Quick Details
Full Open Water Course
Part 1 and 2
$ 799
Knowledge & Pool
Part 1 - Referred Out
$ 300
Four Ocean Dives
Part 2 - Referred In
$ 499
Learn Where the Diving Is Real
Hilo’s east side is an advanced dive environment. Lava rock entries, open ocean swell, and conditions that change by the day. Divers who learn here leave ready for anywhere in the world.
The PADI Open Water Diver course is your lifelong certification to dive with a buddy, without a professional, to 18 m / 60 ft. We run it in two parts: knowledge and pool training first, then four ocean dives. Book the full course, or book each part on its own.
Our goal is not to rush you to a card. It is to build the comfort, buoyancy, and judgment you will lean on for every dive after this one.
Course Options & Pricing
All options require PADI Open Water eLearning, purchased directly from PADI. Start it as soon as you book. It takes most students 8 to 12 hours, and it must be finished before your first pool session.
How to Get Your eLearning
- Open the PADI Open Water Diver eLearning page.
- Sign in to your PADI account, or create one. Use the same email you booked with us.
- When asked to choose a dive center, search Hilo Ocean Adventures and select us.
- Complete your purchase and start right away. Finish before your first pool session.
Full Open Water Course
$799 per person
Parts 1 and 2 booked together in one step. One day of pool training, then two days of ocean dives on Hilo’s reefs. You finish as a certified PADI Open Water Diver.
How you pay: $300 at booking. The ocean dives are charged on each dive day as it happens, so you never pay for a day the ocean cancels.
Included
PADI instructor. Pool and classroom time. Four guided ocean dives. All scuba gear: BCD, regulator, wetsuit, mask, fins, weights, and tanks. Certification processing.
Schedule
Day 1: Pool, 8am to 4pm
Day 2: Ocean dives 1 and 2
Day 3: Ocean dives 3 and 4
Ocean days move with conditions.
Part 1: Knowledge & Pool
$300 per person
All confined water training in our heated pool, plus your eLearning review and swim assessment. This does not issue a certification card. You leave with an official PADI Referral, valid for 12 months, to finish your ocean dives with us or any PADI shop worldwide.
Good for: short trips, winter swell, or finishing closer to home.
Part 2: Four Ocean Dives
$499 per person
Four instructor led ocean dives over 2 days. PADI allows a maximum of 2 training dives per day. Finish with your Open Water certification.
Charged as each dive day happens. If conditions cancel a day, you are not charged for it.
Referral students must bring their signed logbook and PADI Referral paperwork, signed within the last 12 months. Upload a photo when you book so we can confirm eligibility.
One booking for every option. Choose the Full Course, Part 1, or Part 2 when you book.
Private course upgrade: $349 per student. One on one pacing for nervous swimmers, young divers, or anyone who wants extra time with their instructor.
Not ready to commit? Try diving first with Discover Scuba Diving ($325).
Requirements & What to Bring
Requirements
- Ages 10 to 59. Divers under 15 certify as Junior Open Water, limited to 12 m / 40 ft.
- PADI eLearning completed before your first pool session, with Hilo Ocean Adventures selected as your dive center.
- PADI Medical Questionnaire completed before arrival.
- Swim test: 200 m without fins, or 300 m with mask, fins, and snorkel, plus a 10 minute float.
- Able to handle active lava rock entries while carrying gear.
What to Bring
- Photo ID
- Swimsuit and towel
- Reef safe sunscreen
- Light jacket for after dives
- Referral paperwork and logbook (Part 2 referral students)
Open Water Is Just the Start
Hilo is a place for experienced divers. Boat dives beyond the bay, pinnacles, lava tubes, night dives, and deep sites that reward good skills. Our certified divers keep training with us through Advanced Open Water, Rescue, and specialties like Peak Performance Buoyancy.
Local divers can join the HOA Dive Club for member rates, continuing education, and a crew to dive with.
Why Train in Hilo
Real entries. Lava shoreline entries teach timing, awareness, and control that calm resort beaches never will. Your instructor is with you on every one.
Healthy reef. Our main training site sits near a green sea turtle cleaning station. Turtles are common, along with reef fish, octopus, and endemic Hawaiian species. You learn buoyancy and reef safe finning where it matters.
Small groups. Personal instruction from staff who teach to build confidence, not to check boxes.
Conditions & Post Dive Travel
Hilo’s ocean changes daily. Our instructors check surf, swell direction, visibility, and tides every morning and choose the site and schedule that give you the best training. If the ocean is closed, we move your dives, not your standards.
Following PADI guidelines, wait 12 hours after a single dive and 18 hours after multiple dives or multiple days of diving before flying or traveling above 1,800 ft. That includes inter island flights, Saddle Road, Mauna Kea, Volcano, and driving to Kona.
FAQs
Should I book the full course or the parts?
If you have 3 or more days in Hilo, book the full course. Book Part 1 only if you are short on time or plan to finish elsewhere. Book Part 2 only if you already have a PADI Referral from another shop.
Why isn’t eLearning included?
You buy it directly from PADI so you can start the day you book, from home, at your own pace. Finish it before you arrive and your time in Hilo goes to diving, not homework.
Why do I need to select Hilo Ocean Adventures in eLearning?
It links your eLearning record to our instructors, so we can see your progress and your final exam before your pool day. If you already bought eLearning without selecting us, contact us and we will get it linked.
What happens if the ocean is too rough?
We reschedule your ocean dives within your stay. Ocean days are only charged when they happen, so a canceled day costs you nothing. If we cannot finish before you leave Hilo, you leave with your PADI Referral, valid 12 months at any PADI shop.
I started my certification somewhere else. Can I finish here?
Yes. Book Part 2 and upload your signed PADI Referral when you book. Paperwork must be signed within the last 12 months.
Do I need my own gear?
No. All scuba gear is included. Many students buy their own mask and fins, and we can fit you in the shop.
How deep can I dive once certified?
18 m / 60 ft with a buddy, anywhere in the world. Junior Open Water divers under 15 are limited to 12 m / 40 ft. Advanced Open Water takes you to 30 m / 100 ft.
Course Policies
Payment. Part 1 is charged at booking and follows our standard cancellation policy. Ocean dive days are charged as they happen. If conditions cancel a day, you are not charged.
PADI Five Star Dive Center. Green Fins certified and committed to environmentally responsible diving.