FlyingFish Scuba School in Candolim, Goa runs SSI and PADI scuba certification courses year-round. Whether you want a beginner scuba course, your open water scuba licence, or a specialty certification, every course cost is shown on its own page with no hidden extras. Our primary dive site is Grande Island, 30 minutes by boat from Candolim.
Start with your first scuba diving licence, go deeper with Advanced and specialty courses, and train all the way to DiveMaster, all at one dive centre in Candolim.
Get your scuba licence in Goa with an SSI or PADI certification course. Beginner scuba courses run 2–3 days at Grande Island. The Open Water Diver course is what most people mean by a scuba diving licence: it certifies you to dive to 18 metres (60 feet) with a buddy, anywhere in the world.
SSI, PADI & SDI explained: FlyingFish is an SSI-affiliated dive centre and a registered SDI dive centre, and offers PADI courses through certified PADI instructors on the team. All three certifications are internationally recognised and valid for life. Not sure which to choose? Ask us when you book.
Try breathing underwater in a pool before the ocean. Good first step if you want a feel for scuba before booking a full certification.
Certified diver returning after a break? A short pool refresher (SDI Refresher) covers key skills before you head back into the ocean.
SDI Scuba Discovery in a calm pool: your first breaths underwater with an SDI instructor before you try the ocean.
A 2-day SDI certification: dive to 12m with a dive professional. Upgrade to SDI Open Water within 12 months with 2 more dives.
The SDI Open Water Scuba Diver licence: 4 ocean dives at Grande Island, certified to 18m worldwide, with a dive computer on every dive.
The SDI Refresher (Inactive Diver Program): a calm pool session to bring your skills back after a break from diving.
SDI Future Buddies: a pool scuba session for kids aged 8 to 12, never deeper than 6m, with an SDI instructor beside them.
Your first scuba diver certification in 2 days. Qualified to dive to 12m with a guide at any SSI centre worldwide. Upgrade to Open Water anytime.
The SSI Open Water Diver certification — 4 ocean dives at Grande Island, certified to 18m worldwide. The most recognised entry-level scuba course.
The PADI open water scuba certification. 3 days, 4 ocean dives, recognised at 6,600+ dive centres worldwide. Dive to 18m independently.
Already completed your SSI or PADI theory and pool sessions back home? Finish your open water certification dives with us at Grande Island, in the warm Arabian Sea instead of a cold quarry back home. We follow SSI and PADI global referral standards.
Done your SSI online theory and confined-water sessions back home? Complete your final open water certification dives at Grande Island and get certified in Goa.
Start your SSI Open Water certification at any SSI centre worldwide and finish your open water dives with us. A flexible referral path that follows SSI global standards.
Finished your PADI classroom and pool training elsewhere? Complete your four open water certification dives in Goa and earn your PADI Open Water licence.
Already certified? The SSI and PADI advanced scuba courses in Goa extend your depth limit to 30m. Five adventure dives covering deep, navigation, and electives — all practical, no classroom exams.
SDI Advanced Adventure Diver: 5 adventure dives, including a deep dive below 18m and navigation, plus 3 electives. Each dive counts toward an SDI specialty.
SDI’s highest recreational rating: 4 SDI specialties you choose plus SDI Rescue Diver in one package.
SSI advanced open water course — 5 adventure dives to 30m. Deep and navigation mandatory, plus 3 electives. No exams, all in the water.
SSI’s highest recreational rating. Advanced Open Water, four specialties and Stress & Rescue bundled into 2–3 weeks of diving at Grande Island.
PADI advanced open water diver course — 5 dives including deep and navigation. Choose 3 electives from wreck, night, buoyancy, and more.
SSI and PADI scuba specialty courses in Goa — Nitrox, buoyancy, wreck diving, navigation, marine ecology, underwater photography, and more. Each certification is recognised worldwide.
SDI Computer Nitrox Diver: dive longer on enriched air, planned with your dive computer. Classroom only, no extra dives.
SDI Advanced Buoyancy Control: 2 dives on weighting, trim and breath control, so you hover without touching the reef and use less air.
SDI Wreck Diver: 2 dives on Suzy's Wreck at 12 to 18m. Wreck safety, mapping and torch skills, staying outside the wreck.
SDI Underwater Navigation Diver: compass and natural navigation on 2 dives at Grande Reef, so you always find the boat.
SDI Drift Diver: 2 dives with the current, planned around the tide. Staying together, marker buoys and boat pick-up.
SDI Underwater Photographer Diver: camera set-up, light and composition on 2 photo dives at Grande Island.
SDI Underwater Video Diver: steady footage, colour and short planned shots on 2 video dives. A separate SDI card from photography.
SDI Marine Ecosystems Awareness: how Goa's reef works and the species on it. Classroom, snorkel or dive version.
SDI Search and Recovery Diver: search patterns and lift bags, practised in the pool, then 2 search dives at Grande Island.
SDI Boat Diver: boat routines, back-roll entries and exits on 2 dives from our speedboat. Can be combined with Open Water.
SDI Deep Diver: gas planning, narcosis and slow ascents on 2 dives at Sail Rock, which drops to about 24m.
SDI Night/Limited Visibility Diver: torches, light signals and navigation for dives at night or in low visibility.
SDI Equipment Specialist Diver: a half-day workshop on how your gear works and the simple fixes that save a dive.
Choose any 2 SDI specialties and pay less than booking them separately. Two SDI cards in 3 to 4 days.
Any 4 SDI specialties in one package: the courses you need for the SDI Advanced Diver rating, awarded with 25 logged dives.
SSI Nitrox course — dive on enriched air for longer bottom times and shorter surface intervals. Theory-only, no extra dives.
Master underwater compass and natural navigation. An essential skill for confident, independent diving.
Wreck diver course — safe penetration, line laying, and navigation. Grande Island has multiple wrecks to dive as part of the training.
SSI buoyancy course — correct weighting, trim, and breath control. The skill that separates good divers from average ones.
Understand how waves, tides and currents affect your dives. Plan and execute dives safely in varying conditions.
Take better underwater photos and video. Learn camera settings, lighting, and composition for shooting below the surface.
Understand marine ecosystems, coral reefs, and ocean conservation. Become an environmentally aware diver.
Learn professional search patterns, lift bag techniques, and team coordination for underwater search and recovery operations.
Bundle any 2 SSI scuba specialty courses and save. Good if you have a few days and want to add multiple certifications in one trip.
PADI Nitrox certification — the most popular PADI specialty. Dive longer with enriched air, less nitrogen absorption, less fatigue.
PADI buoyancy course — 2 specialty dives on weighting and trim. Better buoyancy means less air used and less damage to the reef.
CPR, first aid, and rescue training for scuba divers. Required before advancing to DiveMaster level. Taught by certified SSI and PADI instructors in Goa.
SDI Rescue Diver: stress recognition, self-rescue and rescuing other divers, with real scenarios at sea. Required for SDI Divemaster.
CPR, AED, first aid, and oxygen administration. SSI's emergency first response course — valid worldwide.
Recognise and manage stress, perform rescues, and handle emergencies in the water. You come out a calmer, more capable diver.
Stress & Rescue plus React Right first aid in one 4–5 day block. The two safety certifications SSI asks for before DiveMaster, done together.
CPR, AED, first aid, and oxygen administration. Required for PADI Rescue Diver. Valid worldwide emergency response certification.
Learn to prevent and manage problems, handle dive emergencies. A challenging but rewarding course that changes how you dive.
The SSI DiveMaster course in Goa — the first professional certification in recreational diving. FlyingFish offers an internship-included bundle with all prerequisites covered, and the same pathway with SDI as SDI Divemaster.
SDI Divemaster with every prerequisite and a 30–60 day internship: guide certified divers and assist instructors.
From your first pool session to SDI Divemaster in 60–90 days: Open Water, Advanced Adventure, Nitrox, first aid, Rescue and the internship.
SDI Junior Divemaster for teenagers aged 15 to 17: prerequisites plus a supervised internship. Upgrade to Divemaster at 18.
SDI Assistant Instructor: learn to teach while assisting on real SDI Open Water, specialty and Rescue courses.
Become an SDI Open Water Scuba Diver Instructor through the IDC and IEC. Crossover route for PADI and SSI instructors.
The first step to becoming a dive professional. Lead certified divers, assist instructors, and work at dive centres worldwide.
From your first pool session to SSI DiveMaster in 60–90 days: Open Water, Advanced, Nitrox, React Right, Stress & Rescue and the DiveMaster internship in one programme.
Here's what our guests have left on Google and TripAdvisor.
Looking for a scuba course near Candolim or Calangute, Goa? Tell us your experience level and we'll recommend the right certification and give you a clear breakdown of scuba course costs. Chat with us on WhatsApp — usually responds within minutes.
Scuba training is a ladder of depth limits. Each step below is one course on this page, and you can join the ladder at any rung that matches your experience. Every course is taught at our dive centre at the Novotel Goa Resort & Spa in Candolim, with ocean dives at Grande Island.
The Open Water Diver course (SSI or PADI) is the scuba licence most people in Goa want: four ocean dives and a card that works worldwide. Short on time? The 2-day SSI Scuba Diver gets you to 12 m. Not sure yet? Try the SDI Scuba Discovery pool session first.
Beginner scuba courses →Bring your SSI or PADI referral paperwork and complete your four open water dives in the warm Arabian Sea. We follow both agencies' global referral standards, so your home centre's training counts in full.
Open Water referral courses →The Advanced Open Water course adds five adventure dives, including deep and navigation, and extends your limit to 30 m. It is the step that opens up Goa's wrecks and the deeper reefs at Grande Island.
Advanced scuba courses →Nitrox for longer dives, buoyancy for better air, wreck and navigation for confidence, plus first aid and rescue training. Most specialties take 1–2 days and need only an Open Water certification.
Scuba specialty courses →The SSI DiveMaster bundle includes a 30–60 day internship at FlyingFish, and the Zero to Hero programme takes a complete beginner to DiveMaster in 60–90 days.
Professional courses →India has no government scuba licence. What people call a scuba diving licence (or scuba diving license) is a certification card from a training agency such as SSI or PADI. It is the same scuba diving certification whether you train in Goa, the Andamans or abroad. Dive centres in India and abroad ask to see it before they rent you gear or take you diving without an instructor. This is how you earn one with us in Goa.
Both cards are accepted at dive centres worldwide. SSI costs less with us. Pick PADI if you have already started PADI training or plan to keep diving with a PADI centre. We also teach SDI, the recreational arm of TDI/SDI. Compare them.
SSI digital learning is free with the course, and PADI eLearning is included in the PADI fee. Do it at home before you travel and you spend more of your Goa days in the water. Five short knowledge development sessions with your instructor cover dive physics, your body underwater, equipment, dive planning and safety.
Five confined water dives in the pool at the Novotel Goa Resort & Spa in Candolim. You learn to breathe from a regulator, clear your mask, control your buoyancy and handle an out-of-air drill while you can still stand up.
The boat takes 30 minutes from Candolim. You repeat the pool skills in the sea, step by step, to a maximum depth of 18 metres (60 feet). Junior divers aged 10 to 14 stop at 12 metres.
Your digital card (eCard) is issued as soon as you pass, so you leave Goa as a certified scuba diver. Keep a logbook from your first dive. It is your record when you book dives or your next course.
| Requirement | What you need |
|---|---|
| Age | 10 or older. Divers aged 10 to 14 get a Junior Open Water card with a 12 metre limit. There is no upper age limit if you are medically fit. |
| Swim test | Swim 200 metres without stopping, any stroke and no time limit, or 300 metres with mask, fins and snorkel. Then float or tread water for 10 minutes. |
| Medical | Fill in a short medical questionnaire on day 1. If you answer yes to a question, for example about asthma, heart or lung problems, you need a doctor's sign-off before you dive. |
| Experience | None. The course starts from your first breath underwater. |
Your scuba diving training for the SSI or PADI Open Water course usually follows this four-day plan. Your instructor may move a session for weather or for the pace you learn at. Boats leave Candolim at 6:00 AM, so ocean days start early and you are back by early afternoon.
Meet your instructor at the dive centre at the Novotel, go through your online theory together and fit your gear. Then you take your first breaths underwater in the pool.
Finish the confined water sessions: mask clearing, regulator recovery, buoyancy control and sharing air with a buddy. You also do the 200 metre swim and the 10-minute float.
Boat to Grande Island. Two dives to about 12 metres on a calm site such as Shelter Cove or the Grande Island reef, where you repeat your pool skills in the sea.
Two more dives, down to 18 metres. Many groups visit Suzy's Wreck, a British-era ship covered in soft coral. Then the final review, your logbook entry and your card.
Already did the theory and pool training at home? The Open Water referral courses start at day 3. Other sites we use at Grande Island include Sail Rock for Advanced divers and Bounty Bay.
The course fee covers everything you need to get certified. You only bring swimwear, a towel and sunscreen.
Fees are per person, plus 18% GST, and cover everything in the list above. You reserve your place online with ₹5,000 for each SSI or SDI course or ₹10,000 for each PADI course in your booking, and pay the balance plus GST at the dive centre.
| Course | Fee (+ GST) | Duration | Depth or focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| SDI Supervised Diver | ₹15,840 | 2 Days | 12m max |
| SDI Open Water Scuba Diver | ₹23,760 | 3-4 Days | 18m max |
| SDI Advanced Adventure Diver | ₹19,800 | 2-3 Days | 30m max |
| SDI Rescue Diver | ₹13,860 | 3-4 Days | Rescue skills |
| SDI Divemaster bundle | ₹71,280 | 30-60 Days | 40m max |
| SDI Zero to Hero (beginner to Divemaster) | ₹89,100 | 60-90 Days | 40m max |
| SSI Scuba Diver | ₹17,820 | 2 Days | 12m max |
| SSI Open Water Diver | 3-4 Days | 18m max | |
| SSI Advanced Open Water | ₹21,780 | 2-3 Days | 30m max |
| SSI Diver Stress & Rescue | 3-4 Days | Rescue skills | |
| SSI DiveMaster bundle | 30-60 Days | 40m max | |
| SSI Zero to Hero (beginner to DiveMaster) | ₹99,000 | 60-90 Days | 40m max |
| PADI Open Water Diver | ₹35,472 | 3-4 Days | 18m max |
| PADI Advanced Open Water | ₹26,928 | 2-3 Days | 30m max |
| PADI Rescue Diver | ₹32,819 | 3-4 Days | Rescue skills |
Fees last updated , read live from each course page.
SDI specialty courses start at ₹6,930 + GST. Try dives, fun dives and combo deals are on our full scuba diving price list.
SSI (Scuba Schools International) and PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) are the two agencies behind most scuba certification in India. Both follow the same WRSTC safety standards, both cards are valid for life, and dive centres around the world accept either one. The real differences are price, learning materials and where you plan to dive next.
FlyingFish is also a registered SDI dive centre. SDI (Scuba Diving International) is the recreational arm of TDI/SDI. We teach SDI Scuba Discovery, Supervised Diver, Open Water Scuba Diver, Advanced Adventure Diver, Computer Nitrox, Rescue, Master Scuba Diver and Divemaster, plus SDI specialties and instructor courses. SDI trains you with a dive computer from the first dive, and the SDI Open Water course is ₹23,760 + GST, our lowest price for a full licence.
FlyingFish is an SSI-affiliated dive centre. Try Scuba, Scuba Diver, Open Water, Advanced, eight specialties, React Right, Stress & Rescue, Master Diver and DiveMaster all run here. SSI digital learning is free, and the SSI Open Water course is ₹23,760 + GST.
Certified PADI instructors on our team teach PADI Open Water, Advanced Open Water, Rescue Diver, Emergency First Response, Enriched Air Nitrox and Peak Performance Buoyancy, plus PADI Open Water referral dives. Choose PADI if you hold PADI referral paperwork, have started PADI eLearning, or your next trip is with a PADI-only centre. PADI calls its try dive Discover Scuba Diving; ours is SDI Scuba Discovery.
All three are full scuba licences to 18 m, accepted at dive centres worldwide. Here is how they differ at FlyingFish.
| At FlyingFish, Goa | SDI Open Water Scuba Diver | SSI Open Water Diver | PADI Open Water Diver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price at FlyingFish | |||
| Course price | ₹23,760+ GST ₹11,712 less than PADI | ₹23,760+ GST | ₹35,472+ GST |
| Pay online to book | ₹5,000, rest at the centre | ₹5,000, rest at the centre | ₹10,000, rest at the centre |
| The course | |||
| Ocean dives | 4, no more than 3 a day | 4 | 4 |
| Pool training | Advantage: As many sessions as you need | 5 sessions on our schedule | 5 confined water sessions |
| Max depth | 18 m | 18 m | 18 m |
| Days | 3 to 4 Days | 3 to 4 Days | 3 to 4 Days |
| Minimum age | 10, with parent consent | 10 | 10 |
| Ages 10 to 14 | Advantage: Junior card to 18 m, with a parent, guardian or dive pro | Junior card; ages 10 and 11 stay within 12 m | Junior card; ages 10 and 11 stay within 12 m |
| How you learn | |||
| Theory | SDI eLearning or the manual | SSI eLearning in the MySSI app | PADI eLearning |
| Course materials | Included in our price | Included in our price | Included in our price |
| Dive computer | Advantage: On every dive from day one, an SDI rule | Used on our courses | Computer or dive tables |
| Your card | |||
| Certified to | 18 m with a certified buddy | 18 m with a certified buddy | 18 m with a certified buddy |
| Accepted worldwide | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Expires | Never | Never | Never |
| Next step | SDI Advanced Adventure Diver | SSI Advanced Open Water | PADI Advanced Open Water |
| Book SDI View course | Book SSI View course | Book PADI View course | |
Facts from each agency's published standards, checked November 2026. Prices per person, GST extra.
Every nitrox card lets you dive on enriched air worldwide. Here is how the three courses compare at FlyingFish.
| At FlyingFish, Goa | SDI Computer Nitrox Diver | SSI Enriched Air Nitrox | PADI Enriched Air Diver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price at FlyingFish | |||
| Course price | ₹8,910+ GST ₹990 less than SSI · ₹8,960 less than PADI | ₹9,900+ GST | ₹17,870+ GST |
| Pay online to book | ₹5,000, rest at the centre | ₹5,000, rest at the centre | ₹10,000, rest at the centre |
| The course | |||
| Minimum age | Advantage: 10, with parent consent | 10 | 12 |
| You need | Open Water from any agency | Open Water, or take it alongside | Open Water |
| Oxygen mixes | 22% to 40% | EANx32 and EANx40 | Up to 40% |
| Dives needed | None | None | None, dives are optional |
| Days | 1 Day | 1 to 2 Days | 1 to 2 Days |
| How you learn | |||
| Theory | Classroom with your instructor | Classroom with your instructor | PADI digital learning, included |
| Hands-on | Advantage: Analyse 2 cylinders and set your computer for nitrox | Oxygen analyser practice | Tank analysis practice |
| Your card | |||
| Nitrox fills worldwide | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Expires | Never | Never | Never |
| Book SDI View course | Book SSI View course | Book PADI View course | |
Facts from each agency's published standards, checked November 2026. Prices per person, GST extra.
All three are 5 adventure dives with a deep dive and a navigation dive. Here is how they compare at FlyingFish.
| At FlyingFish, Goa | SDI Advanced Adventure Diver | SSI Advanced Open Water Diver | PADI Advanced Open Water Diver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price at FlyingFish | |||
| Course price | ₹19,800+ GST ₹1,980 less than SSI · ₹7,128 less than PADI | ₹21,780+ GST | ₹26,928+ GST |
| Pay online to book | ₹5,000, rest at the centre | ₹5,000, rest at the centre | ₹10,000, rest at the centre |
| The course | |||
| Adventure dives | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Required dives | Deep and navigation | Deep and navigation | Deep and navigation |
| Your choice | 3 electives | 3 electives | 3 electives |
| Deep dive limit | 30 m | 30 m | 30 m |
| Deep dive in Goa | Sail Rock, about 24 m | Sail Rock, about 24 m | Sail Rock, about 24 m |
| Days | 2 to 3 Days | 2 to 3 Days | 2 to 3 Days |
| Minimum age | Advantage: 10, with parent consent | 12 | 15, or Junior card from 12 |
| Younger divers | Deep dive to 21 m | Ages 12 to 14: deep dive to 21 m | Ages 12 to 14: Junior card, 21 m |
| How you learn | |||
| Dive computer | Advantage: On every dive, an SDI rule | Used on our courses | Used on our courses |
| Counts toward specialties | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Your card | |||
| Accepted worldwide | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Next step | SDI Rescue Diver | SSI Diver Stress & Rescue | PADI Rescue Diver |
| Book SDI View course | Book SSI View course | Book PADI View course | |
Facts from each agency's published standards, checked November 2026. Prices per person, GST extra.
Species our divers see on these sites, from the FlyingFish marine life guide.
Every Thursday our team heads out and clears whatever rubbish we can find on the reef and in the water.
Want to help? Ask us about joining a cleanup dive.
Ask about cleanup divesCertified divers get 12 months of unlimited dives at Grande Island for ₹19,800 + GST.
See Dive ClubLooking for the right place for a scuba diving course in India? There are five main options, and each has its own season and travel time. This is a fair summary to help you plan. We teach only in Goa.
| Place | Dive season | Getting there | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goa (Grande Island) | October to May | Fly into either Goa airport or take the train. Courses start in Candolim; the boat to Grande Island takes 30 minutes. | Warm water (27–30°C) and 2 to 15 metres (about 5 to 50 feet) of visibility, clearest in February and March. You train in a resort pool before the sea. |
| Andaman Islands (Havelock / Swaraj Dweep) | November to May | Fly to Port Blair, then about 2 hours by ferry to Havelock. | Clear water and coral reefs. Allow a week, because of the flights and ferries. |
| Netrani Island (Karnataka) | October to May | Reach Murudeshwar by train or bus (10 to 12 hours by bus from Bengaluru), then a boat to the island, about 19 km offshore. | All dives are from a boat. Good for a short trip from Bengaluru. |
| Pondicherry | Much of the year; local sources disagree on the best months | About 3 hours by road from Chennai. | East-coast conditions change with the monsoons, so ask a local centre about the month you plan to visit. |
| Lakshadweep | October to May | Fly to Agatti from Kochi. Every visitor, Indians included, needs an entry permit. | Very clear water. Plan permits and flights well ahead. |
Why most people pick Goa for their first course: it is the easiest of the five to reach, the season is long, and you learn in a pool before the sea. Do the theory online at home and you can finish the Open Water course in Goa over a long weekend.
Straight answers on course fees, days, age, swimming, gear and SSI vs PADI. Still unsure? Message us on WhatsApp and we'll point you to the right course.
At FlyingFish Scuba School the SDI Open Water Scuba Diver course is ₹23,760 + GST per person, our lowest price for a full licence. The SSI Open Water Diver course is ₹23,760 + GST and the PADI Open Water Diver course is ₹35,472 + GST. Shorter certifications cost less: the 2-day SSI Scuba Diver course is ₹17,820 + GST and SSI specialty courses start at ₹7,920 + GST. Every price on this page is the full course fee, including equipment, training dives and the certification card. You reserve online with ₹5,000 per person for an SSI or SDI course or ₹10,000 for a PADI course, and pay the balance plus GST at the dive centre.
Plan 3–4 days for the SSI or PADI Open Water Diver course: theory, pool sessions at the Novotel Resort & Spa in Candolim, then four ocean dives at Grande Island. If you finish the eLearning at home before you travel, the time needed in Goa comes down to about 2–3 days. The SSI Scuba Diver course takes 2 days, and referral students who have completed theory and pool training elsewhere finish their four ocean dives in 2 days.
10 years for beginner courses. Divers aged 10 to 14 earn a Junior Open Water certification with a 12 m depth limit and dive with an adult. Rescue courses (SSI Diver Stress & Rescue, PADI Rescue Diver) start at 15, and the SSI DiveMaster at 18 (15 for Junior DiveMaster). There is no upper age limit as long as you are medically fit to dive.
For certification courses you need to be comfortable in the water and complete a 200 m swim (or 300 m with mask, fins and snorkel), as SSI and PADI standards require. You do not need to be a strong or fast swimmer. If you only want to try diving, the SDI Scuba Discovery dives on our first-time divers page need no swimming at all.
Both certifications are recognised at dive centres worldwide, follow the same WRSTC training standards and are valid for life. FlyingFish is an SSI-affiliated dive centre, so SSI courses cost less (SSI Open Water ₹23,760 vs PADI Open Water ₹35,472 + GST). Choose PADI if you already hold PADI referral paperwork or plan to continue training at a PADI-only centre. You can move between the two agencies at every level, so either card lets you dive anywhere. We also teach SDI, and it is our lowest price: the SDI Open Water Scuba Diver course is ₹23,760 + GST, with a dive computer on every training dive. All three cards are accepted worldwide.
Yes. FlyingFish is a registered SDI dive centre. SDI (Scuba Diving International) is the recreational arm of TDI/SDI: TDI itself teaches nitrox and technical diving, while every recreational course carries the SDI name. We teach SDI Scuba Discovery, Supervised Diver, Open Water Scuba Diver (₹23,760 + GST), Advanced Adventure Diver, Computer Nitrox Diver, Rescue Diver, Master Scuba Diver and Divemaster, plus SDI specialties such as Wreck, Drift and Advanced Buoyancy Control, SDI Future Buddies for kids aged 8 to 12, and the SDI instructor courses. SDI cards are accepted at dive centres worldwide, and SDI trains you with a dive computer from your first dive.
A scuba diving licence is the certification card you earn after an Open Water Diver course. Many people search for it as a scuba diving license; it is the same thing. It shows you are trained to dive to 18 metres (60 feet) with a buddy, without an instructor (new to the sport? Start with our guide to what scuba diving is). SSI and PADI certifications earned in Goa are accepted at dive centres in every country and never expire. If you have not dived for a long time, a half-day SDI Refresher brings your skills back before your next ocean dive.
The SSI DiveMaster is the first professional rating. To start you need Open Water, Advanced Open Water, Diver Stress & Rescue, React Right first aid and 40 logged dives; the DiveMaster bundle covers any of these you are missing and includes a 30–60 day internship at FlyingFish. If you have never dived, the SSI Zero to Hero programme takes you from your first pool session to DiveMaster in 60–90 days.
Book the PADI Open Water Diver course. You complete PADI eLearning, five pool sessions and four open water dives at Grande Island over 3 to 4 days, and your PADI card is issued when you pass. If you started PADI training somewhere else, bring your referral form and finish with the PADI Open Water referral course instead.
No. Full ScubaPro equipment is included in every course fee: BCD, regulator, wetsuit, mask, fins, tank and weights. Many divers buy a mask of their own first, because fit matters most there, but you do not need anything to start.
No. SSI and PADI certifications are valid for life. If you have not dived for a year or more, a dive centre may ask you to refresh your skills first. Ours is the half-day SDI Refresher.
Most people find it easier than they expected. You learn each skill in the pool, where you can stand up, and you only go to the sea when your instructor sees you are ready. The theory ends with a short multiple-choice exam, and the knowledge reviews prepare you for it.
Between October and May. February and March usually have the clearest water. From June to September the monsoon brings big swell and strong currents, so the boats do not go out and courses stop until the season opens again.
