Can you scuba dive in Aruba without certification?

Yes. 4 programs on this list take beginners from age 10: a short theory session, skills in shallow water, then one guided dive with an instructor. $99 to $120 per person, gear included.

How much does scuba diving cost in Aruba?

$99 to $120 for a first dive with gear. $95 to $109 for a 2-tank morning trip with your own gear, $126 to $144 with rental. A single afternoon tank is $76 at Red Sail.

Where are the best dive sites in Aruba?

The Antilla, a 400-ft wreck off Malmok, is the one everyone asks for. The Jane C wreck and the sunken Airplanes lie off the south coast, near reefs like Sponge and Anchor. The west and south sides stay calm; the north coast is for experienced divers when the sea allows.

How long after diving can you fly?

Underdog asks for 18 hours after your last dive, and Pure Diving for 18 to 24, depending on the dive. Put the dive at the start of your trip, and never on the day you fly.

What is the minimum age for scuba diving in Aruba?

10 on most programs, with kids 10 and 11 limited to 40 ft. Aruba Bob takes divers from 18 to 60. Red Sail keeps juniors on the afternoon single tank.

Things to do in Aruba › Aruba tours › Scuba diving

Top 8 Aruba scuba diving tours (2026)

Checked October 21, 2026 Prices, times, ages and what's in the price read on Viator, tour by tour; no-fly rules as each operator states them

I compared all 26 scuba listings Viator has for Aruba, then filtered by reviews and ratings and by what's in the price. Our selection: 8, picked the way every tour here gets picked. 4 first dives for people with no card, 3 two-tank trips for certified divers and 1 private instructor. Every price is the adult price of the exact option, read on Viator.

See the comparison table Hide the table 8 tours side by side: for, dives, departs, pickup, hours, price

Scuba diving in Aruba, compared by the exact option

Tour	For	Dives	Departs	Pickup	Hours	Rating	Price
1. Aruba Private Scuba Diving One-to-One Experience by Underdog Divers Aruba	first dive or certified, private	1, at your pace	9 a.m. · 1:30 p.m.	hotels, 30 min before	2.5 h	★ 4.9 281 reviews	$120 per person, 2 of you
2. Aruba 2-Tank Dive Excursion for Certified Divers by SEARUBA FLY N DIVE	certified divers	2 tanks	8:30 a.m.	free if you have no rental car	4 h	★ 4.7 249 reviews	$100 per person
3. Aruba One or Two Tank Scuba Dive by Red Sail Sports	certified divers	1 or 2 tanks	9 a.m. · 2:30 p.m.	meet at Red Sail	4 h	★ 4.5 229 reviews	$76 per person, one tank
4. Small-Group Aruba Scuba Diving for Non-Certified Divers by Pure Diving Aruba	first dive, no card	1 guided dive	2 p.m.	resorts and the terminal	2 h	★ 4.9 210 reviews	$114 per person
5. Discover Scuba Diving Aruba by SEARUBA FLY N DIVE	first dive, no card	pool + 1 open-water dive	12:30 p.m.	free if you have no rental car	4 h	★ 4.8 159 reviews	$115 per person
6. Aruba PADI Scuba Diving Program Non Certified Divers by Nautilus Dive Center Aruba	first dive, no card	1 guided dive	9 a.m. · 1 p.m.	hotels and Airbnb	3 h	★ 4.8 137 reviews	$99 per person
7. Guided Padi Discover Scuba Diving for Non-Certified Divers by Aruba Bob Snorkeling & Scuba	first dive, no card	1 guided dive	9 a.m. · 1:30 · 4:30 p.m.	meet at Mangel Halto	2.5 h	★ 5.0 53 reviews	$120 per person
8. Aruba 2-Tank guided Dive for certified divers / own equipment by Pure Diving Aruba	certified divers, own gear	2 tanks	8:30 a.m.	resorts and gate 3	4 h	★ 5.0 41 reviews	$109 per person

Ratings and review counts come from Viator's catalogue, read October 15, 2026. Each one covers the reviews on Viator and on Tripadvisor together. Prices are the adult price of the exact option in US dollars, re-read from Viator every night (last read October 21, 2026). Times and what's in the price are the operator's own terms.

The 8

Our most recommended scuba diving tours in Aruba

Ranked by reviews. Every card carries the option we priced, what is in it and where you meet. And what the price leaves out.

#1 Private Any level

Aruba Private Scuba Diving One-to-One Experience

Your own instructor and no clock. Underdog picks the site by the sea that morning, walks you through the gear and lets you go at your pace. 2.5 hours, 9 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. $120 each from 2 people, $150 if you come alone.

West and south coast · 2.5 hours · by Underdog Divers Aruba

★★★★★ 4.9 (281 reviews, Viator and Tripadvisor)

Per person, by group size · 2.5 hours at 9 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. · Monday to Friday · private instructor, gear in · pickup 30 minutes before, up to 8 people · ages 10 and up, youth 10 to 17 at $110 · free cancel until 24 h

The catch: You fill in a medical questionnaire over the booking messages first. Basic swimming skills required, and 18 hours before you fly.

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from $120 per person, 2 of you

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#2 2 tanks Certified

Aruba 2-Tank Dive Excursion for Certified Divers

The morning 2-tank trip for certified divers: 2 sites, a dive leader, snacks and a ride if you have no rental car. $100 with your own gear, $135 with theirs. 4 hours from 8:30 a.m.

West and south coast · 4 hours · by SEARUBA FLY N DIVE

★★★★★ 4.7 (249 reviews, Viator and Tripadvisor)

Per person, adult price for every diver · 4 hours from 8:30 a.m. · Monday to Saturday · dive leader, snacks and taxes in · gear $35 extra · free transport only for guests without a rental car · certified divers from 10, written medical clearance from 65 · free cancel until 24 h

The catch: The free transport is for guests without a car; with a rental you drive yourself. Bring your card.

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from $100 per person

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#3 1 or 2 tanks From Palm Beach

Aruba One or Two Tank Scuba Dive

Red Sail's dive boat from Palm Beach: 2 tanks at 9 a.m. for $95, or a single afternoon tank at 2:30 p.m. for $76. Tank and weights in, fruit and water too; gear is $31 more. The Antilla wreck is on the site list.

Palm Beach, by boat · 4 hours · by Red Sail Sports

★★★★★ 4.5 (229 reviews, Viator and Tripadvisor)

Per person · 2 tanks at 9 a.m. or 1 tank at 2:30 p.m. (1 p.m. on Sundays) · tank, weights, fruit and water in · gear rental $31 · meet at Red Sail on Palm Beach, no pickup · certified divers from 12, juniors 10 to 11 on the 1-tank only · free cancel until 24 h

The catch: No pickup and no gear in the base price. Junior divers 10 and 11 stay on the afternoon single tank, limited to 40 ft.

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from $76 per person, one tank

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#4 First dive Port pickup

Small-Group Aruba Scuba Diving for Non-Certified Divers

A first dive in a group of 4 at most. Theory and gear first, a few skills, then a real guided dive. 2 hours at 2 p.m. Pure Diving picks you up at the resorts and at the cruise terminal, across from the Citgo station.

West and south coast · 2 hours · by Pure Diving Aruba

★★★★★ 4.9 (210 reviews, Viator and Tripadvisor)

Per person, kids 10 to 12 the same $114 · 2 hours from 2 p.m. · Monday to Saturday · max 4 per group · gear and instructor in · pickup at Palm and Eagle resorts, Renaissance, Harbor House and the cruise terminal · ages 10 and up · free cancel until 24 h

The catch: Read the PADI medical questionnaire before you book; a yes may need a doctor's note. Local tax isn't in the price.

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from $114 per person

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#5 First dive 4 hours

Discover Scuba Diving Aruba

The slow first dive: 4 hours from 12:30 p.m. with theory, pool practice and one open-water dive. SEARUBA doesn't rush it, and the ride comes free if you have no rental car. Ages 10 and up.

West and south coast · 4 hours · by SEARUBA FLY N DIVE

★★★★★ 4.8 (159 reviews, Viator and Tripadvisor)

Per person · 4 hours from 12:30 p.m. · Monday to Wednesday · theory, pool training, 1 open-water dive, gear, a drink · free transport only for guests without a rental car · ages 10 and up · free cancel until 24 h

The catch: Transport only if you have no car. Fill in the medical form honestly; some answers end the dive before it starts.

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from $115 per person

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#6 Lowest price Hotel pickup

Aruba PADI Scuba Diving Program Non Certified Divers

The cheapest first dive on the list, $99 with free pickup. A PADI Master Instructor with 25 years on the island, 4 people per booking at most, gear and the PADI book in. From Mangel Halto on the quiet southeast side. 3 hours, 9 a.m. or 1 p.m.

Mangel Halto · 3 hours · by Nautilus Dive Center Aruba

★★★★★ 4.8 (137 reviews, Viator and Tripadvisor)

Per person, youth 10 to 17 the same $99 · 3 hours at 9 a.m. or 1 p.m. · max 4 · gear, PADI book, water and a snack in · free pickup from any hotel or Airbnb · ages 10 to 85 · free cancel until 24 h

The catch: Not for bad backs or pregnant divers, in their own words. The dive is from the shore at Mangel Halto, not from a boat.

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from $99 per person

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#7 First dive Photos in

Guided Padi Discover Scuba Diving for Non-Certified Divers

Aruba Bob's discover dive at Mangel Halto: 2.5 hours with a local guide, 6 people at most, free pictures. 3 slots a day. Ages 18 to 60 by their rule, and not on the day you fly.

Mangel Halto · 2.5 hours · by Aruba Bob Snorkeling & Scuba

★★★★★ 5.0 (53 reviews, Viator and Tripadvisor)

Per person · 2.5 hours at 9 a.m., 1:30 p.m. or 4:30 p.m. · max 6 · gear and taxes in, pictures free · meet at Mangel Halto, no pickup · ages 18 to 60 · free cancel until 24 h

The catch: You get yourself to Mangel Halto, 12 km from the port. Not on a travel day, by their rule.

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from $120 per person

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#8 2 tanks Port pickup

Aruba 2-Tank guided Dive for certified divers / own equipment

Pure Diving's 2-tank morning for certified divers with their own gear. The reefs off the south coast, or the Jane C wreck and the Airplanes when the sea allows. $109 with fruit and water. Pickup at the resorts and outside gate 3 of the cruise terminal.

South coast, by boat · 4 hours · by Pure Diving Aruba

★★★★★ 5.0 (41 reviews, Viator and Tripadvisor)

Per person, kids 10 to 12 the same $109 · 4 hours from 8:30 a.m. · Monday to Saturday · guide, fruit and water in · own gear, missing parts rented for cash · pickup at Palm and Eagle resorts, Renaissance and the terminal · certified divers from 10 · free cancel until 24 h

The catch: 7% local tax on top, and cash for any gear you rent. No flying for 24 hours after.

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from $109 per person

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Which one

Which scuba diving tour is right for you

No certification? You can still dive here from age 10. Nautilus runs the PADI program for $99 with pickup, 4 people per booking at most. Pure Diving does it at 2 p.m. for $114 and picks up at the cruise terminal. SEARUBA takes 4 hours over it, pool first, for $115. Aruba Bob's first dive is for ages 18 to 60.

With a card in your pocket, the morning 2-tank trips are the value. SEARUBA is $100 with your own gear and $135 with theirs. Pure Diving is $109 with fruit and a terminal pickup. Red Sail sells a single afternoon tank for $76 from Palm Beach, and its 2-tank morning takes divers from 12.

Nervous, or want the instructor to yourself? Underdog Divers is one-to-one: $120 each from 2 people, $150 alone, no clock on the dive.

Whatever you book, count backwards from your flight. Underdog asks for 18 hours between the dive and takeoff, and Pure Diving for 18 to 24. I'd put the dive in the first days of the trip.

Close, but not on the list

Aruba Certified & Non-Certified Scuba Diving Aruba Watersports Center's certified dive for $80; 4.9 on 339 reviews overall, but 4.4 on Viator's own 9, under our bar · on Viator ↗
Aruba 2-Tank Guided Dive for Certified Divers / rental equipment Pure Diving's 2-tank trip with rental gear for $144, the same boat as the own-gear trip · on Viator ↗

Good to know

Know before you go

No card, no problem, one dive 4 first-dive programs here take you from 10 years old with no experience, and Aruba Bob's from 18: theory, a few skills and one guided dive with an instructor. You don't leave certified; you leave knowing whether you want the course.
Count back from your flight Underdog asks for 18 hours between the dive and takeoff. Pure Diving asks for 18 after its first dive and 24 after its 2-tank trip. Aruba Bob won't take you on the day you fly. Book the dive at the start of the trip, not the end.
The medical form Every operator hands you the PADI or SDI questionnaire. A yes on asthma, heart or ear questions doesn't always end it, but it can mean a doctor's note. Read it before you book, not on the pier.
What's in the price Gear is in on every first dive. On the certified trips it's your own or a rental: $31 at Red Sail, $35 at SEARUBA, $35 more at Pure Diving. Pure Diving adds 7% tax on top.
The sites The 400-ft Antilla off Malmok is the big one. The Jane C and the Airplanes sit off the south coast with reefs called Sponge, Anchor and Mangel Halto. Most dives here are on the calm west and south sides.
Cruise days Pure Diving picks up at the terminal for both its trips: gate 3 for the 8:30 a.m. dive, the Citgo station for the 2 p.m. first dive. The 2-tank trips end around 12:30; check your all-aboard.

Good to know

Top 8 Aruba scuba diving tours (2026)

Scuba diving in Aruba, compared by the exact option

Our most recommended scuba diving tours in Aruba

Which scuba diving tour is right for you

Know before you go

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