Three-Day Dive Trips: the 10 Best on Earth

1.3-Day PADI Open Water Diving Course in Dubai

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

Spend three flexible days learning scuba skills with Nemo Diving Center in Dubai. You will complete paperwork, equipment fitting, confined-water practice, and four open-water sessions. Instructors including Abdel, Hasan, and Mostafa are praised for patience and care. Online study costs 370 AED extra and can be completed before arrival or between sessions.

“The staff members at Nemo were very friendly and welcoming. Being a traveller (from Australia), little things like hospitality and a small smile matters to me to make me feel comfortable. My trainer Abdel was patient and helped me hoRead more”

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2.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 cover PADI theory, practice in a pool or shallow bay, then complete four open-water sessions around Koh Chang and Koh Rang National Park. The $586.74 price includes equipment, meals, insurance, hotel transfers on the west coast, an online manual, and certification to 18 meters.

“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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3.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 Mae Haad, then practice around Nang Yuan Island. Over three days, you complete classroom work, shallow-water training, four open-water sessions, a final exam, and certification. Instructor Dominik Maier is named in one experience, and groups are limited to 10.

“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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4.3-Day PADI Open Water Diving Course

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

Spend three days learning scuba skills in Hurghada with a PADI instructor such as Khaled or Achmed. You receive private instruction, equipment, hotel transfers, lunch, drinks, and two underwater sessions each day. The course leads to certification for depths up to 18 meters, but budget separately for the PADI manual, registration, certificate, and daily marine taxes.

“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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5.3-Day Freediving Level 1 Course

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 54 reviews · from $450

Spend three full days learning freediving at Freedive Nusa on Nusa Penida. You need only basic swimming ability. Expect theory, pool practice, and open-water sessions, with no more than four students per instructor. Instructors including Artem, Roberto, Seva, Gaston, and Hamza are praised for patient, careful coaching.

“It was so cool to free-dive! First I was afraid of being in the water without breathing but got used to it gradually. Roberto was my instructor and he was very supportive and super nice! Will continue practicing in Korea. Awesome experience!”

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6.3-Day PADI Open Water Diver Course, Koh Samui

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 48 reviews · from $681

Complete PADI e-learning before arriving, then train in a pool on day one and make four boat-based underwater sessions over the next two days. Samui Discovery Divers limits the group to four, provides hotel pickup at selected hotels, and uses multilingual instructors, including Yuan from Germany on some courses. A health questionnaire is required.

“Had a very good experience, and I would say everyone with other dive leaders was too. New/ fast boats, fluent English and other languages, good lunch and well organised from pick up to drop off.”

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7.3-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 safe scuba practice, train in confined water, then complete open-water sessions by boat. Instructors may teach in English, Japanese, or Spanish. Ryan, Rhan, and Josh have been praised for calm, patient teaching.

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

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8.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 a premium liveaboard, visiting 19 sites across four Outer Reef locations. Certified scuba divers can take up to 11 sessions, including two at night, while snorkelers can enjoy the reef at a gentler pace. Staff such as Daniel and Matthias provide course support and safety guidance.

“This was an incredible trip. It was well organised, the staff were fantastic and the dives themselves were amazing. The food was delicious, plentiful and well prepared. The guides provided great direction (I had Daniel for the Advanced Open Water) training and gave me the confidence to dive unguided (but with a buddy). On that note it is self guided unless you are on a course. The direction from the dive leader is great (Matthias), but would recommend a refresher if you haven’t gone for a while and need a reminder on how to use diver computers and navigation. Would 100% recommend this trip - great value for money and…”

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9.3 Days PADI Open Water Diving Course in Dubai (All inclusive)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · from $406

Train at DiveCampus, Dubai’s first PADI Eco Center, with a 4-meter indoor tank and 1:1 or 1:2 instruction. Over three flexible training days, instructors such as Sara, Ahmed, Bonnie, Eslam, and Aziz guide you through five confined-water sessions and four open-water sessions, leading to a PADI license for descents to 18 meters.

“DiveCampus Diving Club - Dubai is truly a 5-star dive center! The entire team is incredibly friendly, and our instructor Sara was amazing. She was very informative, patient, and passionate about teaching, making sure we understood everything.”

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10.Sanur Open Water Course learn diving in 3 Days – Get certified & Dive everywhere

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · from $480

Learn scuba skills with Bali Diving Academy in a small group of up to six. You’ll study PADI theory, train in Sanur’s pool, then complete four sea sessions in Sanur Bay and Padang Bai or Tulamben. Ask about instructors such as Astama or Benny, and the optional Nusa Penida day.

“We did the 3 day Open Water Diver PADI certification with Astama.”

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