Learn to Dive in Grenada: Try Dives, Open Water and Beyond

Why Grenada is a good place to learn

Grenada's west and southwest coasts face the calm Caribbean Sea, and many bays are sheltered from the trade winds. The water stays around 26 to 29 °C all year, so you won't be cold during long training sessions, and there are shallow, sandy areas next to reefs where students can practise skills and then swim straight off to see fish and coral.

There are dive centers around Grand Anse, Morne Rouge, True Blue and Lance aux Épines, several of them at or next to hotels. Most teach courses from one of the big training agencies, such as PADI or SSI, so your certification is recognised worldwide. And your training dives can take you to places worth seeing: the underwater sculpture park and the shallow Veronica L wreck are both popular with students.

Try diving first

If you've never dived and aren't sure, start with a try dive (PADI calls it Discover Scuba Diving). After a short briefing and some practice in a pool or shallow water, you dive with an instructor to around 12 metres at most. It takes half a day, needs no certification, and the dive can often count towards an open water course if you decide to continue.

Open water certification

The Open Water Diver course is the first full certification. It lets you dive with a buddy to 18 metres anywhere in the world. It has three parts:

• Theory: usually done online before you travel (eLearning), which saves holiday time
• Confined water: skills practice in a pool or calm, shallow water
• Open water dives: four training dives on real dive sites with your instructor

With the theory done at home, most people finish the course in three to four days on the island. You'll need to fill in a medical questionnaire before training. If you answer "yes" to any of the questions, you'll need a doctor's sign-off before you go in the water, so check it at home before you travel.

Going further: advanced, deep and nitrox

Grenada is a great place to keep learning, because its best wrecks need more training. The Grenada wreck diving guide explains why: most of the wrecks are deeper than 18 metres.

• Advanced Open Water

  Five adventure dives, usually including a deep dive and navigation. It's the usual step to 30 metres and opens up wrecks like the Shakem and, with guides, parts of the Bianca C.

• Enriched Air Nitrox

  A short course that lets you dive with a higher-oxygen gas, giving you more time at wreck depths within no-decompression limits.

• Deep Diver and Wreck Diver

  Specialty courses for the deeper parts of the big wrecks, with more training on gas planning, lights and lines.

• Peak Performance Buoyancy

  Good buoyancy protects the reefs and the sculptures, and makes every dive more relaxed. It is a good course on Grenada's shallow sites.

Kids and families

Children can usually start scuba from 8 years old with programmes like PADI Bubblemaker and Seal Team in a pool or very shallow water, and take a Junior Open Water course from 10. Depth limits are lower for young divers. Ask dive centers about their family programmes: many are used to teaching children and teenagers.

Choosing a dive center

Every center is different, so ask a few questions before you book:

• How many students per instructor, and is the course in English or another language you prefer?
• Where do the open water dives take place? Calm, shallow sites with something to see make learning easier.
• Is the gear well maintained, and does it fit? Bring your own mask if you have one that fits well.
• What's the emergency plan? A good center carries oxygen and first aid on every boat and can explain its plan.

Dive insurance from Divers Alert Network (DAN) or a similar provider is a sensible addition to your travel insurance.

After your course

Once you're certified, you can explore the Grenada dive sites with a guide and add a few days of Carriacou scuba diving. For travel details, see the Grenada dive trip planning guide, and remember to leave time between your last dive and your flight home.