Open Water Course Booking Terms & Conditions

Scuba Dive training involves investment of time and money on the part of both PLUNGE Diving and you, the trainee.  For this reason, we would like to ensure you understand a number of conditions that apply to your booking.

PLUNGE Diving limits our course size to only 4 students per instructor so you get more personal attention and your safety is maximised. 

Once you enroll onto a PADI Open Water Course commencing on a particular date, PLUNGE Diving reserves a place for you on this course.  To facilitate the training program, instructors are then booked dependant on the number of people on a course.  We honour your booking by not advertising or selling your spot to others and once a course has reached our maximum number of students, we close bookings and refuse additional bookings onto that course.  This allows us to create ideal class sizes for your enjoyment and safety.

Please read the following Terms & Conditions for booking onto a course with PLUNGE Diving:

Diving Medical

An Australian Standards Diving Medical examination is required before you start your PADI Open Water course.  This medical must be in accordance with Australian Standards AS4005.1.  The correct form can be downloaded at the bottom of our Learn to Dive web page or will be given to you at time of booking. 

This form which must state “in accordance with the requirements of AS 4005.1” is the only form that will be accepted and it must be stamped & signed by an Australian doctor.  Australian Standards are different to those in other countries and a medical obtained in another country is not valid.

Failure to produce this correct medical form (that is both stamped and signed by a doctor) on the first day of your course means you will not be allowed to start the course and a rescheduling fee of $150 to transfer onto a later course will apply.

Please note that some medical conditions will prevent you from diving.  Some of the more common conditions are Asthma, Diabetes, Epilepsy, heart or lung conditions and problems equalising your ears.  If you are unsure about any specific condition, please ensure you complete the medical prior to redeeming the eLearning Access Pass or opening the Open Water manual as you will not receive a refund for these if you then fail your medical and cannot continue with the course.

Payment & Refunds

Full payment must be made on booking. Payment is non-refundable.

A full refund will only be given when you are deemed unfit to dive according to the AS 4005.1-2000 Australian Standard Training and Certification of Recreational Divers medical examination and we receive the failed medical certificate 7 days prior to the course start date.  In addition the Student Crew Pack & DVD must be returned in perfect condition or if you chose the eLearning option, you have not redeemed your eLearning Access Pass.

We strongly recommend that people complete the diving medical examination at least 7 days prior to start date and prior to redeeming their eLearning Access Pass.  Please be aware that a partner/spouse who fails the medical and cannot attend the course does not mean those booked onto the course with them are also entitled to a refund. 

Please note also that if you present a medical 7 days prior to the course start date and the eLearning Access Pass has been redeemed or the manual has been opened, a $150 fee will still occur.

Once you have commenced the course, if you cancel or do not turn up on any day without notice there is no refund and you forfeit the rest of your course.

Rescheduling Options

Changing your course date attracts no re-booking fee if notice is given 7 days or more prior to booked course start date.

Should you wish to change your booking within 7 days of booked start date, a rebooking fee of $150 is applicable.

If you cannot start a course on the scheduled date due to medical reasons and it’s within 7 days of booked start date, a doctors medical certificate is required as proof that you are ill.  Otherwise a re-booking fee of $150 will apply.

Should you be unable to complete the course for medical reasons once you have started, a doctors medical certificate is required as proof that you are ill.  Otherwise a re-booking fee of $150 will apply.

In the unlikely event that you cannot finish the course in the time allocated and you require additional private tuition in order to complete the course, additional fees will apply based on the time required.

Learning Agreement for 2 DAY eLearning Course

In order for you to learn as much as possible and get the greatest benefit from your training, you are required to complete the theory section of the PADI Open Water course prior to commencing the in-water training with PLUNGE Diving. 

On booking, you will be emailed an eLearning Access Pass which is a personal log-in to the PADI eLearning website. 

Prior to starting the in-water training with PLUNGE Diving, you need to complete:

1. All 6 sections and the course final exam

2. On completion, you must print out the PADI eLearning Record which verifies that you have completed the theory section, and bring this with you on the first day of your in-water training.

Please note that when you come in to start your course with PLUNGE, you will be required to complete a quick theoretical quiz to confirm you understand the theory section.

Learning Agreement for traditional 3 day Open water course

In order for you to learn as much as possible and get the greatest benefit from your training with PLUNGE Diving we require you to complete a little home study prior to commencing the course. 

On booking, you will be given a Student Crew Pack.  In this is your PADI Open Water Manual, Recreational Dive Planner Table (RDP), an Instruction Booklet on how to use the RDP and a PADI Log Book. 

You will also be given a PADI Open Water DVD which is on loan to you only and must be returned on the first day of your course.  You will not be certified until we receive the DVD or a replacement fee of $79 is paid.

Prior to starting your PADI Open Water course, you are required to complete the following home study:

1. Watch the entire PADI Open Water DVD

2. Complete the 5 Knowledge Reviews (list of questions) found at the end of each chapter in your PADI Open Water Manual

We reserve the right to ask you to leave the course and book onto a later course should we find you have not completed this home study as it is not fair on the rest of the course participants.  In this case, a rescheduling fee of $150 will apply.

Personal Diving Equipment

PLUNGE Diving requires everybody starting a course to have their own Mask, Snorkel, Boots & Fins. 

Why? We consider hygiene and comfort very important.  We want you to get the most out of your diving experience and enjoy it as much as possible.  In order to do this, you need to be comfortable in your equipment.  Hire masks tend to leak as they have been used by all shaped faces and a leaking mask will ruin your entire experience.  From a hygiene perspective, masks are spat in to defog, snorkels sit in mouths and boots when wet and used by many different bare feet can pose hygiene issues.  Fins complete your basic diving package with different models complementing different physiques and consequently your experience (If necessary, fins only may be hired for the duration of the course at a cost of $40).

As we are asking you to purchase this equipment, we feel it only fair to offer you Specially Discounted Equipment Packages.  And, we will spend time with you making sure you choose the best equipment to suit your face and budget.