Basic Diver

The Basic Diver sits between the Try Scuba pool session and the full Scuba Diver certification — it adds an open water dive to the confined water training, giving you the experience of actual sea diving without committing to a longer programme. The structure is one theory session, one pool session, and one sea dive off the Portuguese coast.

For someone with limited time who still wants to get in the Atlantic, this is a sensible option. The sea dive is a real open water experience, not a lagoon or sheltered bay — Porto's coast has character, and the Hidrospot team knows how to manage conditions for first-timers.

If you decide to continue, that sea dive can be credited toward the SSI Scuba Diver or SSI Open Water Diver programmes within six months, so nothing is wasted. The Basic Diver is also known as a baptism dive in Portuguese dive culture — a tradition the centre has built part of its beginner offering around.

All staff hold React Right and oxygen administration certifications, which matters when you're taking someone into open water for the first time.