No experience needed
Your first step into the underwater world. No certification and no prior experience needed. Just a sense of adventure.
Scuba diving for beginners
The PADI Discover Scuba Diving (DSD) programme is a fun, easy introduction for beginners aged 10 and up, including non-swimmers. After a safety briefing and some shallow-water skills practice, you'll go on a guided dive to 10–12 metres, supervised throughout by a certified PADI instructor.
How it works
Check in at Submarine Diving Center on Unawatuna Beach at your session time and meet the PADI instructor who stays with you from start to finish.
We give you all the equipment you need. It is well maintained, and your instructor makes sure everything fits and works properly.
A relaxed classroom session covers the basics of the experience: what you need to know, what to do and what not to do on the day. Ask as many questions as you like, and we move on once you feel comfortable and any doubts are cleared.
We take you to the beach, where the water is only waist deep and you can stand up at any time. You practise breathing underwater, clearing your mask if water gets in, and recovering your regulator if you lose it. These things will not actually happen on your dive day. We teach them so you feel at ease in the water and there are no surprises.
Once you are comfortable, we head out by boat to your dive site, which is only a short ride away.
Standard, Goda Gala Reef: you start at about 2 m and gradually go down to a maximum of 10 m. Expect colourful corals, lots of marine life, a small shipwreck and some artificial structures. About 45 minutes on the water, with your instructor keeping you safe the whole time.
Premium, Gala Pita Gala: about 30 minutes on the dive. You start at around 10 m and your maximum depth is 12 m, even though the site itself goes much deeper. You will see many schools of fish, including lionfish, moray eels and octopus. Both sites are famous for marine life, but Gala Pita Gala has far more.
Back on the beach, enjoy tea, water or coffee. You receive your free photos and your PADI e-certificate, and you can ask about continuing to the Open Water course.
Three ways to dive
The Standard and Premium programs are about 3 hours and include a PADI-certified instructor throughout, a safety briefing and basic skills training, tea, water or coffee, free photos and your PADI e-certificate.
Standard
$65 / solo diver
Premium
$85 / solo diver
Full day · certification
$200 / diver, any group size
Bringing a group?
When your group is large enough, the Discover Scuba Diving session is closed to other guests. It is just your group, your instructors and your own pace, at no extra cost. Perfect for families, friends, birthdays and team days. Book online and the session is reserved for you automatically, or message us on WhatsApp to plan it.
7:00 AM9:00 AM10:30 AM12:00 PM2:00 PM3:30 PM
Book any session, depending on availability. The session time makes no difference to your dive experience. A small deposit is usually required to confirm your spot. Find us on the map.
Loved your first dive?
Your Discover Scuba Diving counts as the start of your course. Keep going, finish your certification and dive anywhere in the world to 18 metres, for just $300 on top of what you paid for your dive.
Including 2 nights in a private room: $340 extra.
See the Open Water courseSee it for yourself
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