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234 Orakei Rd Remuera Auckland New Zealand Ph (649) 524 2117 fax (649) 524-6268 email training@orakeidive.co.nz

Refresher and experienced diver courses

At Orakei Dive Shop we realize that circumstances in people's lives are continuously changing, often other commitments come before leisure activities. Many people who have become certified divers in the past often end up taking a break from the sport for up to years at a time, we have found that the best way to get back into diving is to start with a refresher course. We offer a variety of options for those of you who feel the need to redevelop your diving skills or gain more confidence in the water. The amount of 'refreshing' you may require depends largely on the following factors - how long since you last dived, how much diving you used to do and where you did it, how long since your original course and its location. A lot also depends on the person themselves and their personal comfort with diving. Orakei is a five star PADI training facility, a system you may have initially learned to dive with. However, if you have learned under another training system this does not pose a problem in doing a refresher course under the PADI system however please note a refresher course does not include certification of any sort.

Not everyone's requirements will be standard so we recommend that you discuss your needs with one of our instructors, who in turn will tailor a refresher course, which will be adequate for your needs. We will need verification that you have completed a recognized course.

Prices of our refresher courses also vary, this depends on the amount of training and whether it is open or enclosed water training you require. As a rough guide, we usually charge $90 for a pool session and $20 for a classroom theory session. The pool session entails one on one trainng however sometimes there maybe more than one of you. The costs include the scuba gear plus a weight belt and wetsuit. If we have them available we will hire mask, fins and snorkel for an additional $10.00 per session.

If you have not dived for some time we recommend first joining in on at least one pool session plus attending the weekends sea dives. These are generally held at the world-renowned Poor Knights Islands. The cost of this includes a pool session, four dives at the Poor Knights, charter boat fees, equipment (excluding mask, fins, snorkel and booties) air fills and training by a certified PADI instructor. The cost of all this is $499. It does not include transport, accommodation of food.

If you are an 'experienced', yet uncertified diver there is a shortened certification course available to you. The 'experienced diver' program is available for those of you who have been diving for at least two years and can prove that you have logged over 20 dives. You will need to complete the PADI approved open water written examination, accompany a class on at least one pool session and complete the open water weekend. The price is as above ($499) plus $50 certification fees. You will also need a dive medical from a doctor.

Finally, if you have had a PADI card and lost it, a replacement card will cost you $55. You will need to supply a passport size photo plus details of where you completed your course. Please allow up to three weeks for your certification card to be replaced.