Advanced Dive Course
Complete your PADI Advanced Open Water Course on a three-day, two-night liveaboard diving trip from Cairns, exploring Flynn, Thetford, Milln and Pellowe Reefs in the Great Barrier Reef with 11 dives, including core and elective training dives.
Key Highlights
- Three-day, two-night liveaboard diving experience on the Great Barrier Reef
- 11 dives visiting 19 outer reef sites across Flynn, Thetford, Milln and Pellowe Reefs
- Encounters with giant clams, turtles, stingrays, reef sharks, and diverse marine life
- Night dive introducing unique nocturnal reef life
- Core certification dives: deep, underwater navigation, peak performance buoyancy, and night dive
- Option to choose elective dives like nitrox, underwater naturalist, or boat diver
- Accommodation on premium, air-conditioned Scubapro dive vessels
- Small group sizes for a personalised, immersive experience
What’s included
- 11 training and fun dives on the Great Barrier Reef
- Accommodation in air-conditioned cabins onboard Scubapro dive vessels
- Catered meals during the liveaboard trip
- PADI Advanced Open Water Course instruction and required training dives
- Access to PADI Advanced Open Water manual and knowledge reviews
- Use of onboard facilities and spacious decks
- Professional staff and dedicated instructors
Overview
Advance your scuba diving skills with the PADI Advanced Open Water Course on a three-day, two-night liveaboard trip departing Cairns. Experience the unparalleled diving conditions of the Great Barrier Reef, visiting a variety of sites across Flynn, Thetford, Milln, and Pellowe Reefs. This course is for certified divers (PADI Open Water or equivalent) looking to build confidence and expand their underwater abilities.
Your training includes 11 dives, such as deep, underwater navigation, peak performance buoyancy, and night dives-each offering unique encounters with marine life like turtles, reef sharks, giant clams and spectacular coral formations. Night diving introduces you to another dimension of reef activity, letting you observe nocturnal species.
The course features three core dives and two electives, including options like nitrox, underwater naturalist, and boat diving, tailored in consultation with your instructor. There are no classroom sessions. Simply complete the relevant knowledge reviews from the PADI Advanced Open Water manual during your trip.
Relax onboard a premium, purpose-built Scubapro vessel featuring air-conditioned cabins, spacious decks, and catered meals. Enjoy small group sizes and attentive staff, ensuring a comfortable and memorable learning environment right on the world-renowned Great Barrier Reef.
Commonly asked questions.
It is a PADI Advanced Open Water certification course conducted during a 3-day, 2-night Great Barrier Reef liveaboard, designed to build diving skills and experience beyond basic Open Water certification.
Yes. You must hold a PADI Open Water certification or an equivalent qualification from another recognised training agency before starting the course.
The Advanced course includes 11 dives over the three-day liveaboard, including night diving and a range of training and recreational dives.
Training includes skills such as deep diving, underwater navigation and peak performance buoyancy, along with elective adventure dives such as underwater naturalist, boat diving or underwater photography.
Yes. Night diving forms part of the Advanced training experience, with guided night dives included during the liveaboard.
There are no formal classroom or pool sessions. You complete the required knowledge reviews from the PADI Advanced Open Water manual while onboard during the liveaboard.
The optional PADI Enriched Air (Nitrox) course can be combined with the Advanced Open Water course. The theory and knowledge assessments are completed as part of the liveaboard experience, with Nitrox diving available once the course requirements have been completed.
With the Advanced & Nitrox combination course, Nitrox becomes available after the Nitrox course requirements and final assessment are completed. The operator's combined course allows for the maximum practical number of Nitrox dives during the trip.
Pro Dive has access to 19 Outer Reef dive sites across Flynn, Thetford, Milln and Pellowe Reefs. The actual sites and dive sequence are selected according to the conditions on the day.
Accommodation is provided onboard the purpose-built liveaboard, with air-conditioned twin-share or double cabins, bedding and hot freshwater showers.
You must complete Pro Dive's Continuing Education Student Diver Medical Declaration. If you answer yes to any of the medical questions, you will need a medical assessment confirming that you are fit to dive. The medical must be completed within 12 months of the course.
Pro Dive recommends not flying within 24 hours of diving. The operator states that the earliest recommended flight time is 12:00pm on the day after the liveaboard finishes.
Additional info by the operator.
- 6:00am - Cairns accommodation pickup
- 7:00am - Depart Cairns for the Great Barrier Reef
- 11:00am - Dive 1 and orientation
- 12:30pm - Lunch
- 2:30pm - Dive 2: Peak Performance Buoyancy or elective dive
- 4.00pm - Dive 3: underwater navigation
- 6.00pm - Dinner
- 7:45pm - Dive 4 Guided night dive
- 7:00am - Dive 5: Deep Dive
- 9:00am - Breakfast
- 11:15am - Dive 6: Underwater Naturalist or elective dive
- 12:45pm - Lunch
- 1.30pm - Complete Advanced/Nitrox theory and knowledge reviews
- 3:15pm - Dive 7: Underwater Photography or elective dive
- 5:45pm - Dinner
- 7:30pm - Dive 8 Night dive
- 6:30am - Dive 9: Morning dive
- 7:30am - Breakfast
- 9:00am - Dive 10
- 11:00am - Dive 11
- 12:00pm - Lunch
- 4:00pm - Arrive back to Cairns - transfer to hotel