Learning to Dive in Joburg: What It Costs

Back from a holiday Discover Scuba session, you're at your desk in Johannesburg pricing the real thing. At Scuba Evolution in Glenvista, the PADI Open Water Diver course costs R5,650, VAT included. It's the certification that lets you dive to 18 metres with a buddy for life. The instructor on holiday said you took to it well. What they probably didn't mention is that the pool session you did there may count towards that course.

The R5,650 covers PADI eLearning, your instructor, all the scuba equipment for the course and the air for five pool sessions. Two costs sit outside it. Air fills for your four open water dives are charged per fill, and the dive site charges its own entry fee on the day. So the full cost of certifying is R5,650, plus four dives' worth of air and site entry.

How much does the PADI Open Water course cost in Johannesburg?

Our price is R5,650, checked against the live course page on 12 October 2026. PADI itself doesn't set one national figure. Its Open Water page says the cost of in-water training depends on class size, location and equipment rental. It tells you to ask the dive centre directly. That's why two quotes for "the same course" can differ by a fair amount. They often aren't the same course once you list what each one includes.

Class size is part of the price, and ours is capped at four students per instructor. Your five confined water sessions run in a heated indoor pool in Fourways. The four open water dives follow at Bass Lake or Miracle Waters, two inland sites within driving distance of Johannesburg. You have six months from your first pool session to finish. That window suits people who can only train on weekends, which is most of Gauteng.

What is included in the Open Water course price, and what isn't?

The useful comparison is line by line, because "all inclusive" means different things on different price lists. Here is exactly how ours splits.

• Included: PADI eLearning. The theory is done online before and between sessions, at your own pace.
• Included: instruction. Five confined water sessions and four open water dives with a PADI Instructor.
• Included: all scuba equipment for the course. Nothing to buy or hire before you start.
• Included: pool air. Every fill used in the five pool sessions.
• Paid separately: air for the open water dives. Charged per fill as you use it. The rate is confirmed when you book, and we'll give it to you on request beforehand.
• Paid separately: site entry. Paid at the gate.

Air is billed per fill for a plain reason. A nervous first-timer tends to breathe through a cylinder faster than a calm one, and a flat rate would make the calm diver pay for the nervous one. You pay for the air you use. Your breathing usually settles by the third or fourth dive, and the bill follows it.

Does a Discover Scuba session count towards Open Water?

It can, inside PADI's window. According to PADI, a Discover Scuba Diving pool session can count as the first confined water session of the Open Water course. You have to start the full course within 12 months of the Discover Scuba experience, and the skills need to have been completed to standard. Tell us when you book, and bring whatever record you were given on the day.

The credit saves you a session. It doesn't change the price. Open Water is booked as its own course at R5,650, whether or not you start with a credited session. If you haven't tried scuba yet, our Discover Scuba Diving session is R1,000, with all equipment and pool air included. It's a single pool session and not a certification.

Two things tend to come up before anyone books. The first is swimming. The course asks for a 200 metre swim or a 300 metre snorkel, and our article on learning to dive if you can't swim covers what that involves. The second is the medical questionnaire. A yes to any question means a doctor signs you off first, and what a yes on the dive medical form means explains how that works.

Do you need to buy scuba gear to learn to dive?

No. The course equipment is included, so you can certify without owning any of it. Most people do buy a mask, fins and boots early, though. Fit is the reason. A mask that leaks at the edges turns a mask-clearing skill into a constant chore, and fins that pinch get worse with every kick.

PADI's own course page notes that many dive shops expect students to bring their own mask, fins and snorkel. It also warns that some snorkelling masks and fins aren't suitable for scuba. If you already own a set from a beach holiday, bring it to your first pool session and your instructor will check it. Bigger purchases, such as a regulator or a dive computer, can wait until you know how and where you'll dive.

How can you pay for a dive course?

Card payments go through PayFast or Yoco, and EFT works too. If you'd rather spread the cost, Mobicred instalments are available once your Mobicred account is approved. Each course page shows an estimated monthly instalment beside the price. The interest rate is Mobicred's, so check it with them before you apply.

Cancellation is straightforward. The course is refundable until you redeem the PADI eLearning code. Once you're training, sessions can move with 24 hours' notice. If your diary changes a lot, say so when you book.

What do the next PADI courses cost?

Open Water is the first card, not the last. Every price below is in rand, VAT included, and current as of October 2026.

The Advanced Open Water course is R5,000, which makes it the usual second step. If your card is a few years old and you haven't dived since, PADI ReActivate at R1,800 is the cheaper place to start. The card doesn't expire. The skills fade. The Open Water Diver course is bookable online, and we set your training dates with you once you have booked.

Sources

• PADI, Open Water Diver course, for the course structure, the 18 metre limit, and PADI's statement that in-water training costs depend on class size, location and equipment rental.
• PADI Blog, Discover Scuba Diving FAQs, for the Discover Scuba credit towards Open Water and the 12-month start window.
• PADI, ReActivate, for what the refresher programme involves.
• PADI, Advanced Open Water Diver course, for the next course after Open Water.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to learn to scuba dive in Johannesburg?
At Scuba Evolution in Glenvista, the PADI Open Water Diver course costs R5,650, VAT included. It covers PADI eLearning, instruction, all scuba equipment and pool air. Air fills for the four open water dives and dive site entry fees are paid separately.

Is the PADI Open Water course price the same at every dive centre?
No. PADI says the cost of in-water training depends on class size, location and whether you need to rent equipment. Compare what each quote includes, especially equipment, air and site entry, rather than the headline figure alone.

What isn't included in the Open Water course price?
Air fills for the four open water dives, charged per fill at a rate confirmed when you book, and the entry fee at the dive site, paid on the day. Pool air, equipment, eLearning and instruction are included.

Does Discover Scuba Diving make Open Water cheaper?
It doesn't change the price. A Discover Scuba pool session can count as the first confined water session if you start Open Water within PADI's 12-month window, but Open Water is booked at its normal price of R5,650.

Can you pay for a scuba course in instalments?
Yes, through Mobicred once your Mobicred account is approved. Each course page shows an estimated monthly instalment. Card payments through PayFast or Yoco and EFT are also accepted.

How long do you have to finish the Open Water course?
Six months from your first confined water session. The course is refundable until the PADI eLearning code is redeemed, and sessions can be moved with 24 hours' notice.

Reviewed October 2026. Devon Ford runs Scuba Evolution, a PADI 5 Star Dive Centre in Glenvista, Johannesburg.