Course overview

Earn an entry-level qualification quickly with the PADI Scuba Diver course out of Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. Over a couple of days you complete confined-water training and supervised open-water dives in sheltered Galapagos shallows frequented by sea lions and turtles, gaining a recognised rating that lets you dive with a PADI professional. It is a shorter alternative to the full Open Water Diver course.

What you’ll learn

• Set up and use basic scuba equipment
• Breathe, equalise and descend under control
• Clear your mask and recover your regulator
• Hold buoyancy and move efficiently underwater
• Dive safely alongside a PADI professional within limits

Prerequisites

• Minimum age 10 (Junior Scuba Diver)
• No prior certification required
• Basic comfort and ability in water
• Diver medical questionnaire completed beforehand

What's included · What's not

Not included? Sort the rest of your trip

Flights and accommodation aren’t part of the course price, here’s how to book them around your dates.

Probability of sightings · month-by-month

What you're likely to see each month, based on historic operator logs.

Day-by-day itinerary

1. Day1
   Skills & first dive

   Knowledge development and confined-water skills, then a first supervised open-water dive in a sheltered Santa Cruz bay.
2. Day2
   Second open-water dive

   A second supervised open-water dive applying your skills, with sea lions and turtles often present, completing certification.

Verified through iDive

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Frequently asked questions