How to get started as an ocean diver

Thinking about learning to dive but not sure where to begin? Here's the good news: You don't need to decide everything upfront. There's a clear path with the Two Oceans Aquarium’s PADI Dive School, where you can start small, test the waters, and build from there. 

Here's how to get started, step by step. 

Step 1: Try it first with Discover Scuba Diving  

Before committing to a course or certification, most people start with Discover Scuba Diving, a taster experience created for complete beginners. No experience, no certification, and no long-term commitment required. 

In a single three-hour session, with your choice of a morning or afternoon slot, a PADI-qualified instructor will guide you through the basics of breathing underwater in a safe, controlled environment. It's the easiest, lowest-pressure way to find out whether diving is for you. The experience runs at R2 340 per person, covering all training, gear, and your dive in the Aquarium's I&J Ocean Exhibit. Participants need to be at least 10 years old, reasonably fit and healthy, and shouldn't plan to fly within 12 hours of diving. 

And if you love it? Your DSD session counts toward a full PADI Open Water Diver certification later, and completing it first even earns you a discount on that course. 

Step 2: Get certified with Open Water Diver 

Ready to commit? The PADI Open Water Diver course is your first real certification, and it's the most widely recognised recreational diving qualification on the planet, taken up by hundreds of thousands of new divers every year. 

Over three days, blending theory with real time in the water, you'll build the skills and confidence to dive independently with a buddy. Once certified, you'll be able to dive to depths of 18 metres, rent gear, book boat dives, and keep progressing toward an Advanced Open Water qualification. The Open Water Diver certification is recognised all over the world, so you can experience the wonder of the ocean at a variety of spectacular dive sites. 

The course runs at R10 370 per person, covering theory materials, gear rental, practical training, four diving experiences, and your final certification. Participants need to be at least 10 years old (younger divers earn a Junior Open Water certification), reasonably fit and healthy, and shouldn't plan to fly within 24 hours of diving. 

Or, take a different path: Freediving  

Want to connect with the ocean without an oxygen cylinder? Freediving offers a completely different approach, built on a single breath and controlled, deliberate movement through the water. 

The PADI Freediver course is your first step into this discipline, teaching the breath control, calm, and technique it takes to explore quietly, on your own terms. No prior snorkelling or diving experience is needed, just a reasonable level of fitness, adequate swimming ability and a minimum age of 15. 

The course runs at R5 150 per person, covering theory materials, gear rental and certification, and takes three days to complete (not necessarily consecutive, with up to six months to finish). 

Why learn through the Aquarium Dive School? 

As a five-star certified PADI Dive Centre, our instructors meet the same rigorous health, safety, and quality standards set by the world's leading scuba training organisation. But beyond the credentials, you're learning from people who live and breathe ocean conservation, backed by the same team behind our research and conservation work. That means genuine ocean literacy comes built into your training. 

Ready to start? 

Whichever path you choose, from a first taste with DSD, a full certification with Open Water, or something quieter with Freediving, there's never been a better time to begin. The ocean is waiting!