Open water diving has been gaining popularity fast in recent years, and it’s little wonder when you consider all the amazing destinations and sights to be seen underwater, which is not something every sport can offer. Read on to find out more about you can take up diving courses or find a diving school to get certified as a diver in Singapore!
What does a diving course include?
There are usually three phases in an Open Water Diver Course that you have to complete to be a certified diver – Knowledge Development (Theory), Confined Water, and Open Water. You can also enrol in eLearning for the Theory phase, and then choose a dive center to complete the confined water and open water phases.
- Classroom session (4 to 6 hours) – Theory or knowledge development, where you will read the course manual, watch a video and complete some quizzes. Lastly, you must sit and pass an exam.
- Confined water session (3 to 6 hours) – You will be taught 20 basic scuba diving skills in a pool and get to familiarize yourself with Scuba Diving equipment.
- Open water dives – This is the fun part where you get to integrate the principles and demonstrate the skills learned from the confined water sessions in the deep blue sea and of course get certified! The open water part will typically be conducted in locations such as Tioman or Dayang over the weekend, or Pulau Hantu during the off-season period.
How long does it usually takes to receive a diving license?
According to the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), diving courses are flexible and performance-based, meaning that most schools can offer a wide variety of schedules, organised according to how fast you progress. It is, for example, possible to complete your confined and open water dives in three or four days.
What requirements are there to get a diving license?
While there are no requirements on height and weight, interested participants must be
- Above 10 years old
- Generally be in good health
- Able to swim 200m or snorkel 300m
- Float for 10 minutes.
Where can I enrol in a diving course to get myself certified?
1. Deep Blue Scuba
World-renowned for combining personalised coaching and in-water practical sessions, Deep Blue Scuba’s SSI Open Water Dive course promises to gear you up with essential scuba diving skills as you dive with ease. Upon course completion, you will receive the SSI Open Water Diver certification.
Diving course locations include: Tioman, Bintan (both start from SGD599). Find out more here.
2. Gill Divers
This diving school boasts a variety of courses catered to any diving enthusiast. Whether you are an absolute beginner looking for an adventure, or a professional diver hoping to pick up specialty courses in rescue or night dives, there is definitely a course for you.
Diving course locations include: Tioman, Bintan (both start from SGD599). Find out more here.
3. The Dive Company
The Dive Company places a strong emphasis on its tight-knit community of divers and instructors, promising an internationally mixed dive crew is a line-up of highly qualified and experienced PADI Instructors and Divemasters. All of them are fully certified in emergency first response procedures, so you know for sure that you’re in safe hands.
Diving course locations include: Tioman / Aur (SGD699), Manado (SGD1099), Batam (SGD759), Pulau Hantu (SGD580). Find out more here.
4. Orpheus Dive
Awarded the first Five Star TecRec Centre in Singapore by PADI, Orpheus prides itself on its team of extremely experienced divers. They also offer one of the greatest variety of dive travel trips all over the world, including Caribbean, Africa, and Middle East.
Diving course locations include: Pulau Hantu (SGD690), Bali (SGD990), Tioman. Find out more here.
5. Marlin Divers
A PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Centre & PADI Tec Rec Centre, Marlin Divers provides scuba diving courses for all levels, including specialty programs. Their courses are conducted at a flexible pace to meet various individuals’ learning capacity.
Diving course locations include: Pulau Hantu (SGD580). Find out more here.
6. GS-Diving
GS-Diving offers a variety of specialised courses taught in English and Chinese, and are even open to teaching in other languages upon request. What’s more, they also have a Live On Board (LOB) vessel that operates in Indonesia.
Diving course locations include: Batam (SGD569). Find out more here.
7. Amazing Dive
Previously known as 51 Scuba, Amazing Dive has 13 years of operation under its belt, and is highly popular among tourist backpackers, local students and young adults. They are also probably the only dive school in the world that brews their own beer – dive-themed beers are designed and brewed by crew members for free tastings and the occasional party.
Diving course locations include: Tioman, Bintan (both start from SGD599). Find out more here.
8. Big Bubble Centre
Big Bubble Centre provides a full range of PADI Scuba Diving courses, ranging from open water diver course to specialty courses. If you prefer having a small class size (from 1:1 to 1:4 ratio) and require flexible class timing, they can provide these classes for you. They were even been awarded a Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor in 2017.
Diving course locations include: Tioman, Dayang (both start from SGD699). Find out more here.
9. Scuba Warehouse
A franchisee for Professional Scuba Association International (PSAI) in Singapore and Malaysia, Scuba Warehouse is actually licensed by the Singapore Tourism Board, so you can be guaranteed that they conduct dive tours in a legal and safe manner. What’s more, they organize trips to a multitude of dive destinations, with more than 25 destinations in Asia for you to select from.
Diving course locations include: Manado (SGD1250, including airfare on Silkair). Find out more here.
10. S.E.A. Aquarium
If you have a busy schedule and can’t find time to travel for open water dives overseas, fret not. You can get certified right here in Singapore, at S.E.A. Aquarium! Its Open Ocean Habitat is actually certified as a full open water dive site because of its total size and water movement and volume. With this school, you get to save on transportation cost, traveling time and accommodation cost.
Diving course locations include: S.E.A. Aquarium (SGD548). Find out more here.
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