PADI Dive Courses Offered on the Island
Our volunteer trips are for both non-experienced and experienced divers. Not certified? No worries, many of our volunteers come to the island to learn to dive. Looking to further your dive credentials? Many of our volunteers come to our island to further their diving certification status. Regardless of your diving level, our island is a wonderful place to learn with calm, clear waters and little current. We swap the cold swimming pool and boring classroom at your local dive shop with the warm Caribbean Sea and a classroom under a palm tree!
Scuba diving certification courses have prerequisites and courses must be taken in chronological order to ensure the diver has the necessary skills and experience for the course at hand. Below is the sequential order in which scuba courses must be taken:
1. PADI Open Water Certification
2. PADI Advanced Open Water Certification
3. PADI Rescue Diver Certification
4. PADI Divemaster Certification
5. PADI Dive Instructor
We have many dive courses available to help you develop your scuba skills and marine conservation knowledge while on the island volunteering with us. Below is the price our program charges for each PADI certification course and approximately how long it will take you to complete the certification course on the island. Approximate time to complete the course is based on your aptitude, understanding, and your ability to complete the PADI requirements for the course.
PADI Certification Courses Offered on the Island
- Open Water Certification – $225 USD (3 days)*
- Advanced Open Water Certification – $275 USD (3 days)*
- Rescue Diver Certification – $325 USD (1 week)*
- Divemaster Certification – $750 USD (4 week minimum stay)*
PADI Specialty Certification Courses Offered on the Island
(Must be open water certified before taking any PADI specialty courses)
PADI Specialties with a Marine Conservation Focus
- Coral Reef Conservation – $175 USD (1 day)
- Fish Identification – $175 USD (2 days)
- Invasive Lionfish – $175 USD (2 days)
- Shark Conservation – $175 USD (2 days)
- Underwater Naturalist – $175 USD (2 days)
PADI Specialties with a Diving Skills Focus
- Deep Diver – $175 USD (3 days)*
- Emergency First Response – $175 USD (1 day)*
- Underwater Navigator – $175 USD (3 days)*
- Underwater Photographer – $250 USD (2 days)*
*Please Note: The PADI Open Water, Advanced, Rescue, Divemaster, Deep Diver, Emergency First Response, Underwater Navigator, and Underwater Photographer courses require the PADI eLearning prior to arrival. All other courses do NOT require the PADI eLearning prior to arrival. You must be a fully certified open water diver before taking any PADI specialty courses.
PADI Course Certification with ReefCI
PADI scuba certification with ReefCI is an easy 2 step process.
Step 1: Complete the classroom/theory portion of your course through the PADI online eLearning course at home before arrival. The cost for the PADI eLearning is from $125 to $225 USD depending on the course and paid to PADI via their website.
Step 2: Once on the ReefCI island, you will finish off the actual in-water portion of your course with ReefCI (cost depends on your course). This entire process is spelled out below in more detail with a link that you must follow to sign up for the PADI eLearning.
In order to be certified on the island, you will need to complete the PADI eLearning portion of your course (Open Water, Advanced, Rescue, Divemaster, Deep Diver, Emergency First Response, Underwater Navigator, or Underwater Photographer) prior to your arrival to our island. With PADI’s online eLearning, you will complete the classroom/theory portion of your course online before your arrival. PADI charges from $125 to $225 USD (cost varies depending on course) for the eLearning and the cost is paid to PADI via their website. You must click here to register for PADI’s online eLearning and complete it before your arrival. This link will affiliate you with ReefCI and lets us know you are registered and taking the course with us. After completing the eLearning, you must print out your eRecord (or snap a picture of it on your phone) and bring it with you to the island for our instructors. Once on the island, you will complete the required in-water training portion of the course with ReefCI. The cost paid to ReefCI for the in-water portion of your course depends on which course you are taking with us. (see our prices above)
PADI Course Descriptions
PADI Open Water Diver Certification
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. Get your scuba diving certification with the PADI Open Water Diver course – the world’s most popular and widely recognized scuba course. At the first level, Open Water Diver, divers gain basic knowledge of skills, equipment use, and theory for diving to a recommended depth of 18 meters/60 feet. Once certified as an Open Water Diver, PADI will send you a digital Open Water license card. This certification card allows you to dive around the world and never expires!
Please Note: The PADI Open Water certification course requires the PADI eLearning course: Open Water Diver.
PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Certification
You don’t have to be “advanced” to take it – it’s designed to advance your diving, so you can start right after earning your PADI Open Water Diver certification. The course helps build confidence and expand your scuba skills through different Adventure Dives. The Advanced certification also allows the diver to explore a broader variety of diving to a maximum depth of 30 meters/100 feet.
Your Adventure Dives will include five of the following:
- Deep Dive (maximum depth 30m/100ft)
- Peak Performance Buoyancy
- Night Dive
- Underwater Navigation
- Fish-ID
Prerequisite: PADI Open Water diver.
Please Note: The PADI Advanced Open Water certification course requires the PADI eLearning course: Advanced Open Water Diver.
PADI Rescue Diver Certification
The PADI Rescue Diver course prepares you to deal with dive emergencies, minor and major, using a variety of techniques. Through knowledge development and rescue
exercises, you learn what to look for and how to respond. During rescue scenarios, you put into practice your knowledge and skills. The course covers the following topics:
- Self-rescue and diver stress
- Emergency management
- Panicked diver response
- In-water rescue breathing protocols
- Egress (exits)
- Dive accident scenarios
Prerequisite: Must be a PADI Advanced Open Water diver.
Please Note: An Emergency First Response (EFR) course is a required element of the PADI Rescue course. The PADI Rescue certification course requires the PADI eLearning course: Rescue Diver.
PADI Divemaster Certification
The Divemaster certification (DM) rating places you in an elite group of respected divers who have earned this rating through both significant experience and scuba training. Fewer than 2% of divers ever achieve this rating. The course will develop leadership skills and deepen your knowledge of diving. Prerequisite certifications include the PADI Open Water, Advanced, and Rescue certifications (or equivalent certifications from another dive training organization). The PADI Divemaster certification requires the following:
- You must complete the PADI Divemaster eLearning before arrival to the island
- A 4-week minimum stay on the island is required to complete all the required PADI Divemaster training dives
What is the cost of the PADI Divemaster certification course?
- The PADI Divemaster certification course price is $750 USD which includes the PADI Divemaster Crew Pack with eLearning and all the in-person training dives on the island
- Price does not include the 4-week minimum stay with ReefCI
Upon payment for the course, ReefCI will send you a PADI eLearning code via email to access the eLearning which must be completed prior to arrival. With this convenient online study option, you will complete the classroom/theory portion and theory exam of your DM course before your arrival. At the end of the eLearning program, you must print out your eRecord and bring a copy of it with you to the island. Once on the island, you will receive the rest of your PADI Divemaster Crew Pack learning materials and complete the in-water training portion of the course which takes 4 weeks.
PADI Specialty Course – Coral Reef Conservation
Everyone likes to scuba dive or snorkel in warm, clear water on a vibrant coral reef, yet many people know little about what they’re seeing or the importance of reef ecosystems. The PADI Coral Reef Conservation Specialty course helps you appreciate the complexity of these habitats and teaches you how you can help conserve these vital systems.
The Coral Reef Conservation specialty course will cover the following topics:
- How coral reefs function and the complex nature of life on a reef
- Why coral reefs are so important
- Why many coral reefs are in serious trouble
- What you can do to prevent further decline
- How Project AWARE unites divers and water enthusiasts to make a difference
No Prerequisite: Anyone who has an interest in the aquatic world can take this course. There are no prerequisites or age restrictions for this specialty course.
Please Note: This is a non-diving certification and no water dive sessions are required to earn this PADI specialty.
PADI Specialty Course – Fish Identification
“What was that fish?” is a common question heard after a dive. If you want to be the scuba diver with the answers, instead of the one asking the questions, then take the Fish Identification Specialty course. You’ll enjoy your dives even more when you recognize the creatures that you see and can identify the main fish families and their characteristics. During two scuba dives, you’ll learn:
- Identify characteristics of local fish families and species
- Fish survey techniques and strategies
- Project AWARE activities that can help protect aquatic life
Prerequisite: PADI Open Water Certified
PADI Specialty Course – Invasive Lionfish
Thirty years after their accidental introduction, lionfish have conquered the Atlantic and Caribbean Oceans and are wreaking havoc on coral reef ecosystems. Unlike in its native Pacific Ocean habitats, there are no natural predators in the Atlantic and Caribbean to keep this invasive species in check. Hence, lionfish populations have exploded, gobbling up native coral reef fish that have no natural defense mechanisms against this invasive species. Lionfish threaten the very survival and sustainability of coral reef ecosystems in the Caribbean and Atlantic Oceans. Learn what action is needed to control the lionfish population and, learn practical ways to safely and humanely capture and euthanize these fish.
Prerequisite: PADI Open Water Certified and be at least 15 years old.
PADI Specialty Course – Shark Conservation
Love sharks? Scared of sharks? Or do you just want to learn more about them? Enroll in the Shark Conservation specialty and discover the value of sharks to marine ecosystems. At the end of your classroom session and two open water dives, you will cover the following topics:
- Identify various shark species and learn about their life history
- The conservation status of sharks, why they are unique and vulnerable, and the importance of healthy shark populations
- How to manage threats to sharks, recognize the value of sharks and remove barriers to conservation
- Actions you can take to protect sharks and how joining a global movement of divers can help to protect sharks
Prerequisite: PADI Open Water Certified
Please Note: This is NOT a shark dive. Feeding sharks in their natural habitat to dive with them is unsafe and disrupts their natural role in the ecosystem.
PADI Specialty Course – Underwater Naturalist
Take the PADI Underwater Naturalist Specialty course and you’ll see new things, even on the most familiar scuba diving sites. Why? Because when know more about symbioses, underwater ecology, and aquatic plant and animal habitats, you notice behaviors and see creatures you may have previously missed. Through class discussions and on two scuba dives, you’ll learn:
- Key differences between the terrestrial and aquatic worlds
- Major aquatic life groupings, interactions and information that dispels myths
- Responsible interactions with aquatic life
Prerequisite: PADI Open Water Certified
PADI Specialty Course – Deep Diver
The lure of the deep. There’s something exciting and mysterious about exploring deeper dive sites while scuba diving. Sometimes it’s a wreck that attracts you below 18 meters/60 feet, and on wall dives it may be a giant fan or sponge. Whatever it is, to scuba dive with confidence at depths down to 40 meters/130 feet, you should take the PADI Deep Diver Specialty course. During four deep dives with your instructor, you’ll go over:
- Specialized deep diving equipment
- Deep dive planning, buddy contact procedures and buoyancy control
- Managing your gas supply, dealing with gas narcosis and safety considerations
Prerequisite: Advanced Open Water Certified and be at least 15 years old.
Please Note: This PADI Specialty requires the PADI eLearning course: Deep Diver.
PADI Specialty Course – Emergency First Response (EFR)
Emergency First Response training focuses on building confidence in rescuers and increasing their willingness to respond when faced with a medical emergency. Course participants learn simple to follow steps for emergency care and practice applying skills in a non-stressful learning environment.
The EFR Specialty Course meets the CPR and first aid training requirements for the PADI Rescue Diver course and all professional-level ratings. The following EFR topics will be covered:
- Primary Care (CPR)
- Secondary Care (First Aid)
- Care for Children
- CPR & AED
No Prerequisite: Anyone who has an interest in emergency first response can take this course. There are no prerequisites or age restrictions for this specialty course.
Please Note: This PADI Specialty requires the PADI eLearning course: Emergency First Response (EFR). This is a non-diving certification and no water dive sessions are required to earn this PADI Specialty.
PADI Specialty Course – Underwater Navigator
Hey Magellan, are you lost? It’s easy to get disoriented underwater if you don’t know how to use a compass or natural navigation clues. Learn how to easily find your way back to boat or shore without returning to the surface and avoid long, exhausting swims.
Practice using a compass on the surface, then apply your skills underwater during three dives. Learn how to estimate distance, follow natural clues and practice finding your way back to the boat or shore.
Prerequisite: Open Water Certified
Please Note: This PADI Specialty requires the PADI eLearning course: Underwater Navigator.
PADI Specialty Course – Underwater Photographer
Underwater photography is one of the most popular diving specialties, and with so many underwater cameras to choose from, it has become easier and more fun than ever to capture images of your underwater scuba adventures. The PADI Digital Underwater Photographer course gets you going quickly, whether you use a point-and-shoot camera or a sophisticated one like the pros. During the course, you’ll learn how to take underwater photos you’ll be proud to share with others.
Prerequisite: Open Water Certified
Please Note: This PADI Specialty requires the PADI eLearning course: Digital Underwater Photographer. This must be completed prior to arrival. No camera is required. We have all the equipment one needs to complete this PADI Specialty successfully.