You can learn to dive on the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns with online theory at home, then 3 days on the reef. Sunlover Dive Centre runs the SSI Open Water Diver course at its Moore Reef pontoon and brings students back to Cairns every evening, so you can stay in the city for the whole course. The boats leave from the Reef Fleet Terminal, under 10 minutes’ walk from Hides Hotel. Course details below are from Sunlover’s learn-to-dive pages as of November 2026, so check them when you book.
Courses are run by Sunlover Dive Centre, an SSI Training Centre at Moore Reef.
How does the SSI Open Water Diver course work?
The SSI Open Water Diver course has two parts.
- Online theory: 6 sections in the free SSI app, roughly 8 to 12 hours. Finish it before your first day on the boat.
- 3 days on the reef: 9 training dives. The first 5 are in a sheltered training centre under the Moore Reef pontoon, 1 to 3 m deep. The other 4 are open-water dives on the reef.
- Certification: you’re certified to dive to 18 m. Your SSI digital certification card is usually issued the same day, after a final exam and water fitness evaluation.
There’s no pool and no classroom. Moore Reef is 47 km offshore on the outer Great Barrier Reef, and courses start every day of the week.
Can you stay in Cairns while you learn to dive?
Yes. There’s no liveaboard and no overnight stay at sea. Sunlover’s day boat or liveaboard comparison sets out the differences. Students return to Cairns each evening and head out again the next morning. As of November 2026, each course day runs like this:
- Check-in: 9:30am at the Reef Fleet Terminal, 1 Spence Street.
- Departs: 10:15am, then about 1.5 hours to Moore Reef.
- Leaves the reef: 4:00pm.
- Back in Cairns: about 5:30pm.
Each course day includes the Moore Reef day cruise, a buffet lunch on the pontoon, all dive equipment, and an SSI instructor with no more than 4 students each. A dive medical, if you need one, is not included.
Who can learn to dive, and what do you need first?
- Age: the minimum is 10. Divers aged 10 and 11 are limited to 12 m and train in smaller groups. Under 18s need a parent or guardian to sign consent and be present.
- Swim test: a 200 m swim, or 300 m with mask, snorkel and fins, with no time limit, plus 10 minutes floating or treading water.
- Medical: everyone completes the RSTC Diver Medical questionnaire. Any “yes” answer needs a doctor’s sign-off before you arrive, at your own cost.
Fill in the questionnaire early, so there’s time to see a doctor if you need to. Sunlover’s learn-to-dive FAQs cover most other questions.
PADI or SSI: which agency do you learn with in Cairns?
It depends on the dive school. Sunlover Dive Centre is an SSI Training Centre, so its courses are SSI (Scuba Schools International) courses. When you compare courses in Cairns, ask each school which agency it teaches, what’s included and where the training dives happen.
What if you just want to try it, or you’re already certified?
- Want a taste first? An introductory scuba dive is for non-certified people aged 12 and over.
- Started your course elsewhere? You can finish it at Moore Reef with 4 open-water dives over 2 days, or 2 dives in 1 day, depending on what’s left. Contact Sunlover first so they can check your records.
- Already an Open Water diver? SSI Advanced Open Water is 2 days and 6 dives across 5 specialties, including Deep and Navigation, to a maximum of 30 m (minimum age 12). SSI Diver Stress & Rescue is 2 days, on request (minimum age 12).
- Certified but out of practice? Sunlover’s Return to Diving refresher adds a guided skills session and a reef dive to a Moore Reef day, and a certified dive is available for current divers.
Can friends or family who don’t dive come too?
Yes. Sunlover says friends or family who aren’t diving can come on the same boat as day visitors. Our Great Barrier Reef day trip guide explains what a pontoon day is like.
Where should you stay for a dive course in Cairns?
Close enough to walk to the boat. Hides Hotel is at 87 Lake Street, on the corner of Shields Street, under 10 minutes’ walk from the Reef Fleet Terminal. Our guide to staying near the Reef Fleet Terminal covers the walk.
- Breakfast: continental, daily from 6:30am to 9am (paid; pre-book or arrange at check-in), before the 9:30am boat check-in.
- Free Wi-Fi: handy for finishing the online theory.
- Guest laundry: for washing and drying swimwear between reef days.
- Storage lockers: for your bags on arrival and departure days.
- Evenings: the Esplanade and Lagoon are under 5 minutes’ walk, and our Cairns dining guide covers dinner nearby.
Rooms range from Premium King and Premium King Plus to heritage budget rooms with an ensuite or shared bathroom. Check-in is from 2pm, check-out is 10am, and reception is open 7am to 9pm. Reception can help you book reef trips and day tours.
How many nights should you book for a dive course?
Enough for the 3 course days plus a buffer day before you fly. On flying after diving, follow your instructor’s advice and plan the course well before your flight home. Arriving the day before your course and keeping a free day at the end makes 5 nights.
Learning to dive in Cairns? See the course details on Sunlover’s learn-to-dive page, then book direct with us or email res@hideshotel.com.au, and walk to the boat each morning.
Featured image: Sunlover Reef Cruises.
Where can you check the details before you book?
Sunlover Reef Cruises’ own pages have the latest times, inclusions and conditions:
- Learn to dive: all Sunlover Dive Centre courses.
- SSI Open Water Diver course: the 3-day course.
- SSI Advanced Open Water: the next step after Open Water.
- Return to Diving: a refresher for certified divers.
- Day boat or liveaboard?: how the two kinds of course compare.
- Learn-to-dive FAQs: medicals, ages and swim tests.
- Scuba diving at Moore Reef: intro and certified dives.
- Certified scuba dive: for divers who already hold a certification.
- Moore Reef day trip: times, inclusions and booking.
- Health and safety checklist: what to know before your reef or island day.
- Great Barrier Reef weather: live conditions and a 7-day forecast.
- Getting to the Reef Fleet Terminal: check-in times and directions.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to learn to dive in Cairns?
As of November 2026, Sunlover Dive Centre’s SSI Open Water Diver course is online theory first (roughly 8 to 12 hours), then 3 days on the reef with 9 training dives. Courses start every day of the week.
Do you stay on a boat while learning to dive on the Great Barrier Reef?
Not on Sunlover’s courses. Students train at the Moore Reef pontoon each day and are back in Cairns about 5:30pm, so you can stay in the city for the whole course.
What is the minimum age to learn to dive in Cairns?
On Sunlover’s Open Water Diver course the minimum age is 10. Divers aged 10 and 11 are limited to 12 m, and under 18s need a parent or guardian to sign consent and be present.
How far is Hides Hotel from the Reef Fleet Terminal?
Under 10 minutes’ walk. Hides Hotel is at 87 Lake Street, on the corner of Shields Street, and the terminal is at 1 Spence Street.
