Learn to Dive

Have you always wondered what it’s like to breathe underwater? If you want to try scuba diving, but aren’t quite ready to take the plunge into a certification course, Discover Scuba Diving is for you

While not a scuba certification course, Discover Scuba is a quick and easy introduction to what it takes to explore the underwater world. First a brief introduction to dive theory, then several skills in confined water (either in our pool or just off the palapa), followed by a dive with your instructor in the clear waters of the Caribbean to a maximum depth of 40 feet

Equipment rental included; $5 marine park fee applies

An additional dive with your instructor can be arranged for $65

A subset of the PADI Open Water Diver course, the the PADI Scuba Diver rating is the perfect option if you’re short on time but really want to become a diver. This course is an intermediate step for earning an Open Water Diver certification, if that’s your ultimate goal

Course components

- Three Knowledge Development sessions to understand basic principles of scuba diving, which are completed in the classroom with the instructor, plus some reading to do on your own time in the evenings *

- Three Confined Water Sessions to learn basic scuba skills

- Two Open Water Certification Dives to 40 feet via our spacious dive boats, in the beautiful, clear waters of the Caribbean

Course lenght

2-3 full days (starting at 8 and finishing around 4), depending on the student's comfort level and ability to progress through the skills

* PADI elearning option

It's possible to complete the Knowledge Development segment prior to your arrival via PADI's eLearning module in order to finish the course more quickly once here, and spend more time enjoying your vacation. The cost of eLearning paid directly to PADI through their website, and you must complete the full PADI Open Water Diver eLearning for the PADI Scuba Diver course, which takes 12-15 hours. Once here, finishing the course with Barefoot Divers is $270, and takes up to 2 days

Equipment rental included; $10 marine park fee applies

Course results in a limited certification with the following restrictions: must be accompanied by a dive professional and stay at a 40 foot maximum depth on all dives

If you’ve always wanted to take scuba diving lessons, experience unparalleled adventure and see the world beneath the waves, this is where it starts. PADI Open Water Diver is the world’s most popular and widely recognized scuba course

Course components

- Five Knowledge Development sessions to understand basic principles of scuba diving, which are completed in the classroom with the instructor, plus some reading to do on your own time in the evenings *

- Five Confined Water Sessions to learn basic scuba skills **

- Four Open Water Certification Dives to a maximum of 60 feet via our spacious dive boats, in the beautiful, clear waters of the Caribbean

Course length

4-5 full days (starting at 8 and finishing around 4), depending on the student's comfort level and ability to progress through the skills

* PADI elearning option

It's possible to complete the Knowledge Development segment prior to your arrival via PADI's eLearning module in order to finish the course more quickly once here, and spend more time enjoying your vacation. The cost of eLearning paid directly to PADI through their website, and eLearning takes 12-15 hours. Once here, finishing the course with Barefoot Divers is $395, and takes 2-3 days

** PADI referral option

If you've already completed the knowledge development and confined water training with a PADI dive shop at home, you can do a referral to finish certification with Barefoot Divers (typically 2 half days with dives at 8:30 and 10:30 each day). The cost for the 4 Open Water Certification Dives is $295. Please note that it's crucial that you bring all of the PADI referral paperwork (provided by your dive center at home) with you. If the paperwork is inaccurate or incomplete, this can cause major delays in the process, as we cannot proceed with the referral dives until the paperwork is in order

Upgrade from Scuba Diver

If you're a PADI Scuba Diver and would like to upgrade your certification to PADI Open Water Diver, it'll only take you 1-2 days, with 2 knowledge development sessions, 2 confined water sessions, and 2 Open Water certification dives. The cost is $285, and a log book is required (available for purchase at Barefoot Divers)

Equipment rental included during the course; $10 marine park fee applies

PADI Open Water certified divers may ​dive anywhere in the world to a maximum of 60 feet