4-Day PADI Open Water Dive Course - Learn to Dive on the Great Barrier Reef

Open Water Dive Course

Learning how to dive with instructor Francesco and the team at Downunder Cruise and Dive was the best choice I could have made. The first two days consist of theory and exercises in the pool, day 3 and 4 are spent on the boat diving in two different beautiful reefs. I felt very comfortable and safe. The quality of the course is very high and the value for money compared to other providers is unbeatable in my opinion. The passion of the whole team and especially of Frankie is definitely transferred to the students and gives you unforgettable moments underwater. I highly recommend doing your Open Water Diver here. I had an amazing time and would always do it again.

Open water course with Franky and Freddie

We did our open water PADI course with down under dive. The 4 day course includes everything and more to become a great diver. Our amazing instructors Franky and Freddy did a great job teaching, finding the perfect mix of fun and engaging learning, while also maintaining a professional atmosphere. Even tough our two days out on the reef were accompanied with some very rough conditions, all the crew, Frankie and everyone else involved made the best of it and we had a lovely time. We leave Cairns with our certificate and a bag full of new great memories. Thanks Frankie and Freddie plus all of the crew for this unforgettable time! Robin&Alle

Frankie is the best!

We had the most amazing time diving in the stunningly beautiful Great Barrier Reef. We were extremely lucky to get the most amazing teacher Frankie with 15+ years of experience. The theory part on the mornings of the first and the second day was extremely well structured, and he explained it all perfectly. He is also just a super fun person with great energy. During the dives he made us feel save the whole time. We practiced step by step what to do when something goes wrong to the point that I feel like we could master any problem on our own now. If you want to learn scuba diving I can't imagine a better way. Thank you so much!

Great Instructor!

Frankly is the most knowledgeable, funny, and entertaining instructor I could’ve imagined. the way he explains the open water course makes complicated topics simple, couldn’t have asked for a better instructor! the food on the boat was good but anything is good when you’re tired from a 45min dive the boat is beautiful and so is the reef. highly recommend!!!

It was a good decision to get my diving licence there

Frankie was an amazing diving instructor! His expertise and teaching style made me feel perfectly prepared. The diving session with the team of five people was a great experience and we all had a lot of fun. I highly recommend Frankie and his team!

AMAZING!!! Best Dive Course!

The dive course was just amazing! Franci was my dive instructor and I had the best time in the course, both during my dives and during the time on the boat and school. During the dives, we practiced some skills but spent most of the time exploring the Great Barrier Reef at two different locations. We saw dolphins, turtles, sharks, and soo many beautiful fish and corals. Franki knew all the good spots and we were able to get really close to sharks which was amazing. Apart from that, the theory lessons were really fun and the time on the boat was great. We could eat as much as we wanted (for free), snorkel (for free) or lay on the sun deck when we were not diving and got wine at the end of the trips. Moreover, the crew was so nice and helpful, the energy was amazing and there was a professional photographer capturing everything on board and in the water. It was by far the best thing I‘ve done while traveling Australia! 11/10 recommended!!!

Unparalleled experience

Down Under Dives provided the experience of a lifetime. Frankie was incredibly knowledgeable, professional and passionate. He was was the best instructor I could imagine and made us feel incredibly lucky to learn under his expertise. All worries and fears disappeared the minute he put us in our gear. Couldn’t have asked for a better environment or instructor.

Best experience ever

Best experience ever! I completed the PADI Open water course with Down under the cruise and I couldn't have made a better choice! In these 4 days I learned so many things about marine life and scuba diving. The course was interesting and super fun with a perfect mix of theory and practice. I especially enjoyed the 2 days on the ship that takes you to the Great Barrier Reef where I saw 2 small sharks, a huge turtle and so much more. I'm pretty sure there are many other good companies to get your PADI, but the reason why choosing Down under the Cruise is hands down the best choice is because of the instructor Francesco (Frankie), who really made a difference. He was professional but super fun and will go above and beyond to make sure your experience is exceptional. Thank you so much for this unforgettable experience! Rossella

Could not have asked for a better instructor

My friend and I completed our open water course under the guidance of Frankie, and we couldn't have asked for a more exceptional instructor. Frankie's humor, patience, extensive diving experience, and genuine passion for the sport made him a fantastic teacher. Opting for in-person lessons over relying solely on eLearning was a wise choice, as Frankie's teaching was better than PADI's instructional videos. He made sure we truly understood each concept before progressing to the next. To ensure our comfort during our initial pool dives, he provided us with high-quality masks that were not available on the boat, and once on the boat, he picked the best masks out of what was available for us to use. On top of that, he surprised us with cheesecake to celebrate my friend's birthday, which happened to fall on the final day of the course. Initially I had some anxiety about diving, but Frankie's expertise and unwavering patience quickly helped me get over my fears. Thank you for making this an unforgettable experience Frankie!

Best course! Best instructors! Barrel of FUN!!

My partner and I just completed the 4 day open water diver course and loved every moment of it! We had the best instructor, Frankie. He was very knowledgeable and patient. From my first dive in the pool on day one where I panicked once I got to the bottom and tried to go up to the top to the last day in the ocean where I was able to put everything Frankie tought me into action. Frankie taught us all of the safety techniques we needed to know to be able to successfully go out on a dive and then took us on the most amazing dive along the great barrier reef where we saw the all the little Nemo's living in their homes. This week has been one to remember for the rest of my life and tho I may never see Frankie again I owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude for showing me the beauty of the ocean. Thank you so much PADI and most of all Frankie!!

The best experience

The most amazing experience, highly recommend! Our trainer Frankie was incredible! Patient, knowledgeable & engaging, we have made lifelong memories while learning great skills and seeing the most beautiful marine life. Thank you Frankie for an incredible course and the whole team on the boat who made it so much fun.

Awesome course with gorgeous dives!

Awesome course! The dive master Franky was awesome! Always felt safe and good prepared! Equipment was modern and in perfect condition. Theory was well explained and practice was the first goal! Security and safety was important and practised well but not boring and didn’t make you feel scared. The two dives in the boat were awesome, beautiful, gorgeous reef and well guided dive brought us to the best spots! Loved down under five and will come back !

Incredible course, definitely recommend it

My 4 day PADI open water course was excellent, very well structured and delivered to us in a very easy manner. The instructor, Frankie, was exceptional, very informative and looked after us in the water and in the classroom very well. I always felt in complete control and safe at all times during the dives and learnt a huge amount in the classroom sessions in a short amount of time. The 2 boat trips to the reefs were well organised with great crew on board that were always looking for ways to help guests. The food provided was also lovely, there was definitely plenty of it! I would definitely recommend this course to anyone who would like to learn to dive, it is a great qualification and a once in a life time experience.

Great teacher “Franky” beautiful boat

Amazing experience, had a great time, our teacher named Franky was a wonderful and passionate man full of knowledge of the reef, how to dive etc. The trips where at an exclusive professional boat (think the best boat in town). Big compliments to Franky and the rest of Down under diving company👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 def. Would recommend this one💪🏻💪🏻

The Best Reef Experience!

My partner and I signed up to do the 4 day PADI open water course and after our days on the reef immediately signed up for the advanced. We had an amazing experience on the reef, it's like nothing you've ever seen before! Ryan Whiteman, our instructor, was so great. I felt very safe diving after all the training he'd done with us. He explained everything so well and took the time to show us techniques, especially if anyone struggled to get it first time. The small class sizes they have allowed everyone to get the attention they needed to learn to be a great diver. We signed up straight away to do the advanced course, where we learned even more dive skills to allow us to enjoy this activity more. If the other instructors are even half as good as Ryan, then you'll have a fantastic experience learning to dive with this company. The boat, Evolution, was one of the best run I've been on in Australia. Friendly and helpful staff may the journeys to and from the reef a dream and the food was delicious - steaks, seafood, loads of salads, and veggie burgers! I would recommend them to anyone who wants a great reef experience, for any experience level with diving or snorkeling!

Thank you mr. White

Affordable 4 day padi course, way cheaper than others in the same area. Would recommend this company over others. Dive instructor mr. White is extremely patient and friendly even though when one is very slow in practical.

Competent diving training, great service, lots of fun

The Open Water Diver course was really great. My diving instructor Francy explained the theory well and understandably. In between we kept doing small learning progress checks. Lunch was short, as agreed by the course participants, but that was completely fine. We just wanted to save time. The atmosphere is relaxed, friendly and comfortable. Coffee and biscuits are also free. Questions were answered very well. The exercises in the pool were also great. There you were introduced to the material bit by bit according to your abilities. On days 3 and 4 we went to various beautiful diving sites on the Great Barrier Reef. The exercises required for the Open Water Diver course are done there, but you definitely have enough time to look at the reef at your leisure. The crew of the Evolution (the company's boat) knows a lot about the sea creatures and is very willing to provide in-depth information and answer questions. I did the Adventure Diver straight after the Open Water Diver. On the one hand, so that I could dive deeper, and on the other hand, I felt very well looked after by the company, which is why it was a very good decision to go diving with them for a longer period of time. Between dives, there is delicious food (steaks, fish, salads...) and you can snorkel over the reef. Helicopter flights, glass-bottom boat tours... can also be booked for an additional charge. Overall, I have had my best days in Australia so far diving here!