Photo by Sindre Fs on Unsplash
The cheapest place on earth to become a certified diver, on the world's second-largest barrier reef with whale sharks passing through.
- How long
- ~4 days
- Cost
- $300 – $480
- In rupees
- ₹28,700 – ₹45,800
- Starting level
- Beginner
3–7 days
$98/day
₹9,400/day
moderate pace
Price covers: 4-day Open Water course, tuition + gear + certification. Range checked against real 2026 provider pricing. Flights and visas are never included, and nothing here is a quote.
The price includes
- Tuition
- Kit & materials
- A certificate
You come away with: PADI Open Water Diver
Best months — Mar-Sep
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
first certificationcheapestwhale sharks
While you're in the region
Is this a good one?
- Against others of its kind
- At $98 a day this sits a little under the $105 median for water & sailing. It is cheaper than 13 of the 24 water & sailing options mapped here.
- When to go
- Workable across 7 months of the year — Mar-Sep. Outside that the season is against you, not the school.
- How long it really takes
- Most people give it 4 days, but the honest range is 3 to 7. The narrow spread means the course length is largely fixed.
Compare this against
The same question asked four ways — by country, by craft, by what it costs and by how long it takes.