Just finished your Open Water Diver course... what's next?
Andrew Simpson Jan 29, 2025
Newly certified? You're at the beginning of your scuba diving journey... and there are so many exciting places it can lead to. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Explore Aucklanders' favourite diving spots
See the North Island as you've never seen it before! Here are some diving destinations for your bucket list...
Goat Island Marine Reserve (1 hour from Auckland)
Goat island's reefs, seaweed outcrops and sand flats are home to blue cod, giant snappers, crayfish, eaglerays and so much more.
Poor Knights Islands (2.5 hours from Auckland)
23km off the Tutukaka Coast you'll find one of New Zealand's most iconic diving destinations. Tunnels, caves, archways, grottoes, chimneys... and tropical currents bringing an incredible variety of fascinating fish. This can be done as a day trip or multi day trip!
Bay of Islands (3.5 hours from Auckland)
This Northland treasure trove contains some of New Zealand's most varied underwater terrain complete with its own reef encrusted wrecks. Swim among schools of blue maomao, spot giant kingfish, and marvel at the nudibranchs, sponges, corals, and anemones all around.
Rainbow Warrior (3.5 hours from Auckland)
If you're choosing your first wreck diving experience, why not make it one of the world's best? Greenpeace's sunken flagship is now an artificial reef in the Cavalli Islands. With its rails now adorned by purple, pink and yellow jewel anemones, it certainly lives up to its name.
Join a dive club
What are the benefits of joining a dive club? Where do we start!
Dive clubs tend to welcome new members - you can never have too many people to share your passion with! What's better than a bunch of like-minded people who love being underwater as much as you do?
If your partner or your friends aren't interested in joining you in your new hobby, a dive club is a great way to pair up with potential dive buddies for every trip you take.
Most clubs offer regular dive trips, so it's easy to plan your next adventure and make the most of your hard-earned Open Water Diver certification. The more frequently you dive, the more confident you'll become.
A roomful of divers may have tens of thousands of diving hours under their belts. From awesome dive sites to tips on gear, dive clubs offer valuable learning opportunities you can't put a price on.
Group booking discounts, ride-sharing on dive trips, gear sales and recommendations... your wallet will thank you for joining a dive club!
Take the next step.
Once you have learned the basics, how do you expand your skills when you're thirsty for more? Here are some ideas:
1 - Get Your Advanced Open Water Diver Qualification
Build confidence in navigation, fine-tune your buoyancy skills undertake five Adventure Dives introducing you to activities such as wreck diving, night diving or underwater imaging.
More info: Global Dive's Advanced Open Water Diver Course
2 - Get Hooked On Underwater Photography
Take a specialty course to help you easily achieve great photo and video results underwater.
More info: Digital Underwater Photography Course at Global Dive
3 - Stay Underwater For Longer
Learn how to scuba dive with enriched air or "nitrox", which is a form of breathing gas that allows divers to extend bottom time and reduce nitrogen loading.
Take the Enriched Air Diver Course at Global Dive
