I’ve been teaching people to dive in the Bay of Islands for most of my working life, and I still think it’s one of the best places in New Zealand to learn. The sites are sheltered and close to Paihia, the classes are small, and your last two dives are in Deep Water Cove, which is about as good a first boat dive as you’ll find anywhere.

The course

The SSI Open Water course is the first full certification. Once you’ve finished you can dive to 18 metres with a buddy anywhere in the world, and your certification card arrives straight away, digitally, in the MySSI app.

We run it over three days, and we can usually shape it around the time you have.

• Day 1, the pool. All the confined water skills are done in the heated pool in Kawakawa, which is normally around 28°C. That’s where you get comfortable breathing underwater, clearing your mask and controlling your buoyancy before you go anywhere near the sea.
• Day 2, Matauri Bay. Two shore dives off the beach. Shore diving teaches you different skills from boat diving, and it’s a good gentle step from the pool to the ocean.
• Day 3, Deep Water Cove. Two boat dives in Maunganui Bay. The bay has been under a rāhui since 2010, put in place by Ngāti Kuta and Patukeha, and closed to fishing, so the fish life is a real treat for a new diver.

Before you start

You can start the theory for free in the SSI app as soon as you book, and you keep access to the materials for life.

You’ll need to pass a simple swim test: a 200 metre swim, or 300 metres with mask, fins and snorkel, plus a 10-minute float. You’ll also fill in a medical form before the course.

Children can do a Junior Open Water course from age 10. Divers aged 10 to 12 can only dive with an instructor, and in our conditions we recommend starting at 12.

What it costs

The SSI Open Water course is $749. If you need to hire gear, it’s an extra $100 for the course.

If you’re not sure diving is for you, an Intro Dive is a good way to find out first. It’s $389 with all the gear, from age 10, and you dive with an instructor the whole time.

The water

Through summer the water in the Bay of Islands is usually 20 to 22°C, and visibility can be anything from 8 metres to more than 30. We kit you out in a 7mm wetsuit with a hood, so you stay warm enough to enjoy it.

After your course

Learning here means you’re already a short boat ride from two of New Zealand’s best wrecks. You don’t need to be an Advanced diver to dive the HMNZS Canterbury or the Rainbow Warrior: as an Open Water diver you can dive either one with one of our instructors as a Deep Adventure Dive, and that dive counts towards your SSI Advanced Open Water course. SSI also lets Open Water divers go straight on to any of the specialty courses.

Upcoming course dates

Our next SSI Open Water courses run over these three-day blocks:

• Saturday 31 October to Monday 2 November
• Friday 27 November to Sunday 29 November
• Friday 11 December to Sunday 13 December
• Friday 18 December to Sunday 20 December
• Monday 28 December to Wednesday 30 December

If none of those suit, get in touch. We can often fit a course around your dates.

Book your SSI Open Water course online, or call the shop on 0800 107 551 and we’ll find dates that suit you.