VACorps Scuba Club

VACorps Scuba Club

There are many avid Scuba Divers among the VACorps staff.  We are passionate about this magical sport and run a club that caters to VACorps interns who want to explore the wonders beneath our beautiful ocean.  Whether you are a complete beginner or are already qualified and looking to enhance your skills, we encourage you to add to your South African adventure by joining us for a course and/or a few dives!

VACorps Scuba Club offers the following PADI courses:

  • PADI OPEN OPEN WATER – this course caters to complete beginners. We only require that you know how to swim
  • PADI ADVANCED OPEN WATER – for those looking to advance their skills
  • PADI RESCUE – learn to prevent and manage problems in the water

Reasons to consider doing a course while you are in South Africa:

  • For those joining us for the Kruger/Mozambique adventure, knowing how to scuba dive will certainly add to your enjoyment.   The diving in Mozambique is incredible!
  • Scuba  Diving is a life long skill, that will likely take you to many beautiful places.
  • You will most probably save money by getting qualified in South Africa.  A diving course in America or Europe is far more costly.
  • Whilst the waters are chilly, the diving in Cape Town is outstanding.  The city is known to have some of the best wreck dives in the world.  As you explore the oceans beneath, you will also get to see parts of the Cape that would be difficult to get to otherwise.

Provisional Open Water course dates for 2020 are as follows:

Start Date
Session 1 Courses 11th Feb 2020
3rd March 2020
Session 2 Courses 26th May 2020
3rd June 2020
14th July 2020
Session 4 Course 15th September 2020
  13th October 2020

Courses consist of 3 parts:

  • Theory/classroom work
  • Confined water dives (pool sessions)
  • Open ocean water dives

All classroom sessions are done in the evenings, and all dives are done on the weekends, so you will not have to miss any work.

All courses are inclusive of:

  • PADI course materials
  • PADI registration and card
  • 4 compulsory course dives
  • All equipment hire
  • All cylinder hire
  • Pool entrance fees
  • Instructor fees for the duration of the course
The scuba diving course with VAC allows you become a PADI-certified scuba diver while having the time of your life. We shared many laughs with our instructors, Jon and Sean, who always seem to find a reason and the time to crack a joke. They are very skilled in what they do and always willing to answer questions – sometimes more and sometimes less seriously. Diving with Jon and Sean you will eventually learn that laughing underwater through the regulator is indeed possible!
Gregory Elbol, VACorps Program Participant January 2019
“My biggest accomplishment during my time in SA was definitely becoming scuba certified despite being terrified of the ocean and water in general! Getting certified through VAC was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Thanks to my certification I have had the opportunity to see sea turtles in Mozambique, sharks in Mexico, and go freshwater diving back home.
Jackie Berger, VACorps Program Participant, May 2018

FAQ’s

PADI Open Water: $450

PADI Advanced Open Water: $450

PADI Rescue: $450

Your course will be run by either Sean or Jon:

Sean, (VACorps Finance and Faculty Programming) has been a dive instructor for more than two decades and has qualified more than 500 diving legends (and counting!).  Sean is a highly experienced and skilled instructor who continuously proves his ability to mentor and inspire confidence in all of his students.

 

Jon, (VACorps safety officer) fell in love with diving after completing a course with Sean when he was 16 years old.  Since then he has logged close to a thousand dives and helped many students become qualified in his capacity as a dive master.  Jon has recently completed the rigorous instructor’s qualification and loves to share his passion and knowledge for diving with his students.

Courses are typically three weeks long, but this is highly weather dependent, and can vary!

Open Water Courses are typically structured to allow for classroom/theory work on Tuesday evenings, and pool/ocean dives on the weekends (Saturdays, Sundays or both, depending on the weather!). Weekend diving activities will typically take up the entire morning, and run till around 1 p.m.

Please fill out this form if you are iterested in signing up.  If possible, we encourage you to do so in advance of your arrival, as spaces are limited and the courses are popular (especially between May and July).

You need adequate swimming skills and need to be in good physical health. No prior experience with scuba diving is required!