diving courses in Frankfurt

The complete PADI training program at the FDC

Where: Frankfurt-Schwanheim, Vogesenstraße 12C — 500 m² diving center with a shop, rental service, equipment service, and its own filling station

What: PADI diving courses from your very first breath all the way to Divemaster and technical diving

Starting at: 79 € (introductory dive) · Diving certification 599 € · See the price list for all prices

Training: Small groups, pool training in Frankfurt, open-water training at lakes in the Rhine-Main region

Technical Diving: Decompression, Trimix, and Rebreather — see technical diving courses

Our Course Dates

The Frankfurt Dive Center is a diving school with its own facility. We have 500 square meters of space in Frankfurt-Schwanheim, featuring a store, rental service, equipment service, and our own filling station. This means that theory, equipment, and consulting are all available in one place. Pool training takes place at the swimming pool of the Frankfurt Sports School in the Stadtwald, the training center of the Hessian State Sports Federation.

For all recreational diving courses, we train according to the standards of PADI, the world’s largest recreational diving organization. This means your certification is recognized at every dive center from Egypt to Indonesia, is ISO-certified, and never expires.

This page provides an overview of all the courses we offer—organized by the path you’re on. If you’ve never dived before, start at the top. If you already have a certification, skip to where you are.

Why take diving courses at the Frankfurt Dive Center?

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Modern diving school in Frankfurt

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Small groups and personal attention

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Pool training + open water in the Rhine-Main area

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Regular training in a private, protected pool in Frankfurt – available exclusively for us every weekend

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Courses for beginners to Tec divers

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structured and secure training

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High-quality, modern rental equipment (Garmin Descent X30 dive computers for all students!)

The Training Path at a Glance

Getting Started → First Certification → Continuing Education → Specialties → Master Scuba Diver → Professional

This isn’t a requirement, and there’s no set order you have to follow. Most people get their diving certification, dive for two years while on vacation, and then come back to take the next step. Others work their way up to Rescue Diver in a year. Both approaches are fine. Certifications don’t expire—you can take your time.

1. Getting Started — No prior knowledge required, no obligation

If you want to find out whether scuba diving is right for you, this is the place to start. No certification, no course lasting several weeks—just one appointment.

  • PADI Discover Scuba Diving - Introductory Dive, €79. Your first breath underwater, in the pool, with an instructor by your side. Ages 10 and up. Available as a private or VIP option for €189. If you decide to continue afterward, you’ll receive a €30 credit toward your diving certification.

  • Discover Freediving, €69. Your introduction to freediving—without a tank, on a single breath.

The introductory dive includes all ABC equipment. All you need is a swimsuit and a towel—nothing else.

2. Your First Certification — Your Diving Certification

  • PADI Open Water Diver, €599. The scuba diving certification. A compact course over two weekends, after which you can dive independently worldwide to a depth of 18 meters. Ages 15 and up.

  • PADI Scuba Diver, 449 €. The shorter course, up to 12 meters, always accompanied by a Divemaster or instructor. Ages 10 and up. Can be upgraded later to Open Water Diver for 249 €.

  • PADI Open Water Diver Referral, 429 €. Theory and pool sessions here in Frankfurt; the four open-water dives during your vacation in a warm climate.

  • PADI Junior Open Water Diver, starting at €450. The same course for 10- to 14-year-olds, with a reduced depth limit.

  • PADI Open Water Diver VIP / Private Course, €1,250 for one person or €850 per person for two. One course, one instructor, your own pace, and your own schedule — details on the Open Water Diver page.

  • PADI ReActivate, €129 (with PADI e-Learning), €89 (without PADI e-Learning). This isn’t a beginner’s course—it’s your way back into the water if it’s been a while since your last dive.

From November through April, you can add the Dry Suit Specialty to your Open Water Diver certification for €149 —with your own certification and a dry suit included.

3. Continuing Education — Deeper, More Confident, More Independent

  • PADI Adventure Diver, 349 €. Three Adventure Dives—try out three different specialties.

  • PADI Advanced Open Water Diver, €449. Includes five Adventure Dives, including deep diving and navigation, with certification to 30 meters.

  • PADI Emergency First Response, 149 €. First aid and CPR. A prerequisite for the Rescue Diver course—and the course you hope you'll never need.

  • PADI Rescue Diver, 449 €. The course that has the greatest impact on most divers: self-rescue, buddy rescue, and emergency management.

  • PADI Master Scuba Diver, 99 €. The highest non-professional recognition in recreational diving. It's not a course, but rather recognition of what you've already accomplished.

4. Specialties — in the area that interests you

A Specialty is a short, clearly defined course on a single topic: Nitrox, drysuit diving, navigation, wreck diving, deep diving, or photography. Five of these, plus the Rescue Diver course and 50 dives, earn you the Master Scuba Diver certification.

Our specialty courses range from €159 (Nitrox) to €499 (Sidemount). A complete overview with prices and brief descriptions is available on the Specialty Overview. If you’re planning to take several: There’s a bundle of five specialties plus Master Scuba Diver certification for 999 €.

5. Children and Adolescents

  • PADI Bubblemaker, €79. Ages 8 to 9, maximum depth of 2 meters, in the pool.

  • PADI Seal Team, €249. Ages 8 and up, AquaMissions in the pool—several sessions spread out over the course of an afternoon.

  • PADI Junior Open Water Diver, starting at €450. Ages 10 and up; a full-fledged certification with age-appropriate depth limits.

You can find an overview for parents on the page Diving Courses for Kids.

6. Freediving — Diving on a Single Breath

With us, you'll learn freediving in three steps: Discover Freediving for €69 to get a taste of it, the PADI Basic Freediver for 249 €, which includes theory and pool training, and the upgrade to PADI Freediver for 125 €, which adds open-water dives to your certification.

With freediving, you don't need a tank or any diving gear.

7. Professional — Divemaster

The PADI Divemaster course , priced at €1,290, is the first step toward a career in diving. Prerequisites include Rescue Diver certification, EFR training completed within the last 24 months, at least 40 logged dives at the start of the course, and 60 by the end. This is a training program that takes several months—not just a weekend.

Technical Diving and Rebreathers

If you want to go beyond recreational diving, you can also continue your technical training with us: decompression diving, trimix, closed-circuit systems, and cave diving beyond the cavern level. This is a distinct training path with its own standards and its own way of thinking.

What we offer there is listed on the page Technical Diving Courses. The practical advantage for you: You don’t have to change locations for this step, and you don’t have to start from scratch—the people who trained you in recreational diving are the same ones who will continue to guide you in technical diving.

What's Included in Our Courses

Included in every course: PADI eLearning, pool or open-water fees, and certification fees. This is where offers differ—with us, eLearning isn't listed as an additional item on the invoice; it's included in the price.

The equipment you'll need depends on the course:

  • Introductory Dive, Bubblemaker, Seal Team, DSD Private: all include ABC gear.

  • Open Water Diver, Junior OWD, Scuba Diver, Referral, OWD VIP: everything except ABC gear (mask, snorkel, fins, booties)—as a course participant, you’ll receive a 20% discount on these items at our store.

  • Enriched Air / Nitrox: theory-only course; no dives or equipment required.

  • Dry Suit Diver: Dry suit, tank, and fills included.

  • EFR, Equipment Specialist, Master Scuba Diver: Dry courses—no equipment issues.

  • Freediving: no diving gear, no tank.

  • All other courses: A bottle and refills are included.

The complete list with every individual price can be found on the Pricing Overview.

Diving School in Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main Region

We’re located in Frankfurt-Schwanheim, at Vogesenstraße 12C, with parking right next to the building and easy access via the A5. From downtown, Sachsenhausen, Niederrad, and Höchst, you can get here in 15 to 20 minutes; from Offenbach, Rüsselsheim, Hanau, and Bad Homburg, it takes just over half an hour.

Theory, equipment, and consultation take place here, while pool training is held at the swimming pool of the Frankfurt Sports School in the Stadtwald—both locations are within the Frankfurt city limits. For open-water dives, we travel to lakes in the Rhine-Main region, all of which are less than an hour’s drive away. Details on directions and parking can be found on the Directions and Parking page.

Ready for the next step?

We’ll give you personalized advice—the best next course for you depends on your experience and goals. Give us a call or send us a message.

Request a quote

FAQ

  • You can either start right away with the Open Water Diver course for €599, or try the introductory dive first for €79 to see if it's right for you. Both are great ways to get started—you don't need any prior experience for either one.

  • The PADI Open Water Diver course costs €599 with us, all-inclusive: eLearning, training, equipment rental, pool and lake fees, and certification. The shorter version, the Scuba Diver course, costs €449. All prices are listed in the price overview.

  • The scuba certification: two weekends plus eight to ten hours of e-learning. Specialties: usually one day or one weekend. The Divemaster course: several months.

  • No. You're signing up for a class, not a subscription or a club membership. The FDC Club is an option, not a requirement.

  • Yes. PADI, S.U.B., CMAS, SSI, VDST: Bring your certification card and logbook with you; we'll assess your skill level and you'll start right where you are.

  • Bubblemaker and Seal Team starting at age 8, Introductory Dive and Scuba Diver starting at age 10, Junior Open Water Diver starting at age 10, Full Open Water Diver starting at age 15, Divemaster starting at age 18.

  • To start with, you’ll only need the basic gear—mask, snorkel, fins, and footies—and as a course participant, you’ll get a 20% discount on these from us. You can rent everything else during the course or book it as a package for €80.

  •  Yes. Theory classes and pool sessions are held year-round in Frankfurt, and dry suits are available for the lakes. From November through April, you can combine the Dry Suit Specialty directly with your scuba certification.

  • There's no one-size-fits-all answer to that, but it's a common and valid concern. That's exactly what the pool is for: You'll start at a depth of 3 to 4 meters, with an instructor right beside you, and no one will push you further than you want to go. Just let us know in advance, and we'll make arrangements.