2025 SEASON: NOW until end JULY
Learn to scuba dive and discover the incredible underwater world around the Isle of Arran, Scotland. Known as Scotland in miniature our island truly is an unforgettable location to begin or continue your scuba diving adventure. From your first breath on our PADI Discover Scuba Diving session, getting certified as a PADI Open Water Diver or going Pro as a PADI Divemaster we're here to help.
As the islands first and only PADI Dive Resort we offer a vast range of courses to anyone visiting our beautiful island. Want a sneak peak at what it's like to learn with us here on this magical island? Head over to our 'Virtual Discovery' section or dive right in to your next scuba adventure below:
First
breath?
You'll be amazed by just how much you can pack into a week or two when you visit the Isle of Arran. If you've never dived before why not take your first breath underwater on our PADI Discover Scuba Diving session. While not a scuba certification course, Discover Scuba Diving is a quick and easy introduction to what it takes to explore the underwater world. Check out the video below which provides a short insight into what you can expect - BOOK NOW!
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Want to get certified to dive to 18m anywhere in the world with the most recognised diving qualification on the planet? As the first level of certification the PADI Open Water Diver course is your ticket to under water exploration!
Ready
for
more?
Already certified but up for a new adventure whilst you're here? We have you covered with one of the biggest line up's of PADI Speciality courses you can find. You may find that some of these speciality dives are unavailable from one season to the next but just get in-touch and we'll always try and help!
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PADI Adaptive Support Diver | PADI Adaptive Teaching Techniques (Pros) | PADI Dry Suit Diver | PADI Deep Diver | PADI Underwater Navigator | PADI Night Diver | PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy | PADI Search and Recovery Diver | PADI Wreck Diver | PADI Delayed Surface Marker Buoy (DSMB) | PADI / RNLI Diver Sea Survival | PADI AWARE | AWARE Dive Against Debris | AWARE Coral Reef Conservation | PADI Enriched Air Nitrox​
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We specialise in training but can offer supported dives if you're looking to grow after Open Water. So if it's your first time going alone as a buddy pair why not get us to help with shore cover, in-water supervision or planning support. We also offer a remote safety service. Find out about our Bespoke Scuba Development Session
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On top of this we also run Guided Dives and Guided Snorkelling Sessions at our favourite dives sites outside of our training commitments.
old
salt?
Been away from the water for a while? The PADI ReActivate session could be perfect for you. It's better to be over-prepared than risk a problem because you forget something important. We require this to be done by any diver who hasn't dived for 12 months or more
With e-learning as standard on all our courses there has never been a better time to start your next diving adventure; from Specialities to Core Courses we have you covered.
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PADI Open Water | PADI Advanced Open Water | PADI Speciality Diver | PADI Rescue Diver | PADI Master Scuba Diver Prep | PADI Divemaster
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If you're ready to go beyond Divemaster then get in touch with our professional training partner: ProDive UK
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Check out the course chart below to discover your next PADI adventure (click to expand)
What's it like to dive in the UK?
If you've never scuba dived in the UK it's easy to look out over the sea on a cold windy day and assume that not much is happening under the surface. Let us tell you - that's 100% not the case. We've dived around the world and some of our favourite dives can be found right back here on our incredible shores. We have a vast array of wildlife just under the waves waiting to be discovered.
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But what about a small Scottish Island we hear you cry? We'll the Isle of Arran is home to some incredible scuba diving. We have a 2.67sq.km No Take Zone (NTZ) in Lamlash (the first community led NTZ to be setup) which has a complete ban on any form of fishing. If that wasn't enough we also have a 300sq.km Marine Protected Area (MPA) around the south of the island and our depth range for shore diving means we can go from a shallow 2m to our recreational limit of 40m before you know it. With pretty much every substrate around the island it's fair to say we're not just 'Scotland in miniature' above the waterline!
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If you want to see some wildlife we're blessed to have large numbers of seals and otters around the island, as well as seasonal visitors in the form of bottlenose dolphins, harbour porpoise and basking sharks.
Why we teach padi courses
PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) Divers carry the most respected and sought after scuba diving credentials in the world. No matter where you choose to dive, your PADI certification card will be recognised and accepted. In fact, on most scuba diving adventures, you’ll be surrounded by other PADI Divers who made the same certification choice you did – to train with the world’s largest and most respected scuba diving training organization.
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The PADI System of diver education is the most instructionally solid system in diving. PADI courses are designed to make learning enjoyable and worthwhile.
We believe in Performance Based Learning – You progress at your own pace as you demonstrate mastery of specific performance requirements essential to becoming a scuba diver. You must earn your PADI certification, but you'll do so in an encouraging and well-supported learning environment with our friendly crew.
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At Dive Arran we train to small group ratio's and often 1:1 so you can be sure your dive experience will not only be personal but also matched to your learning needs. This allows us to 'go beyond' when it comes to your learning.
Why We COST MORE than some...
We all know the saying "you get what you pay for" BUT we know it can be hard to swallow when you can find courses cheaper with other PADI centres and resorts in the UK. Let's be honest few of us have lots of money to splash around and scuba diving is not a cheap activity!
We make no apologise for our prices being higher than many others - here's why:
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STUDENT : PRO RATIO
You'll likely have 1:1 instruction or max 1:2 - by contrast you'll find most centres run this as 6 - 8 students per instructor. This means you spend most of the time on your knee's / hovering waiting your turn rather than actually practicing the fundamental ability to dive and control your buoyancy.
If you're doing your Open Water with us you'll normally have a dedicated Divemaster AND Instructor!
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LEARN IN THE SEA
We never use a swimming pool - not even for Discover Scuba Diving! Most dive centres will do all 'confined water' skill sessions indoors but why would you want to learn in an environment that isn't where you'll actually dive? ​By learning from day 1 in the sea you'll face into the unknown, get used to salt water and experience the normal water movement associated with scuba diving. You also get to see incredible wildlife even before you hit the water; not to mention the sights that wait just below the surface.
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Fresh Water vs Sea - there are some amazing in-land dive sites across the UK; whilst we love them they do not prepare you for the reality of saltwater diving. It's much harder for our professional divers than a warm and clear pool so they have to work even harder to keep you safe as you learn the ropes.
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PASSION
Our team are mostly volunteers who give up their time to teach and support; they do this because they love scuba diving, want to share their experience and help you make the most of this incredible world. Because they choose to work on days off, give up time with family or re-arrange their week you know they actually want to be there ... not because they have to. ​
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Our students leave with more than the minimum every time; if we think it will add value then we'll cover it - even if this see's us straying into knowledge and skills that others charge for.
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FAIR INCOME
Our prices actually cover our running costs, allow us to re-invest in kit and ensure we can keep this island operation afloat. The only way we could lower our prices would be to increase student numbers ... reducing quality for quantity is not how our team operate. ​
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The Dive industry is grossly underpaid and under valued - professional level divers will have easily paid out well over £15k (at the very least) to get where they are today in kit and courses. We did the maths and our lead instructor has invested over £24k over his time already ... as students you benefit from well trained dive professionals with broad experience and teaching capabilities.
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COST
You may wonder where all that money goes? Providing scuba training in small often 1:1 environments is not going to be cheap. It's one of the reasons why UK diving has struggled and seen more operators closing over the last few years - however we want to be here in the long run but to do that the operation needs to be viable. So when you see courses at 1/3 or 1/2 our price you need to start considering 'how' that can be the case ... it's simple ... larger class sizes and less focus on quality.
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UNIQUE EXPERIENCE
We're one of only 2 Island based operations in the UK - we think on the most beautiful island with some of the best conditions found anywhere in the country. This means we have increased operational costs and constraints not faced by other main-land operations. BUT this also means you get to learn somewhere that many others could only wish for!