Diving Certification in Frankfurt
Your PADI Open Water Diver Course
Price: €599 — all-inclusive, no hidden costs
Duration: two weekends
Requirement: Be able to swim 200 meters
Minimum age: 15 years old (starting at age 10: Junior OWD)
Certification: PADI Open Water Diver, recognized worldwide
EVEN ON VACATION: Theory and pool here, open water on vacation — €429
With the PADI Open Water Diver certification, you hold the world’s most widely recognized diving certification. Over a million people earn it every year, and it’s recognized at every dive center from Egypt to Indonesia. It qualifies you to dive independently worldwide to a depth of 18 meters—with a buddy, without an instructor.
We handle all the theory, equipment, and organizational matters at our dive center in Frankfurt-Schwanheim: 500 square meters featuring a shop, rental service, equipment service, and our own filling station. Pool training takes place at the swimming pool at the Frankfurt Sports School , the training center of the Hessian State Sports Federation (Landessportbund Hessen) in Frankfurt’s Stadtwald—a sports facility with dedicated swimming hours, not a water park. Every participant receives a Garmin Descent X30 dive computer, and we teach in small groups because learning to dive takes time and attention.
No prior experience is necessary. If you feel comfortable in the water and can swim 200 meters nonstop, that's enough.
Your Path to a Diving Certification in Four Steps
1. PADI e-Learning — whenever you want
You'll complete the theory portion online before the course begins. There are five chapters on physics, equipment, dive planning, and safety, complete with videos and quizzes. It will take you about eight to ten hours to complete, and you can work through it at your own pace—in the evenings, on weekends, or on the train. Access is included in the course price, and you'll have permanent access to the material as a reference guide.
2. First Weekend — Theory and Pool
On the first weekend, we’ll go over the theory together, clarify any open questions, and answer anything that the e-learning course didn’t cover. Then we’ll head into the water. Through five pool exercises, you’ll learn everything you really need to master underwater: clearing your mask, finding your regulator, neutral buoyancy, communicating with your partner, and ascending and descending in a controlled manner.
This is the part where theory turns into skill—and the part where small groups make all the difference.
3. Second weekend — four open-water dives
On the second weekend, we'll head out to one of our diving lakes in the Rhine-Main region (usually Hunsfels or Kronau). Over the course of four dives, you'll practice the exercises under real-world conditions and go on your first real dive. After the fourth dive, you'll be certified.
4. Your Brevet
You'll receive your digital certification card right after the course. From then on, you'll be recognized as a PADI Open Water Diver anywhere in the world.
What's Included in the Price
Includes:
PADI eLearning — Complete Theory Course, Lifetime Access
Five pool sessions in our training pool
Four open-water dives, including lake fees
Complete rental equipment: jacket, regulator, dive computer (Garmin Descent X30), wetsuit, tank, and fills
Pool Fees
Training led by PADI instructors in small groups
Digital Brevet Card
Certification Fees
Not included:
ABC gear: mask, snorkel, fins, and footies. This guarantees a custom fit, an optimal course and diving experience, and forms the foundation of your personal gear. As a course participant, you’ll receive a 20% discount on these items.
A medical certificate of fitness for diving, if we’re diving at Hunsfels. Any doctor can issue it, including your family doctor. More on this below.
Winter Add-On: Try Dry Suit Diving
From November through April, you can add the PADI Dry Suit Specialty course for €149. You’ll learn how to use a dry suit as part of your training and receive your own full certification—not just a rental suit. For anyone who wants to dive during the German winter, this is the most affordable option available. A rental suit is included.
Be sure to set aside time for this: the course will take at least one full day longer. Dry suit diving isn’t something you can just tack on as an afterthought—putting on the suit, adjusting buoyancy with air inside the suit, and practicing emergency procedures all require dedicated pool time and a separate open-water dive. Anyone who tries to cram this into an afternoon won’t really be able to do it properly afterward. That’s why we’d rather add an extra day than cut corners.
Better to be alone and on your own schedule: the VIP private lesson
If scheduled course weekends don’t work for you or you’d rather learn without a group, the Open Water Diver course is also available as a private course for €1,250. You’ll have an instructor all to yourself, and we’ll work with you to set the dates so they fit your schedule—even during the week. The scope of the course is identical to the Compact Course, as is the equipment. What you’re paying for is your instructor’s undivided attention and the flexibility to choose your own dates.
This is especially useful for people with very busy schedules, those who need more time in the water, or those who want to be trained exclusively one-on-one or in pairs (€850 per person).
Requirements
Minimum age: 15 years. For ages 10 to 14, the path leads through the Junior Open Water Diver course.
Swim 200 meters without any equipment, or 300 meters with a mask, snorkel, and fins. There is no time limit—it’s not about speed, but about safety.
10 minutes of treading water or floating.
Certificate of medical fitness for diving if we're diving at Hunsfels. Details below.
Certificate of Medical Fitness for Diving: Depends on the lake
We conduct training at two lakes in the Rhine-Main region, and they have different rules:
Hunsfels requires every diver to have a valid medical certificate of fitness for diving. This is a lake rule, not ours, and it applies without exception.
Kronau doesn't require any.
Which lake you end up on depends on the season, visibility, and the course content. To be on the safe side, make sure to get a certificate —it’s quick to obtain, and it will cover you for both lakes.
The good news is: It's easier than many people think.
Who issues it: any doctor, including your family doctor. You don't need a diving medicine specialist or a special appointment.
Cost: Varies by practice. Health insurance does not cover it; it is a self-pay service and is not included in the course fee. At a diving medicine specialist certified to GTÜM standards, the cost is usually between 80 and 110 euros; at a family doctor’s office, it is often less.
When you should take care of this: preferably right after booking. That way, it will be ready by the time we decide on the lake, and your second weekend won't be up in the air.
It’s a nice bonus: You can be sure that your body is up for diving, and you’ve also earned your “ticket” to many other dive sites.
Get Your Diving Certification in Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main Region
We’re located in Frankfurt-Schwanheim, at Vogesenstraße 12C—accessible by car via the A5 and Schwanheimer Bahnstraße, with parking available right at the building. From Sachsenhausen, Niederrad, Höchst, and downtown, you’ll get here in 15 to 20 minutes; from Offenbach, Rüsselsheim, Hanau, and Bad Homburg, it’s just over half an hour.
The theory and pool training take place entirely at our location in Frankfurt. For the open-water dives, we travel to lakes in the region—depending on the season and visibility conditions. All are within just under an hour’s drive.
Unlike most dive schools in the Rhine-Main area, we’re actually located in Frankfurt itself, not in the surrounding area. No transfers, no long drive to the next town.
Why the Frankfurt Dive Center
Small groups. We don't assign groups of twelve to a single instructor. You'll get the attention you need in the water, and we'll work on each exercise until you've got it down.
Equipment that works. Every participant receives a Garmin Descent X30 for the course—a state-of-the-art dive computer that will make you want to keep diving even after the course is over.
Everything under one roof. 500 square meters with a store, rental shop, workshop, and refill station. After the course, you’re not on your own: refill your tank, have your gear serviced, get advice—it’s all here.
It doesn't stop with the Brevet. Through the FDC Club , you’ll get in the water regularly and meet diving buddies. This is where most newly certified divers fall short—not because of the course, but because they can’t find anyone to dive with afterward.
What Comes Next After the Open Water Diver Course
The Open Water Diver course is the first step. From there, the path usually leads to the Advanced Open Water Diver to 30 meters, the Rescue Diver for added safety, and on to specialties such as Nitrox or dry suit diving in the area that interests you.
Our beginner courses are also for children
PADI Junior Open Water Diver
For children and teens.
FAQ
-
Two weekends, plus about eight to ten hours of PADI eLearning, which you can complete at your own pace beforehand. Theory and pool sessions on the first weekend, and the four open-water dives on the second.
-
599 euros. That covers everything—e-learning, training, all rental equipment, pool and lake fees, and certification. The only additional cost is your own ABC equipment, on which you’ll receive a 20 percent discount as a course participant. When comparing offers, make sure to check whether the e-learning is included in the listed price—some providers charge for it separately. We don’t.
-
You must be able to swim 200 meters nonstop, with no time limit, and tread water for ten minutes. Anyone who feels comfortable in the water can do this. You don't have to be a competitive swimmer.
-
The full Open Water Diver course is for divers 15 years of age and older. For divers aged 10 to 14, there is the Junior Open Water Diver course with a reduced depth limit. For younger children, we offer Bubblemaker and Seal Team for ages 8 and up.
-
It depends on the lake. It's required at Hunsfels, but not at Kronau. Since we don't decide where we'll be diving until the last minute, we recommend that you get one just to be safe—that way, you'll be prepared for both lakes.
-
Any doctor can issue it, including your family doctor—you don’t need a diving medical specialist. The cost varies by practice and is not included in the course fee; health insurance does not cover it. For a diving medical specialist who follows GTÜM standards, the cost is usually between 80 and 110 euros; for a family doctor, it’s often less.
-
As a PADI Open Water Diver, you can dive to 18 meters anywhere in the world with a dive buddy. If you want to go deeper, the Advanced Open Water Diveris the next step—allowing you to diveto 30 meters.
-
Yes. PADI is the world's largest scuba diving organization, and the Open Water Diver certification is certified under ISO 24801-2. You'll be recognized at any dive center in the world—and your certification never expires.
-
Let us know, and we'll find a solution. You can make up any missed pool exercises or open-water dives in one of the following courses. With us, no one gets dropped from the course just because a weekend gets in the way.
-
Yes. For the referral course, you’ll complete the theoryand pool training with us in Frankfurt, and the four open-water dives in warm waters—in Egypt, the Maldives, or wherever you want. It costs 429 euros, and you’ll come back from your vacation with your certification in hand.
-
PADI courses are performance-based, not time-based. What matters is that you master each skill confidently—not how quickly. If you need more time for an exercise, we'll take the time. That's exactly why we keep our groups small.
Still unsure? Let's talk in person. Not quite sure if the course is right for you? Or would you prefer to book in person at the store?
No problem.
We are happy to advise you by phone or in person at the Frankfurt Dive Center. You can also book and pay for the course in person at the store.
Quick question about the course?
Simply fill out the form—we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Your data will be used exclusively to respond to your inquiry. For more information, please see our privacy policy.