Open Water Diving Course in Fernando de Noronha
Planeta Exo
TripsBrazilFernando de Noronha

Open Water Diving Course in Fernando de Noronha

Brazil
4 Nights·5 Days
Fernando de NoronhaDiving & SnorkellingActive Adventures

Overview

Fernando de Noronha boasts crystal-clear waters, warm temperatures, and breathtaking underwater visibility that can often reach up to 40 meters. These pristine conditions make the archipelago one of the best locations in the world to start your scuba journey and enroll in the Open Water diving course.

Designed for complete beginners, the program requires no prior experience and is perfect for anyone looking to safely explore the underwater world. The curriculum is divided into three main phases: theoretical knowledge development, confined water practice to master basic scuba skills, and thrilling open ocean dives to put your abilities to the test.

Once you successfully complete all requirements, you will earn an internationally recognized certification (PADI, SSI, or NAUI) so you can explore the waters of anywhere in the world.

  • Full itinerary: evening theory lessons, two beach training dives, and four boat dives across two double-dive departures.
  • Open Water Diver certification from PADI, SSI, or NAUI, recognized worldwide and valid to 18 m.
  • Six dives in total, starting in shallow beach conditions before moving to Noronha’s reefs.
  • 22 registered dive sites, with visibility up to 40 m: turtles, rays, reef sharks, moray eels, and octopuses.
  • Open to individuals aged 10 and over, making it ideal for families seeking a shared adventure.
  • Activities guided by certified local instructors, with English and Spanish speakers available on request.
  • All-inclusive experience: round-trip island transfers, complete diving equipment, theory and practical training, and the international certification.

  • Please note: this is a certification course, not a fixed day-by-day tour. The daily schedule is set by your instructor and adapts to sea conditions and your own progress. Plan a minimum 5-day stay on the island. Accommodation, meals, and park fees are arranged separately.

Itinerary

Day 1

Arrival in Fernando de Noronha / Evening Theory Session

  • Arrival and transferPick-up from your accommodation
  • Evening theoryEquipment, breathing, safety, dive planning

Land at Fernando de Noronha (FEN) and transfer to your pousada, then take the afternoon to settle in: Vila dos Remédios, the sunset at Praia da Conceição, a first look at the water you will be diving in.

In the evening, your instructor opens the theory program of the Open Water diving course, covering equipment, breathing, safe ascents, dive planning, and underwater communication.

A turquoise barrel wave curls and splashes in the foreground of an Open Water diving course in Fernando de Noronha, with the iconic Morro do Pico rock pinnacle and a palm-fringed beach visible behind it under a partly cloudy blue sky.

Day 2

Theory Session / First Beach Training Dive

  • Beach training dive 1Shallow water, core skills
  • Evening theorySecond session

Your first time under the surface happens in shallow beach or pool conditions, where the instructor walks you through mask clearing, regulator recovery, and buoyancy until you get used to them.

Nothing here is rushed, and nothing is done for you: the point is that the skills become yours. Theory continues in the evening.

Aerial view of a small sandy cove in Fernando de Noronha, tucked between rocky cliffs and lush green vegetation, with rows of white beach umbrellas and turquoise water — the kind of sheltered bay where an Open Water diving course begins with calm beach training dives
A colorful crab with dark shell, orange and blue markings, and deep-red claws walking across golden sand in Fernando de Noronha, encountered during an Open Water diving course beach session

Day 3

Second Beach Training Dive / Skills Consolidation

  • Beach training dive 2Skills repeated to confidence
  • Free timePraia do Sancho, Baía dos Porcos or the Atalaia trail

The second training dive repeats the same skills until they are automatic, which is what makes the difference once you are 18 m down with a reef around you.

With the beach phase complete, you are cleared for the boat. The rest of the day is yours for Noronha’s beaches and viewpoints.

Silhouette of a scuba diver floating in deep blue water with arms raised, backlit by rays of sunlight during an Open Water diving course
A scuba diver floats behind a large anchor heavily encrusted with red and green marine growth on the sandy seafloor during an Open Water diving course in Fernando de Noronha
A spotted porcupinefish hovers face-to-face with a scuba diver inside a rocky underwater crevice during an Open Water diving course, algae-covered boulders surrounding them both
A nurse shark resting on a white sandy seafloor during an Open Water diving course, surrounded by dark volcanic rocks in deep blue water
A scuba diver kneels on the reef floor watching a dense school of silver fish gathered beneath a rocky overhang during an Open Water diving course in Fernando de Noronha
A large goliath grouper hovers close to the rocky reef during an Open Water diving course dive at Fernando de Noronha, with striped sergeant-major fish visible in the blue water above and red encrusting sponges on the boulders behind
Three scuba divers hover above a coral reef during an Open Water diving course, surrounded by a dense school of yellow-striped fish in clear blue water

Day 4

First Boat Departure / Two Dives at Noronha’s Reefs

  • Boat departureTwo dives, transfers from around 7:15 AM
  • Marine lifeTurtles, rays, moray eels

Two dives at two different sites, chosen that morning according to sea conditions and by ICMBio’s rules for the Marine National Park. The instructor dives beside you, consolidating the beach skills on real dives among reefs, rock formations, and the fish that live in them. Between the two dives there is a surface interval on the boat.

Day 5

Second Boat Departure / Two Dives and Certification

  • Boat departuretwo dives, maximum depth 18 m
  • CertificationPADI, SSI, or NAUI, issued on completion

The final two dives take you to the maximum course depth of 18 m at sites such as Ilha do Meio or Laje Dois Irmãos. Complete them and the theory, and you leave Fernando de Noronha a certified Open Water Diver.

Plan your flight home for a later day: you must not fly within 12 to 24 hours of your last dive.

What is Included

  • Round-trip transfers (IN/OUT, with pick-up from your accommodation on Fernando de Noronha)
  • Evening theory lessons covering equipment, breathing, safe ascents, dive planning and communication
  • Two beach or pool training dives, plus four boat dives across two double-dive departures
  • Complete diving equipment: BCD/jacket, regulator, mask, fins, wetsuit, tanks and weights
  • International certification (PADI, SSI, or NAUI) on successful completion of the course
  • Guided tours (two beach training dives, four boat dives at Noronha’s dive sites, and the evening theory sessions)
  • Dive instructor and guide, English- or Spanish-speaking on request and subject to availability

Not included

  • Flight tickets to and from Fernando de Noronha
  • Accommodation on the island
  • Meals during the course
  • Beverages during the course
  • Marine National Park ticket (R$384 for foreign visitors, R$192 for Brazilians, valid 10 days).
  • Environmental Preservation Fee (TPA), R$105.79 per day
  • Travel and diver-accident insurance
  • Underwater photos and videos, taken by a third-party photographer and bought separately
  • Tips and other personal expenses
  • Any services not mentioned above

FAQ

Reviews

Trustpilot

Check availability for your trip

Free inquiry – no commitment

Who's joining the adventure?

2
0

Your next trip

Travel date*

Tell us about your trip

Contact details

How should we contact you?*

From

$ 1,450/ per person