14 Three-Day Dive Trips That Earn the Boat Ride

1.Open Water Course – Become certified diver in 3 days

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,137 reviews · from $358Our pick

Meet at Koh Tao Scuba Club at 9:00 am for three days of small-group scuba training. With no more than four people, instructors such as Tom and A can give close attention as you learn in Koh Tao’s calm, clear waters and finish with a digital certificate.

“Tom was an amazing instructor. He was so calm and laid back which made everything feel much less scary while also keeping us educated and safe . I was so nervous but I signed up for an advance course right after I finished .”

Dates and spaces →The full review

2.3-Day PADI Open Water Diving Course in Dubai

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 173 reviews · from $354

Train with Nemo Diving Center on Palm Jumeirah over three flexible days. You’ll complete forms, gear fitting, confined-water skills, and four open-water sessions. Trainers including Abdel, Hasan, and Mostafa offer patient instruction, while PADI e-learning costs an extra 370 AED.

“Fantastic few days learning to dive with the Nemo Diving Centre with some very experienced instructors (especially Hasan) who were incredibly patient and attentive throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed learning new skills as the instructors foRead more”

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3.Padi open water diver course, become a diver in 3 days

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 113 reviews · from $586

Train with BB Divers in a small group on Koh Chang. You’ll study PADI basics, practice in a pool or shallow bay, then complete four reef sessions around Koh Chang and Koh Rang National Park. Equipment, meals, insurance, transfers, and your online manual are included.

“We picked BB Divers for our Open Water Diver certificate and we couldn't be happier. Our first day of theory and pool practice took place in Cliff cottage restaurant, which is located in an incredible environment, with cozy seating options, dRead more”

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4.Become certified diver in 3 days – PADI Open Water Diver course on Koh Tao

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 104 reviews · from $375

Learn scuba skills with PADI 5 Star IDC Center Scuba Birds in Koh Tao. Instructor Dominik Maier may lead your training, which combines study, shallow-water practice, four open-water sessions, a final exam, and certification. The center is a short walk from Mae Haad Pier.

“What a unique experience! My instructor was Dominik Maier who was an equally hilarious yet stern when needed teacher. I was very nervous at certain points as I have never scuba dived before, and he was able to calm both myself anRead more”

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5.Hurghada: 3-Day PADI Open Water Diving Course

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 78 reviews · 3 days · from $412

Learn scuba skills with a PADI instructor in Hurghada over three days, with two underwater sessions each day, equipment, hotel transfers, and refreshments included. You can request an instructor in several languages. Confirm the separate PADI learning and certification fee before booking.

“Be aware that you have to pay additional 115€ to get the PADI certificate. There was no lunch for all of the 3 days (nothing was prepared or offered). On the last day the taxi brought me to the wrong place (I almost got registered to a boat dive) but got help to get to the right place. The PADI E-Learning access, which is needed contains the theoretical Exam, was only given after day 1. It should take at least 10 hours (if done correctly, reading and listening to all material) and I had to rush to all the questions and skip most of the material in order to be…”

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6.Gold Coast: 3-Day PADI Open Water Course

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 28 reviews · 6 hours · from $315Best value

Meet your instructor at 19 Karloo Street in Surfers Paradise for a three-day PADI Open Water course. You’ll study safety, practise in confined water, then train in the sea with boat transport and gear provided. Instructors include Ryan, Rhan, and Josh.

“It was great!! Ryan is a great instructor super calm for beginners.”

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7.From Phuket: 3-Day SSI/PADI Open Water Diver Certification

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 24 reviews · 3 days · from $530

Train in Chalong with a dedicated SSI or PADI instructor, then head to Racha Yai and Racha Noi for five supervised sea sessions to a maximum of 18 meters. Equipment, meals, transfers, and certification fees are included, with instructors speaking Thai, English, and French.

“It was a highlight in my life. The underwater world is stunning. I felt safe and confident after my last and 5th dive. This is an experience I'll carry with me always.”

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8.Koh Chang: 3-Day PADI Open Water Scuba Dive Course

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 15 reviews · 3 days · from $498

Learn the PADI Open Water course with a small team from BB Divers, then train in the pool and at Koh Chang’s reefs for six sea sessions. Your three days include equipment, boat trips, lunch, drinks, hotel pickup, and instruction in several languages. Markus, Charles, Tam, and Pierre are among the named instructors.

“I had such a great time doing my open water diving PADI course, with the very reknowned BB divers. The teaching was thorough, but still very fun, thanks to my instructor Charles, who made my experience very enjoyable. Would definitely recommend to anyone interested!”

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9.Cairns: Pro Dive Great Barrier Reef 3 Day/2 Night Dive Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 12 reviews · 3 days · from $739

Join Pro Dive Cairns for three days and two nights aboard an air-conditioned liveaboard, visiting 19 sites across four Outer Reef locations. Certified scuba divers can take up to 11 sessions, including two at night. Guides such as Daniel and Matthias support courses and dive planning.

“From hotel pick up to dives and drop off everything work perfectly. All we did for 3 days was sleep, dive, eat and repeat”

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10.Gran Canaria: 3-Day Open Water Diver Course

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 12 reviews · 3 days · from $530

Spend three days at Cordial Mogan learning scuba skills with PADI instructors, including five classroom sessions, five pool practices, and four Atlantic descents. You’ll finish with certification to 18 meters. Damian is one named instructor, and teaching is available in six languages.

“Great experience!. The staff was awesome and very helpful. Totally recommend it.”

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11.PADI Open Water Course in 3 Days

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · 3 days · from $465

Learn scuba skills in Tenerife over three flexible days. You’ll study safety and equipment, practice in confined water, then complete four open-water sessions with a multilingual instructor. Equipment, insurance, registration, and hotel pickup in much of southern Tenerife are included.

“Open water course hier gevolgd. 3 dagen achter elkaar gedoken. Enorm leuk!”

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12.Ko Tao: 3-Day Open Water Scuba Diving Course

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · from $341

Start with self-study, then learn core skills in the classroom and water at Escape Divers near Mae Haad Pier. Instructor Cody is praised for patience, while the course includes equipment, insurance, lunch on two days, and four ocean sessions before your international certification.

“die Planung und Durchführung hat mir sehr gut gefallen. Ich kann mich über nichts beschweren. und mein Tauchlehrer Cody war ausserdem sehr sympathisch und geduldig und hat mir viel beigebracht. Ich hatte sehr viel Spaß.”

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13.Koh Samui: 3-Day PADI Open Water Diver Course

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · 7 hours · from $672

Complete PADI e-Learning before arrival, then train in a pool and the Gulf of Thailand with a small group of up to four. Your three-day course includes equipment, insurance, transport, lunch, and four ocean sessions at Koh Tao and Sail Rock, reaching a maximum certified depth of 18 meters.

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14.La Romana: 3-Day PADI Open Water Diver Course

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews

Train with Coral Point Diving in a small group of up to six, learning scuba skills through classroom work, confined-water practice, and four boat-based sea sessions. You can visit reefs and may explore the Atlantic Princess shipwreck. Instructor Mauro has earned special praise for making beginners feel excited about the sport.

“Esperienza bellissima. L'istruttore Mauro è riuscito a farci appassionare a questo sport. Consiglio vivamente di fare questa esperienza.”

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