offer. The fact that it is a PADI certification means that it will be recognized on the reef, as well as all over the globe.

What is Involved in Becoming Open Water Certified?

The Open Water certification is made up of three categories: academic study, confined-water skills training, and open water training. Academic study can be completed online and takes around ten hours. This includes studying the physics and physiology of scuba diving. Confined-water skills training is normally in a swimming pool and lets you learn and practice basic skills in a controlled environment. The open water dives are your opportunity to practice and fine-tune the fundamental skills on a real dive site.

Why Get Certified in Sydney

Sydney is one of the best places to learn to dive, its geographical layout means that you can finish your PADI Open Water Course in as little as 2 days. The fact that you can do the training off the shore not only reduces the risk of seasickness but also significantly reduces the cost of the training.

While Sydney diving is not as good as the Great Barrier Reef, it is still incredibly good. A recent study revealed that Sydney has more marine species than any other harbor in the world. Some six hundred marine animals have already been identified, and we can be sure that there are more to be found. One of the great attractions of diving around Sydney is its abundant sea life. During your open water training, you will encounter much of this Sealife.

The Advantage of Becoming Certified with Abyss Scuba Diving

Learning to become a scuba diver in Sydney with Abyss Scuba Diving will give you several advantages over doing your open water course on the Great Barrier Reef.

• At Abyss Scuba Diving, the in-water training is completed in just 2 days compared to 4 or 6 days on the Great Barrier Reef.
• At Abyss Scuba Diving, we have a maximum of four students per instructor compared to eight to ten students on the reef. This means our instructors can give you much more individualised attention.
• You will arrive on the Great Barrier Reef ready for scuba diving so you can maximize the enjoyment you get from your scuba diving holiday on the reef.

 What Dives Think Out Becoming Open Water Certified

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