Introductory Diving in Frankfurt
PADI Discover Scuba Diving
Price: 79 € — all-inclusive, including ABC gear
Private/VIP: €189 — By appointment
Format: an afternoon in the pool, 2.5–3 hours
Prerequisite: feeling comfortable in the water
Minimum age: 10 years
Certification: None — a pool experience, not a course
Time: Saturdays starting at 4:15 p.m.
Meeting place: Diving Center, Vogesenstraße 12C
During an introductory dive, you’ll take your first breath underwater. That may sound trivial, but it’s not: For most people, that first breath from a regulator below the surface feels wrong because decades of habit tell them otherwise. That’s exactly what this moment is all about. Afterward, you’ll know whether diving is right for you—not from a video or a conversation, but because you’ve actually done it.
The PADI Discover Scuba Diving program isn't a course in the traditional sense. You won't receive a certification at the end, and you won't be allowed to dive on your own afterward. It's a supervised experience in the pool, where a PADI instructor stays right by your side the entire time. We’ll show you how the equipment works, practice two or three simple skills, and then you’ll dive. That’s all there is to it, and that’s all it’s meant to be.
The introductory dive takes place at the indoor swimming pool of the Frankfurt Sports School —the training center of the Hessian State Sports Federation in Frankfurt’s Stadtwald. Equipment, guidance, and everything else are provided by our dive center in Frankfurt-Schwanheim: 500 square meters featuring a shop, rental service, workshop, and filling station. Just bring your swimsuit and a towel; everything else is provided.
What to expect
Your introductory dive includes:
01 Introduction to the
We’ll briefly go over what’s about to happen: how a regulator works, why you should never hold your breath while diving, and how to equalize the pressure in your ears. This isn’t a theory lesson—it’s a conversation while you’re holding the equipment. After that, we’ll adjust your mask, wetsuit, and BCD. If the mask feels tight, we’ll swap it out—we have plenty of them on hand.
02
: Breathing Exercises in Water
This is your first time using the regulator and breathing underwater. We'll stay there until it feels normal. For some people, that takes two minutes; for others, twenty. Both are fine, and no one will rush you.
03
three skills
You'll learn how to clear water from your mask, how to find your regulator if it slips out of your mouth, and how to float with your BCD instead of sinking. These are exactly the three things that make beginners feel unsure—which is why we practice them before going any deeper.
04
The actual dive
After that, you'll dive into the pool with your instructor. No set program, no more tasks—just float, look around, and move. That's the part people come for.
05 Review of "
"
At the end, we'll sit down together, you'll tell us how it went, and we'll answer any questions that came up while you were underwater. If you want to continue, we'll discuss what the next steps are and how long the training will take. If not, it was still a great afternoon.
Private introductory dive: 189 € per person
For €189, you can get the same program as a private session. It's just you and an instructor—and up to one other person you bring along. The session is scheduled to fit your needs, even outside of the usual group times.
This is the right choice if you’re unsure or nervous and would prefer to get in the water without an audience, if you have very little time and need a session that fits into your schedule, or if you want to give an introductory dive as a gift and want it to feel like more than just a group session. In our experience, the VIP session is especially popular with people who have a healthy respect for the water but are still curious. For them, having our undivided attention makes all the difference.
Who is the PADI Discover Scuba Diving course suitable for?
Complete beginners
Couples
's Team Events
curious adventurers
Friends
Children
Gift Certificates
What's Included in the Price
Includes:
Everything you need for the afternoon:
PADI Discover Scuba Diving led by a PADI instructor or Divemaster
Complete rental equipment, including ABC gear—mask, snorkel, fins, and booties. Also included are a wetsuit, BCD, regulator, tank, and fills.
Pool Fees
Instruction, supervision in the water, and debriefing
Not included:
Just bring your swimsuit, a towel, and something to drink—that's it.
Unlike the Open Water Diver , you don’t have to buy your own ABC gear here. That doesn’t make sense for a trial dive: try it first, then invest.
Requirements
Minimum age: 10 years. For children ages 8 and 9, there's the Bubblemaker.
You need to feel comfortable in the water. A swimming certificate isn't required, but if you're afraid of submerging your head underwater, that's not a good place to start this afternoon.
Medical Questionnaire. Only if you answer “yes” to any of the questions there—such as asthma, cardiovascular issues, or certain medications—will you need prior approval from a doctor. In that case, please contact us briefly, and we’ll take care of it well in advance.
Don't come if you have a cold. If your nose is stuffy, you won't be able to equalize the pressure. Cancel and come another time—we'll reschedule without any questions asked.
Introductory Diving in Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main Region
We’re located in Frankfurt-Schwanheim, at Vogesenstraße 12C. By car, take the A5 and Schwanheimer Bahnstraße; there’s parking right next to the building. From Sachsenhausen, Niederrad, Höchst, and downtown, you can get here in 15 to 20 minutes; from Offenbach, Rüsselsheim, Hanau, and Bad Homburg, it takes just over half an hour.
The introductory dive takes place entirely in our pool—no lake, no drive to the countryside, and no need to worry about the weather. That’s why it works just as well in January as it does in July.
Anyone looking for introductory diving in the Rhine-Main area often ends up with providers outside the city. We’re actually located in Frankfurt: our dive center is in Schwanheim, and we offer pool training at the Frankfurt Sports School in the Stadtwald. Plus, the equipment is ours and is regularly maintained.
Why the Frankfurt Dive Center
Small groups. During an introductory dive, an instructor works with only a few participants. You won't be waiting at the edge of the pool while ten others take turns.
Equipment that fits. We have masks in various sizes and shapes, and we’ll keep trying until we find one that fits. A mask that leaks is the most common reason why someone walks away from a trial dive feeling like diving isn’t for them. That’s something we can prevent.
Equipment service and our own filling station. The equipment you receive belongs to us and is regularly maintained. We fill the bottles ourselves.
Honest advice, period. We won't end up selling you the next higher-level course just because you're in a good mood. If we realize you need more time, we'll let you know.
What happens next?
The introductory dive can count toward your future diving certification.
For most people, the introductory dive is the first step—not the last. The standard path leads to the PADI Open Water Diver certification for €599—the certification that allows you to dive independently with a buddy to a depth of 18 meters anywhere in the world. Two weekends, fully inclusive of eLearning and certification.
The skills you learn during the introductory pool dive are the same as those covered in the beginning of the Open Water Diver pool training. Let us know if you book the course afterward—we'll see what can be credited toward your training.
A 30 € credit toward your diving certification. If you book an Open Water Diver or Scuba Diver course with us within three months of your introductory dive, we'll deduct 30 € from the course price. All in all, the introductory dive will cost you 49 €.
If two weekends are too much for you, there's the PADI Scuba Diver course for €449 as a shorter option with a depth limit of 12 meters—which you can upgrade at any time. And if you’re going on a diving vacation anyway, there’s the Referral Course for €429 might be worth considering: theory and pool sessions here, with the four open-water dives in the Red Sea.
FAQ
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No. That's exactly why it's called a trial dive. You don't need any prior experience or a diving certification. A dive instructor will be right by your side the whole time.
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Plan on spending two and a half to three hours from arrival to the debriefing. The actual time spent in the water is about one hour.
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No. The PADI Discover Scuba Diving program is a pool experience that does not lead to certification. If you want to dive on your own, the Open Water Diver course is the one for you.
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We offer introductory diving sessions every Saturday from 4:15 p.m. to about 7:30 p.m. You can find the upcoming dates and the online booking form above.
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At the Landessportbund swimming pool, located at Otto-Fleck-Schneise 4 in Frankfurt. In the warm, calm pool water, you take your first breaths underwater in a completely relaxed manner.
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79 euros, and there are no additional charges. All equipment—including a mask, snorkel, and fins—as well as pool fees are included. A private session costs 189 euros.
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Just your swimwear, a towel, and flip-flops—we'll provide all the diving gear.
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Ages 10 and up. For children ages 8 and 9, there’s the Bubblemaker, which has a maximum depth of two meters, and for ages 8 and up, there’s the Seal Team, which features several pool areas.
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You'll find us in the heart of Frankfurt-Schwanheim, at Vogesenstraße 12C (parking is available at the rear entrance at Am Kirchholz 12). Feel free to stop by—we'll be happy to advise you in person on scheduling and equipment.
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No. You'll be diving in a shallow, safe pool and will be accompanied by an experienced diving instructor the entire time. You set the pace and depth yourself—we'll only go as far as you feel comfortable.
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The pool skills from the Discover Scuba Diving course correspond to the beginning of the Open Water Diver pool training. Let us know when you book that you want to continue, and we’ll plan accordingly. Plus, you’ll receive a 30 € credit toward the course price if you book the Open Water Diver or Scuba Diver course within three months of your introductory dive.
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Maybe. The pool is well-lit, easy to navigate, and you can surface at any time—that’s different from a lake with two meters of visibility. If you’re unsure, sign up for the private lesson for 129 euros. That way, you’ll have an instructor all to yourself and won’t have to prove yourself to anyone.
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No. We're in the pool, not in the lake. You'll be given a wetsuit. The cold isn't an issue during the introductory dive—that only becomes a concern later when diving in open water, and there are solutions for that, too.