Do not touch, ride, feed, catch or harass anything you find underwater. Do not come back on the boat with less than 30bar in your tank, ascend or descend very close to the reef or ascend or descend on the mooring line. Do not dive alone, use good buoyancy control. And that means we all have a great dive!
Generally 40-60 mins and this is so we can account for all divers.
Towel, bathing costumes, sun cream, log book, certification card, diving equipment if owned.
We organize a double dive every morning. The meeting time at dive centre is at 8:30 and we are back before 12.30 after 2 dives. And one dive in the afternoon which the meeting time at the dive centre is at 14:00 and we are back around 16:30.
Depends what level you are, how many dives you’ve got and when you last dived. If you are novice with not many dives and not dived for a year we strongly recommend a scuba review which is a one day refresher (bit of pool, bit of theory and a dive) if you are somewhat more experienced, maybe you are PADI advanced or rescue with 50-60 dives, you haven’t dived for maybe 18 months we may suggest one easy and shallow dive.
If you are a PADI diver then don’t worry, in an emergency we can check the PADI computer database online.
PADI recommends 12 hours before flying after 1 dive, 18 hours if you have done multiple dives over multiple days.
You will find a copy of the standard Medical Form on the PADI website. If you are doing a course, and can’t answer ‘yes’ to all of these questions, then you should see a doctor before arriving and bring with you a signed Medical Declaration that you are fit to dive from your physician.
Diving in Cape Verde means discovering a uniquely diverse mix of tropical and Mediterranean marine life. There are different species of marine life – fish, flora, fauna and some endemic from Cape Verde Sea. The most popular are snappers fish, moray, turtle, sting ray, cuttle fish, arrows grab, nurse shark, jack fish, parrot fish, nudibranch, etc.
There is no rainy season in Cape Verde and we there for dive all year-round. During the winter (January-March) humpback and occasionally sperm whales visit the islands on their annual migrations, whilst mantas, morays, turtles, a wide variety of sharks and large schools of fish are year round attractions.
Summer (June – November) is the mating season for the local turtles and these may be encountered underwater or on the beaches at night when they come ashore to lay their eggs. The underwater world of Cape Verde can satisfy the more demanding divers with caves, deep walls and wrecks and the tremendous abundance and variety of marine life…
Approx. 5 mins from Dive Centre.
Each centre is able to rent camera equipment and GoPro include the cost of a CD of your photos. Please ask about costs.
10 years old to become a certified diver, but don’t worry if you’re not – our PADI Bubblemaker program will set you on your way from ages 8 upwards.
Yes, we do free try dives in the pool. If you want to experience a little bit of what an Open Water Course is like we do a Discover Scuba Diving experience, which gives a little taste as to what to expert.
We wait until we have a minimum of usually four people. Please enquire.
Can be arranged on a daily basis. Please enquire
English, French, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, German, Scandinavian, Polish, Portuguese and others. As long as we know about the course in advance we can arrange the materials.
English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, Portuguese.
Mask, snorkel, regulators are standard. Boots xxs – xxl; BCD xxs – xl; wetsuits xs – xxl; fins (open heeled used with boots and full foot) xxs – xl. We have a small stock of BCDs and wetsuits for children.
Brava RIB boat 10-11 divers with a 2 tanks
Master RIB boat 7-8 divers with a 2 tanks
Joker RIB boat 5-6 divers with a 2 tanks
We operate on a 6:1 or less, as necessary, depending on level of diver’s experience.
Divers can use 3 mm suits during summer an autumn. During winter and spring, a 5mm/7mm suit is best.
Yes, hotel transfers are provided as a courtesy and are free of charge. Also, note the IMPORTANT information about where to wait for your pick-up, you wait at the hotel gate and not in reception.
We accept payment in cash; Euro or CVE, credit/debit cards, Visa, MasterCard. Credit cards payments are charged in local currency. (CVE)
Scuba equipment must be within the weight allowance allowed by the airline. Some airlines allow you to purchase extra weight for equipment, please check when booking your flight.
Note: Some content, depth gauges and computers can be affected by low pressure. As with cameras, these should be carried as part of your hand luggage.
If you have not already arranged your Cape Verde visa in your home country then you will need to purchase this in the airport on arrival. Please note that visas must be paid for in cash (Escudos, Euro, GBP or USD) with change given in Capeverdean escudos.
The diving season is year-round with visibility averaging 30m. Water temperatures range from 20°C in the winter months to 28°C in summer. From May to November, the air temperature ranges between 32°C and 48°C, and from December through to April between 25°C and 29°C. From December to February, the nights can be quite cold, but in the summer the nights are warm. August and September are the hottest months. In winter, there can often be a breeze.
Divers can use 3 mm suits during summer an autumn. During winter and spring (water 20°C/22°C), a 5mm or 7mm suit is best and for the evenings, a light sweater or jacket is recommended.
Please bring some passport photos with you (no hat, dark glasses or SCUBA mask and not underwater).
You will need a LAPTOP computer, amongst other things, to read digital versions of the PADI Instructor Manual and PADI’s Guide to Teaching, which are necessary for the PADI Systems, Standards and Procedures Examination, one of your IE segments. From experience, I wouldn’t recommend a tablet!
Please send me a copy/proof of a log book page documenting you have done at least 100 dives as this is also a prerequisite.
Another great tip is starting your studies well in advance. I strongly advise you DIVE THEORY online (question on purchasing, just contact me), The Enciclopedia Of Recreational Diving along with The Diving Knowledge workbook AND remake all OLD Divemaster Course (prior 2009) exams.
The IE has a Dive Theory Exams segment. The entire curriculum for this used to be covered on the Divemaster course. However, this has been slimmed down relatively recently and no longer suffices. My preferred resource for you to prepare with before your arrival is PADI’s Diving Knowledge Workbook, which is shipped with the PADI Instructor Crew-pack. This contains a chapter for each topic, being Physics, Physiology, Equipment, Skills & the Environment and Decompression Theory & the PADI Recreational Dive Planner (RDP). Each chapter consists of questions with worked answers. PADI’s Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving is excellent to dip into for further information and is shipped with the PADI Divemaster Crew-pack. You must possess an original RDP table and electronic multilevel eRDPml, together with both Instructions for Use booklets, which again contain worked examples.
If you have a learning disability and have a letter documenting this from your doctor (or psychologist), then you will be allowed 50%extra time to complete your written exams.
Please note that, apart from our pre-IDC preparation days, dive theory is NOT taught as part of the PADI IDC – though it’s thoroughly reviewed. If you took the new curriculum or maybe it was a long time since you took the old Divemaster course, we can give you some tips and suggestions to enable you to study and get your theory in shape before the IDC. Just let me know. I offer you support online by skype or e-mail on demand at pre agreed time between us.
I should be grateful if you would please e-mail me copies of both sides of all your non-PADI certifications as this is required by PADI to process your applications. Please also let me have your full name and date of birth so I may verify any PADI qualifications online. For your Instructor Applications, I need you send me copies of:
# Open Water or equivalent (must be at least six months’ old);
# Advanced Diver or equivalent;
# Rescue or equivalent
# Primary Care (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation—CPR) & Secondary Care (First Aid) valid within 24 months;
#Leadership level – Divemaster;
# Medical statement valid for 12 months and signed by physician (can not be the candidate).
Medical Clearance You will need to have a current, unqualified medical certificate completed and signed by an independent doctor, confirming they find no conditions they consider incompatible with diving. I would strongly recommend that you obtain this before you come and e-mail it to me for verification. Please find attached the current version of the preferred format in English.
We are happy to send you this in another language if you wish. It must be completed no more than 12 months prior to the final day of your IE or PADI will not allow you to participate in the water sessions.
It’s really easy! Sal is one of the main touristic island of the Archipelago and has an international airport (SID). We can arrange private transfers from the airport to Santa Maria, if you wish (15 euros p/ person)
Complete SCUBA Equipment plus PADI requires you to have the following additional equipment: pocket mask; snorkel; whistle; compass; dive knife; Surface Marker Buoy; and timing device with seconds displayed as some skills are precisely 30 or 60 seconds (a dive computer is OK only if one can see seconds in dive mode or if dive mode can be disabled, otherwise a cheap waterproof watch is fine). You may wish to bring your own dive lights as night dives are available.
Yes! We offer all our Platinum package candidates a free UP to six weeks internship and for Gold package candidates a free two week internship where you can work alongside our experienced instructors gaining further valuable real world teaching tips (with the chance to earn your first certifications).
How much does it cost?
We offer 4 different IDC packages to suit most candidate’s needs:
IDC e-Learning Package
IDC e-Learning Gold Package
IDC e-Learning Platinum Package
I would strongly advise you to exercise caution when comparing prices from different Instructor Development Centers. Be absolutely sure what is and is not included and please be aware that quality rarely comes cheaply!
YES, we strongly recommend it !!! Being able to teach specialty courses gives you the chance to pursue your own interests and definitely makes you more employable. We offer wide range of specialties, including the popular Deep, Night, Search and Recovery, Drift diver, Multilevel, Emergency Oxygen Provider and Wreck diver.
The PADI Specialties Sidemount diver, Enriched Air diver and Dive Propulsion Vehicle diver have different prices and extra costs and are taught on demand. Our Master SCUBA Diver Trainer Preparation Program is designed to be totally flexible and run alongside your OPTIONAL two to six week internship and includes the chance to earn your first student certifications. MSDT Preparation includes FIVE PADI Specialty Instructor Training Courses and their appropriate dives (among Deep, Night, Search and Recovery, Drift diver, Multilevel, Emergency Oxygen Provider and Wreck diver).
You can apply to PADI to become a MSDT Instructor once you have attained 25 student certifications at any level.
The main benefit to you as a PADI Instructor is that you can vary your work from teaching “main-spine” courses and programs and learn more teaching commissions. Specialty Diver certifications are essential if you intend to become a DSAT Tec Deep / TEC Sidemount Instructor or PADI Master Instructor/Course Director. Many employers insist on MSDT as a minimum rating in order to be considered for a job position. If taught by a PADI Course Director, you may begin certifying specialty divers immediately after paying to PADI the Specialty Instructor processing fees and receive the authorization from your PADI office, rather than waiting until you have certified 25 divers first.
ADI application fees are also MUCH cheaper if you attend specialty courses with a PADI Course Director.
Additionally, only 10 logged specialty dives are required per rating, rather than 20. Please see our IDC PLATINUM package
Once you pass the IE you will be qualified to teach all core PADI courses (e.g. Discover SCUBA Diving, Open Water Diver, Advanced Open Water Diver, Rescue Diver and Divemaster) as well as the following specialties: Peak Performance Buoyancy, Project AWARE and AWARE Coral Reef Conservation. These three specialties do not count towards the five required for MSDT.
We are so confident you will pass your IE after completing one of our IDCs that we will NOT charge you for attending the necessary elements of a second IDC in the unlikely event you are unsuccessful.
In this case, accommodation, transportation, visas, diving and food will be for your expenses. PADI will charge you to re-sit I.E. segments.
We are always aiming at giving our candidates the best possible experience and that includes small groups of usually maximum EIGHT candidates per Course Director, which ensures you get the personal service you are paying for.
The whole IDC program takes 16 days, which includes the Emergency First Response and Care for Children Instructor courses, a review of your Open Water Course diving skills and a review preparation to upgrade your Divemaster dive theory knowledge to the level required to pass the IE.
This is longer than other IDCs but ensures that the days are short and relaxed, giving you plenty of time to prepare your own presentations or go diving, go surfing/kite-surfing or just relax in our lovely beaches. After you have completed the IDC you will attend the PADI I.E, which is normally spread over 2 days.
WE will advise you according to your needs and preferences. We do have many options and partnerships ranging from 4 stars Resorts to Hostels and private apartments rentals.
YES, as long as we have space on board during our dive trips !
The main reason you are choosing to start your career with PADI is no doubt because, like us, you love diving and we expect you to dive, help out the dive operation and learn as much as you can throughout your GO PRO PACKAGE / MSDT INTERNSHIP.
Diving in Cape Verde means discovering a uniquely diverse mix of tropical and Mediterranean marine life.
You may find shoals of fish in open water or sheltering in coral covered undercuts in volcanic walls alongside lazily hovering in and around local wrecks.
Cape Verde is a location designed to bring fascinating experiences and discoveries to all tourists and watersports lovers. It is a peaceful country with a “No Stress” atmosphere and friendly people. It’s location is relatively close to EU with reasonable offers and costs to fly over here. There is also opportunity to enjoy unique beauties of each island of the Archipelago as well as enjoying other outdoor activities like surfing, kite-surfing, fishing, trekking and snorkeling. We Must also mention it’s a “winter free” country.
There is no heavy rainy season in Cape Verde and we therefore dive all year round in most of the islands. During the winter (January-March) humpback and occasionally sperm whales visit the islands on their annual migrations, occasionally manta rays, sting rays, eel morays, different species of turtles, nurse, sand tiger and lemon sharks and large shoals of fish are year round attractions.
During Summer (June – November) is the mating season for the local turtles and these may be encountered underwater or on the beaches at night when they come ashore to lay down their eggs.
The underwater world of Cape Verde also offers caves (lava tunnels), deep volcanic walls and some ship wrecks and tremendous abundance and variety of marine life. While you’re here, why not become a PADI Speciality Instructor? Please see our website schedule setting out our IDC dates for 2015-2016.