SCUBA in Australia
 

I will be studying abroad in Sydney or Melbourne this coming spring semester (spring in the northern hemisphere) and I really want to go diving. What would it take to do this? I suppose I must need to get a diving license, so I am considering getting one here in the US soon. I appreciate any information you have about diving in Australia (such as where to go, particularly if I am around Sydney or Melbourne), diving in general, and/or getting certified. As for the studying abroad aspect, I'll probably start another thread here soon to ask about advice on that. Thanks, as always.

Bumppity Bump...sorry, but I just want to get a bit of feedback from anybody who has gone diving in Australia. Thanks.

Well as far as I know there aren't that many (as in no) good dive sites around Melbourne. I have only been scuba diving twice, both times in Queensland diving the great barrier reef (just diving a few metres down with a dive master to look at the reef). If you want to find out some general information about getting certified http://www.padi.com/ is the place to go. I hear it's not difficult obtaining the open water diver certificate.

i did scuba diving in qld at the great barrier reef about a year ago. went to about 12 or 13m (about 40 feet in US terms) for a first time dive. qld would by far be the best place because of the reef, but there are a few places in sydney where i see scuba diving school, La Perouse in Botany bay, as well as Clovelly in the eastern suburbs. there are a few diving schools. try www.yellowpages.com.au and search for scuba diving, im sure you'd find plenty of places where they'd teach scuba diving.

Here's some sites I googled. There should be plenty more as tourism is big business in most parts of Australia.

http://www.abyss.com.au/sealsbonus.html

http://www.divesydney.com/

I know a guy in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney who does scuba diving. He says the water in Sydney is dark and cold - which is good if you want to become a hardcore scuba diver, but not very pretty. In Queensland the water's clean, clear, pretty, and warm. So if you're scuba diving as a tourist - don't bother with Sydney, though you can.