Discover the top 8 cheapest places to learn scuba diving.
Scuba diving is one of the coolest water sports that everyone wants to try.
However, while scuba diving can be probably the coolest watersports to encounter sea creatures and explore another spot, the cost of certification regularly is upwards of $400 for an open water certification and $100 for a two-tank dive. It can be cost-restrictive for some divers on a tight budget.
Sadly, whether you like it or not, you need to get certification to enjoy this leisure activity securely.
The world’s best certification organization is the Professional Association of Dive Instructors, also known as ‘’PADI’’. When you get your PADI open water certification, you’ll have the chance to dive at thousands of diving destinations around the globe.
Nevertheless, there are some good and instructor and dive centres all over the place. Cheapest doesn’t really mean low quality.
Although, you must research your options cautiously to ensure you’re not sparing a couple of dollars by settling on your safety.
Check out these top 8 cheapest places to learn scuba diving.
Guidelines in Taking Scuba Diving Course
Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) globally perceives association as the highest quality level for divers. First-time jumpers can either plunge with a PADI-confirmed teacher on enjoyment diving or as a feature of an instructional class.
There are a few other accreditation associations that offer a scuba diving course. However, in this article, I will only discuss the PADI courses.
Like some other sports, diving becomes more fun when you know you are safe with proper training. Most diving communities offer many kinds of training courses.
3 Most Popular Training Programs for Beginners
Discover Scuba Diving
This PADI program offers you one-day of experience diving in 12 meters. It doesn’t give any certification yet can be a credit towards your first open water certification, in either Open Water Diver or Scuba Diver. This is ideal for individuals who keen on discovering how to breathe underwater and experience what it is about.
Scuba Diver
This is the section level course. The scuba diving course can be finished within 2 days with some web-based eLearning. When finished, you will have the option to dive to a most extreme depth of 12 meters with a PADI proficient guide.
Open Water Diver
This is the principal course whereupon you will have the option to see yourself as a diver. The term can be finished in 3-4 days with internet eLearning. When you complete the open water course, you will have the option to dive to the greatest depth of 18 meters with a pal or guide in comparative conditions to what you realized.
Where to Dive?
Our planet is honoured with a large number of wonderful diving destinations that are ideal for scuba divers to explore the underwater world.
Although, most dive spots are untouchable for uncertified divers.
Scuba diving courses can cost a fortune and can gobble up your budget travel! Here’s the place you can locate the most affordable PADI seminars on earth.
The costs are demonstrative with accommodation and gear rentals except if referenced something else.
So, why not join your certification course with a vacation? Don’t worry, it doesn’t need to be costly. In numerous areas, the PADI Open Water certification course is a similar cost or much less expensive than a similar course in the U.S., and you can take it while staying on very affordable accommodations.
Top 8 Cheapest Place to Learn Scuba Diving
Cozumel, Mexico
Cozumel is somewhere else to encounter the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, including transcending coral dividers that have an inconceivable scope of ocean life. The vast majority of the plunge destinations here are situated in the Cozumel Reefs National Marine Park, a secured zone that is home to the absolute most wonderful coral reefs on the planet.
Cozumel sits off the shore of Mexico close to Playa del Carmen’s town, and there are a few different ways to get to it.
What’s more?
You can fly legitimately into Cozumel costs from Chicago start at;
- Around $550 full circle.
Into the busier air terminal at Cancun flights;
- Cost around $260 and up.
From Cancun, you can take another flight
- Cost around $125 full circle or a
- $11 transport in addition to;
- An $11 ship to Cozumel.
With regards to scuba operators in Cozumel, there are abundant, affordable options to consider. For instance;
Scuba Club Cozumel Dive Resort offers a
- Five-day open water certification course for $375 in addition to plus tax.
- Seven-night settlement bundle for $699 in addition to plus tax.
Curacao
Curacao’s Caribbean island is known for its inexhaustible untamed life, obvious waters, and scuba diving opportunity.
Found only north of Venezuela, alongside Aruba and Bonaire, Curacao is only here and there hit with typhoons or hurricanes. Numerous scuba diving is effectively available from the shore.
At Scuba Lodge Boutique Hotel and Ocean Suites, visitors can join their affection for travel with scuba certification at a value that they most can afford.
What’s more?
A five-day PADI Open Water Diver course begins at;
- Around $500
Which you can join with an on-property stay beginning at;
- Around $155 every night
- $179 every late evening during the top season, which is late December through March.
The certification course incorporates;
- Six (6) dive.
Which five (5) of it can do at different dive destinations around the island.
Curacao’s best part is that, not normal for some remote destinations, arriving here is affordable. Relentless, round trip flights from New York start at;
- Around $200.
Bonaire
Regardless of whether you’re an experienced diver or just simply learning, Bonaire is an island you’ll need to focus on. This Caribbean heaven claims and 57 kinds of coral.
Getting scuba certification in Bonaire is affordable. Thanks to the sensible dive and lodging choices on the island. The Divi Flamingo Beach Resort and Casino is a simple recommendation. You can procure your open water certification more than;
- Five days for $495, and
Remain in a standard twofold room at the
- Lodging for $148 every night.
While there are numerous ways to travel at Bonaire, mostly many people fly to Curacao, at that point, book a 25-minute trip to and from Bonaire.
In October, a full-circle trip to Bonaire from Curacao on Insel Air will hamper you;
- Around $117.
Flights to Curacao from New York start at;
- Around $200.
Belize
Belize is a Central American nation known for its astonishing jungle-like landscape and one of a kind diving opportunity. Here, you can dive into an area of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef framework known as the Belize Barrier Reef.
The feature for some individuals is the eminent Blue Hole, a mammoth sinkhole that has gotten one of the world’s most popular diving destinations.
What’s more?
Likewise, despite Belize’s being one of the costliest nations in Central America, it’s not terrible when contrasted with some Caribbean islands. There are some lot of resorts that consolidate inn remains with diving courses at great rates.
- Ramons Village Resort only has one option.
- Rooms start at $155 every night.
Apply your open water certification to the;
- Retreat for $450.
Belize can be amazingly cheapest to go to, where you live. From Belize from Chicago on Southwest Airlines start at;
- Around $400, and may run even less during Southwest deals.
Bohol Island, Philippines
Pondering where to figure out how to scuba dive? One of my preferred diving areas in the Philippines is Bohol, and I figure it would be an incredible spot for newbies to figure out how to scuba dive.
The reefs before Panglao offer an extraordinary choice of marine life and brilliant corals. They’re not that in-depth, and flows aren’t solid in any way.
What’s more?
There are a lot of shops and diving schools on Alona Beach in Panglao.
- Open Water Certification start at about $250.
However, the search for the best arrangements. Close Bohol, you’ll likewise discover Balicasag Island, the ideal spot to see turtles, a companion of our own seen 28 out of a solitary dive.
Other than diving, there are a lot of Bohol experiences over the waves. You can visit the popular Chocolate Hills, adorable tarsiers or go paddleboarding on the Loboc stream.
Malapascua, Philippines
North of Cebu, you’ll locate this glorious island called Malapascua. Perhaps, it is the best spot to learn scuba diving in the Philippines. There’s no space for streets or vehicles, not only 3 kilometres in length and 500 meters wide, and not for stress, either.
As diving is the principle fascination on the island, you’ll discover bounty dive shops where you can take your;
- Open Water Course for around $350.
Obviously, you’ll discover the bounty of stunning corals and vivid fishes here. However, the primary submerged fascination is the point of fact of the thresher shark.
What’s more?
Malapascua is one of the not many spots on the planet where you can dive with this stunning creature, so a huge number of divers come each year to see them.
When the diving day is done, you can unwind and appreciate the dusk on Bounty Beach while having a beverage with the remainder of the divers and local people. To put it plainly, in case you’re searching for an ideal spot to learn how to scuba dive, Malapascua will tick all the crates.
Koh Tao, Thailand
Koh Tao is famous for being perhaps the least expensive spot on the planet to get scuba certification. Despite having just 13 square miles of landmass, this modest island flaunts fifty dive shops and more yearly dive certifications than any place on earth put something aside for Cairns, Australia.
Koh Tao’s warm and shallow waters are abounding with life: Post-dive. You’ll be enticed by excellent seashores, modest brews and an energetic social scene.
With more than 60 dive habitats, costs are serious,
- Costing THB 11,000 by and large (roughly $350).
Courses are offered in a huge number of various dialects. Once you’re qualified, fun dives are similarly moderate allows you to pick up experience underwater without using up every last cent.
What’s more?
The conditions around Koh Tao are common with;
- Normal water temperatures of around 82ºF/28ºC.
Permeability differs consistently and from site to site. However, it frequently surpasses 65 feet/20 meters.
Nevertheless, the nature of Koh Tao’s dive spots has been decreased as of late by overfishing in the Gulf of Thailand. The coral spread and assortment of fish life can’t be contrasted with increasingly remote destinations in Indonesia or Borneo, yet first-time divers are still liable to be impressed.
Divers visiting this paradise island can appreciate 20 or more destinations, including coral gardens and wrecks. Also, the recently guaranteed will welcome the normally clear, warm water.
Indeed, you’ll be addressing island costs for nourishment and beverages, however, with the conversion standard preferring the U.S. dollar 3-to-1. Visiting Westerners can discover deals on lager, smoothies, curries and all the modest favorites cherished by the backpacking swarm.
Utila, Honduras
Utila is known as the “Koh Tao of the Western Hemisphere” and all things considered. The two islands share comparative reasonableness, diving conditions and energetic, fun vibes.
Utila is one of three isles that make up the Bay Islands, while in fact, situated in Honduras lie solidly in the Caribbean Sea. That implies you’ll approach white sand seashores at a small amount of the expense of most Caribbean islands toward the east.
Utila is one of the top-class diving at the southern tip of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System. A progression of reefs that stretch 450 miles over the Caribbean. In case you’re in Utila in March or April, you even stand a decent possibility of seeing moving whale sharks.
Utila is frequently contrasted with close by Roatan, which is additionally an island in Honduras.
However, Utila is considerably less expensive and better for diving. Some state it is the most moderate spot on the planet to dive.
The Utila Dive Center offers an
- Open water certification bundle for just $349.
This bundle includes the dive, certification and coursework. Alongside with five evenings of extremely fundamental convenience in the close by Mango Inn. Other than the course, you can get two dive and boundless swimming and kayak use.
Finding a workable pace be excessively costly, either. You can fly
- From New York to Roatan for around $500 full circle.
For instance;
- From Roatan, you can take the Utila Dream Ferry to and from the island for $30 every way.
Final Words:
Breathing underwater for the first time is one of the most fascinating and satisfying experiences you can ever have.
However, you would enjoy this more if you get your open water certification.
Therefore, it would be a great idea to have done a scuba diving course before you explore the underwater world.
Hopefully, this article helps you choose the best place where you can dive for the first time.
So, have you finished a scuba diving course? Let us know in the comment section below.