Open Water Courses. Learn to Dive.
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Starts Friday night, 19th November to Sunday, 21st November 2010
then Thursday night, 26th November to Sunday, 28th November 2010
What you need
Before you can do a course you must have a medical to say you are fit to dive, you can download a medical form to take to the doctors here. You need two passport size photos, one is for your student record file (Asia Pacific File) and one is for your PADI Certification. ( Professional Association of Diving Instructors).
To Download and Print this form, you need Adobe Acrobat Reader v6.01 or higher, which you can obtain for free at the Adobe Website by clicking here.
What you get
- The most internationally recognized certification in the world - PADI.
- FREE accommodation. (valued at over $200.) You must bring your own sheets, pillow case, blankets or sleeping bag to go over the bed.
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FREE transport, via mini bus. (valued at over $100.) Transport is provided to and from Wollongong University Recreation & Aquatic Centre, Kooloobong, International House, Weerona College, Gundi, Campus East, and most areas around Wollongong and people coming by train can be picked up from Otford Station. Transport is provided to and from pool sessions and dive sites, it is FREE.
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FREE Membership to Pete's Dive Club. (valued at $10 for students. $25 for workers)
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Free Membership to University of Wollongong Scuba Club. (Contitions apply, valued at $25.)
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FREE divers log book. ( valued at $10) Use of ALL dive equipment:
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- Reglators
- BCD
- Wetsuit (5mm)
- Hood (5mm)
- Boots (5mm)
- Weight Belt
- Redundant air supply spare air
- Cylinders
- Mask
- snorkel
- Open heel fins
- Everything! All equipment sanitised .
- Some operators will make you purchase mask, snorkel, boots and fins. This cost can exceed $250 on top of your course fee. Plus it is most likely that you will not receive a hood. Pete’s class is the only one that provides a redundant air supply, “Spare Air”, a complete back up system!)
You will see creatures and plants you could not imagine. Enjoy the unforgettable experience that will last you a lifetime.
How the course runs
("The goss") or (“The drum”)
The course goes for four days and two nights. Two weekends including the Friday nights is the most preferred course, next preferred is four days straight including two nights. You have about 8 hours work on CD ROM or Video & manual to do before you attend the class. The reason for this is that the theory day with the new standards was getting up to about 16 hours and was a bit to much for every one, the CD ROM work brings the theory back to a easier 8 hour day, plus a 2 hours lecture on the 1st night.
Over the two weekends - Friday night everybody turns up between 7pm and 8pm. Some places I pick up from, if your coming by train organize it with me so I can have the mini bus at the railway station to meet you when you arrive. When everybody arrives we start straight away on your student record file, this has all your legal requirements. Then straight into the first lecture.
Saturday is theory plus practical sessions assembling, dissembling equipment and some time during the day we get all fitted out in scuba gear.
Sunday is all day at the heated pool. Sutherland and Engadine Leisure Centres are used because these are the only pools that give me unlimited time. So if you have a problem you are stuck with me at the end of the day. You have some homework to do through the week.
Following Friday night arrive between 7pm and 8pm. Once everybody is in we get our scuba gear ready for the weekend, mark your homework sit a small exam. By doing the course this way that gives us the whole weekend free for diving. I tell everybody I'm a bit of a dive junkie, I spend longer in the water than anybody else I know. We dive two dives each day and usually spend about two hours in the water each time. (In the time we do one dive other people have done 2 dives. That means to match our time in the water others would have to do 8 dives! )
Between the two dives on the Saturday I give a lecture on equipment. I am not a dive shop. The reason for this is that in the past I've had lots of students who have gone off to a local dive shop after doing a course and spent heaps of money on equipment that’s not even appropriate for them. Hopefully they will at least know what they are looking for.
Between the two dives on the Sunday I give a lecture on the wheel table, what this does is allow you to spend longer under the water through multi leveling, this is still no decompression diving or what I call the safe stuff. But the reason for the lecture is to let students know that there is a cheaper way other than a dive computer for when you become a bit more experienced. You don't need a dive computer to go diving!
The four day straight course is the same, just more intense and usually starts on a Wednesday night. Customized courses can be arranged.
Food
You can bring your own and use all the facilities here to cook, if you want to eat out from the local shops you can but the shops aren't open early enough for breakfast so you must bring breakfast.
