If you have a question about learning to dive, we are here to help you. Use the frequently asked questions below to find the answers to common questions:
You can start scuba diving lessons here and you can start today. Simply go to our booking page and sign up. With the eLearning approach, you can begin today.
Learning to scuba dive with Abyss Scuba Diving and PADI is an incredible adventure! With PADI as your training organization, your path to breathing underwater is accomplished in three exciting phases:
1. Knowledge Development - Learn the lingo.
During the first phase of your PADI Open Water Diver scuba certification, you develop an understanding of the basic principles of scuba diving. You learn things like how pressure affects your body, how to choose the best scuba gear and what to consider when planning dives. You briefly review what you have studied in the five knowledge sections with your instructor and take a short quiz to be sure you're getting it.
At the end of the course, you'll take a longer quiz that makes sure you have all the key concepts and ideas down. You and your ABYSS SCUBA DIVING Instructor will review anything that you don't quite get until it's clear.
Start right now and learn to scuba dive online with ABYSS SCUBA DIVING via PADI eLearning at your own pace —anytime, anywhere (great for busy schedules)
2. Confined Water Dives - Scuba Skills Training.
This is what it's all about – diving. You develop basic scuba skills by scuba diving in a pool. Here you'll learn everything from setting up your scuba gear to how to easily get water out of your scuba mask without surfacing. You'll also practise some emergency skills, like sharing air or replacing your scuba mask. Plus, you may play some games, make new friends and have a great time. There are five confined water dives, with each building upon the previous. Over the course of these five dives, you attain the skills you need to dive in open water.
3. Open Water Dives.
After your confined water dives, you and the new friends you've made continue learning during four open water dives with your Instructor at a dive site. This is where you fully experience the underwater adventure – at the beginner level, of course. You may make these dives around Sydney.
Thanks to being able to complete the theory portion at your own pace via elearning, you can complete the in-water part of your course in just 2 days!
Here at Abyss Scuba Diving we run our PADI Open Water Courses 3 times a week, we have a course starting every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday so we have times to suit most people. Because we focus on quality of training, our standard courses have maximum sizes of 4 people per instructor which means more one on one time with your instructor and less time sitting around waiting for other students and of course MORE DIVING!
If our regular course schedule doesn’t suit you or you prefer private training we also have a Premium Course option where we can schedule days to suit your needs.
PADI eLearning includes interactive presentations, video, audio, graphics and reading, along with short quizzes to gauge your progress. The eLearning portion takes roughly 10-12 hours to complete.
Scuba certification requires only that you be a reasonably proficient swimmer able to swim 200 metres (using any stroke, or you can even snorkel for 300 metres if you wish) and to float on water (or tread to stay afloat) for 10 minutes or so.
In Australia, the minimum age to undertake a PADI Open Water Course is ten years old. But the child also needs to be physically and psychologically ready to learn to dive. The parents are the best people to determine the phycological readiness but Abyss set a minimum weight of 46 kg as one of the parameters for physical readiness.
Because of our concern for your child, we require that the child must be at the very least weight if thirty-five kilograms and physically strong enough to carry their gear to the water. For kids aged 10 to 12 years old, we require them to do a private one-on-one PADI open water course.
Once a kid is 13, we are pleased for them to join in the standard group course for their course for Kids Scuba Diving Lessons. If you as parent feel they're mature enough to not need that private instructor. To join the standard group course for a Kids Learn to Dive Program the child must be a minimum weight of forty-five kilos.
Compared with getting started in other popular adventure sports and outdoor activities, learning to scuba dive isn't expensive.
For example, you can expect to pay about the same as you would for:
a full day of surfing lessons
a weekend of rock climbing lessons
a weekend of kayaking lessons
a weekend of fly-fishing lessons
about three hours of private golf lessons
about three hours of private water skiing lessons
one amazing night out at the pub!
At Abyss Scuba Diving we are proud to offer an all inclusive, no hidden charges Open Water course from $449. This includes PADI certification (recognized all over the world!), small group sizes (most shops teach with 8 students per instructor), elearning, pool entry, premium gear hire for the course (no need to buy anything), light lunch, transport from our dive centre & a photo/video package from your course!
Choosing and using your scuba gear is part of the fun of diving. We will help you find the right gear. Each piece of scuba equipment performs a different function so that collectively, it adapts you to the underwater world.
When you do your learn-to-dive course we supply all gear, with the exception of gloves.
Most divers, however, find that once they have learned to scuba dive, as a minimum, they want their own
scuba mask
snorkel
boots
scuba fins
dive gloves
These have a personal fit, and we will help you choose ones that have the fit and features best suited to you.
Easy. There is no best gear. But, there is the best gear for you. The professionals at Abyss Scuba Diving are trained to help you find scuba gear that best matches your preferences, fit and budget. These professionals can get you set with the right stuff, plus they provide service and support for years of enjoyable and dependable use.
All Abyss Scuba Diving staff are instructors and are more than happy to help you with any gear requirements! If you would like to come in to our store prior to your course to try on or ask questions about any of the gear, we are open 7 days a week!
If you have an appetite for excitement and adventure, odds are you can become an avid PADI scuba diver. You'll also want to keep in mind these requirements:
Minimum Age:
12 years old. Because of equipment restraints, we set the minimum weight of students at 45kg.
Students under 15 who successfully complete the course will qualify for the PADI Junior Open Water Diver certification, which they may upgrade to PADI Open Water Diver certification upon reaching 15. Children under the age of 13 require parent or guardian permission to register for PADI eLearning. If you're younger, you can still learn to dive – just have your parent or legal guardian contact ABYSS SCUBA DIVING.
Physical: For safety, all students complete a brief scuba medical questionnaire that asks about medical conditions that could be a problem while diving. If none of these applies, you sign the form and you're ready to start. If any of these apply to you, as a safety precaution your dive physician (SPUMS) must assess the condition as it relates to diving and sign a medical form that confirms that you're fit to dive. In some areas, local laws require all scuba students to consult with a physician before entering the course.
Waterskills: Before completing the PADI Open Water Diver course, your instructor will have you demonstrate basic water skills comfort by having you:
swim 200 metres (or 300 metres in mask, fins and snorkel). There is no time limit for this, and you may use any swimming strokes you want.
float and tread water for 10 minutes, again using any methods that you want.
About Physical Challenges: Any person who can meet the performance requirements of the course qualifies for certification. There are many adaptive techniques that allow people with physical challenges to meet these requirements. Individuals with paraplegia, amputations and other challenges commonly earn the PADI Open Water Diver certification. Even people with more significant physical challenges participate in diving. Talk to your PADI Instructor at your local PADI Dive Shop or Resort for more information.
You can dive practically anywhere there's water – from a swimming pool to the ocean and all points in between, including quarries, lakes, rivers and springs. Where you can scuba dive is determined by your:
experience
level site
accessibility
conditions
interests
We are so lucky in Sydney that we have an amazing local dive community with access to dozens of great dive sites right on our door step! Abyss is central to some of the best diving in Sydney, being only a 20 minute drive from sites such as Bare Island, Kurnell National Park & Cronulla.
<p. In addition to our amazing local sites, we also have so many great diving destinations within a short drive from Sydney that make great weekend trips. Some of our favourites are; Jervis Bay, Montague Island, Nelson Bay & South West Rocks, but there’s HEAPS more!
If you’re after something a bit further away there are also SO MANY amazing dive destinations in Australia and throughout the world, by learning to dive you have opened up the remaining 70% of the planet to yourself to explore. We also run lots of longer dive trips both within Australia (Cairns, etc) and throughout the world.
No, assuming you have no irregularities in your ears and sinuses. The discomfort is the normal effect of water pressure pressing in on your ears. Fortunately, our bodies are designed to adjust for pressure changes in our ears – you just need to learn how. If you have no difficulties adjusting to air pressure during flying, you'll probably experience no problem learning to adjust to water pressure while diving.
Not necessarily. Any condition that affects the ears, sinuses, respiratory function or heart function or may alter consciousness is a concern, but only a physician can assess a person's individual risk. Physicians can consult with the Divers Alert Network (DAN) as necessary when assessing a scuba candidate.
DAN has information available online if you wish to do some research.
Sunburn and seasickness, both of which are preventable with over-the-counter preventatives. The most common injuries caused by marine life are scrapes and stings, most of which can be avoided by wearing gloves and an exposure suit, staying off the bottom and watching where you put your hands and feet.
and television. The fact is, most marine animals - including the shark, octopus, barracuda and moray eels - are shy and passive around humans. None is more misunderstood than the shark. Humans are not the natural prey of sharks. Almost all shark attacks happen by accident to swimmers and surfers. The shark mistakes them splashing on the surface for a seal or sea lion, and takes a bite. We taste pretty bad to them, so that's usually the end of it. Many photographers spend weeks at a time and thousands of dollars trying to get close to them sometimes with no luck. At Abyss Scuba Diving , we have been conducting regular shark dives without a single incident and once you've knelt on the sandy bottom and felt reef sharks cruising by your head, you realize they're not a threat - they're just a fish.
To make you feel more comfortable we teach our courses with the added security of Shark Shields.
With the necessary training and experience, the limit for recreational scuba diving is 40 metres. Beginning scuba divers stay shallower than about 18 metres. If you are a Junior Scuba Diver, then it is 12 metres. Although these are the limits, some of the most popular diving is no deeper than 12 metres where the water's warmer and the colours are brighter.
That's not likely because you have a gauge that tells you how much air you have at all times. This way, you can return to the surface with a safety reserve remaining. But to answer the question, if you run out of air, your buddy has a spare mouthpiece that allows you to share a single air supply while swimming to the surface. There are also other options you'll learn in your PADI Open Water course.
People find the “weightlessness” of scuba diving to be quite freeing. Modern scuba masks are available in translucent models, which you may prefer if a mask makes you feel closed in. During your scuba diving training with ABYSS SCUBA DIVING, your instructor gives you plenty of time and coaching to become comfortable with each stage of learning. Your scuba instructor works with you at your own pace to ensure you master each skill necessary to become a capable scuba diver who dives regularly.
ABYSS SCUBA DIVING keeps classes small so that we can give you more time to get comfortable with the amazing world of diving.
During your course dives it is best to focus on yourself and your instructor, so for that reason you won’t be able to bring a camera on your training dives. However we do understand that you would probably love some photos and video from your underwater adventure so we will do the hard work for you!
Your PADI Open Water course includes a photo/video package that will be emailed out to you after the course, feel free to use these photos how you wish, print, download, share etc, they’re yours to keep forever! These usually take around 1 – 2 days to be emailed out to you after the course.
PADI (or Professional Association of Diving Instructors) is the world's largest and leading scuba diver training organisation. PADI Divers carry the most respected and sought after scuba diving credentials in the world. No matter where you choose to dive, your PADI dive certification will be recognised and accepted globally. All our courses are Genuine PADI Courses
