ABOUT US

Oceanaddicts promises you personal service and the highest standards of diving, diver training and marine adventures in a safe, friendly and welcoming environment.

WHAT WE DOTHE TEAM

WELCOMING BEGINNER TO ADVANCED DIVERS

From the wonderful setting of Kinsale town, OceanAddicts promises to take you to discover our beautiful and extraordinary world-class dive sites. From the safe and friendly comfort of our dive boats, our experienced staff will facilitate your marine adventure. Our staff are committed to ensuring that you have a fantastic experience; whether this is your first dive or the next dive in your log book, we aim to make it your “best dive ever”.

Stay with us for a couple of days, or just come for a dive or two; whether you are an experienced diver or just starting your adventure, you are more than welcome and will be well looked after with us.

We love to introduce newcomers to the underwater world. We offer the full range of PADI Diver courses from a Discover Scuba experience to professional level. For those who prefer to stay near the surface, we also offer guided snorkelling and coastal cruises around the stunning cliffs of Old Head of Kinsale and the special conservation area of the Sovereign Islands.

MEET THE TEAM

Graham
SKIPPER

GRAHAM FERGUSON

Originally from the city, Graham spent his childhood summers on the water, whether it was sailing, fishing or tinkering with boats (which eventually led to a career in engineering). He started diving after he went to a club open night 30 years ago. After spending lots of time diving in West Cork, he started diving abroad. Every holiday destination he chose was based on where he could next go diving. He’s seen underwater worlds in Australia, Mexico, the Canaries, Africa and Cape Verde to name a few.

Anne
SENIOR INSTRUCTOR

ANNE FERGUSON

The thing Anne loves most about instructing is seeing the wonder someone experiences when you take them down for the first time, seeing the tension disappear and their face light up underwater. She gets tremendous satisfaction from witnessing students, who might be nervous and find it difficult at the start, grow in confidence and competence, and reach their qualification goals.

Lin
INSTRUCTOR

LIN LI

Lin, originally from northeast China, moved to Shanghai in her mid-twenties, and after studying art, took a job as an assistant in a dive centre. Her boss there pointed out that to be a good assistant she really should to learn to dive. So she got her PADI Open Water and her Advanced Open Water. She then worked in non-diving related jobs, but never forgot the feeling of release that came from diving – from being underwater and hearing nothing but the sound of breathing and bubbles.

NEWS & EVENTS

Colourful Black HeadBlogMarine Life in IrelandSea Experiences
April 10, 2023

The Canyon Black Head

Black Head is the headland inside the Old Head of Kinsale. It has become one of our divers favourite dive sites and for good reason. Diving Black Head is an…
Catshark (Dogfish)BlogMarine Life in Ireland
March 27, 2023

The Unassuming CatShark

The Catshark has many names The catshark is known by many other names, 'lesser spotted dogfish', 'rough hound' or even rock salmon.  One time they were fished and sold in…
Typical Reef seen while diving in IrelandBlogSea Experiences
March 13, 2023

Scuba Diving in Ireland

Unless you are an Irish scuba diver you might not immediately think of Ireland as a place to dive, or indeed know anything about diving in Ireland. So now is…

FAQ

What is PADI?

PADI stands for Professional Association of Diving Instructors, the worlds leading recreational diver training agency worldwide.

Who can take part in a Discover Scuba Dive?

Anyone in good general health can take part in our Discover Scuba Dive experience. The minimum age for our experience is 14 years.

How Do I get my Dive Certification?

You need to take part in our PADI Open Water course. The course is in three parts:

  1. Knowledge development. This is the theory section, which is now done using the PADI online training. The first two sections of the course needs to be completed in full before you can start the in-water training.
  2. Confined Water. This is where we teach you the skills you need to dive safely and to enjoy your diving.
  3. Open Water. There are 4 Open Water dives. Here you will dive with your instructor in the sea, using the skills you learned in the Confined Water section.

Do I have to be able to swim?

Yes, to take the PADI Open Water course you need to be able to swim 200m.

Are there medical conditions that will stop me diving?

You will need to complete a medical statement prior to training. If you answer YES to any of the medical questions then a PADI Medical Form must be signed off by a doctor to pass you as fit to dive. There are some conditions such as epilepsy, chronic ear infections, diabetes, active asthma, emphysema, heart disease, haemophilia that could prohibit diving activity. Divers Alert Network (DAN) has a very extensive Medical FAQ Page on their website so it’s worth checking this out for more specific details.

Am I too Old to Dive?

There is no upper age limit for learning to dive, but you must be in good general health.

Are there big class sizes?

No, we would have a maximum of 6 divers in a class. We often do one-to-one courses and have high student to instructor ratios in the sea.

Do I need to buy equipment to start?

No, we will provide all the equipment for our Open Water course. You can also rent equipment for fun dives if you are certified.

How long will the course take?

It takes 4 days to complete the Open Water course. This can be done all together or over a few weeks.

How Deep can I go?

Once you have completed your Open Water course you will be qualified to dive to a depth of 18m.

Is it very cold diving in Ireland?

No, we have diving wetsuits that are rated to our sea conditions, or once certified you can take your Drysuit speciality. In a Drysuit you stay dry and warm in the suit while exploring underwater.

My ears hurt when I dive underwater, does that mean I can’t dive?

No, assuming you have no irregularities in your ears and sinuses. The discomfort is the normal effect of water pressure pressing in on your ears. Fortunately, our bodies are designed to adjust for pressure changes in our ears – you just need to learn how. If you have no difficulties adjusting to air pressure during flying, you’ll probably experience no problem learning to adjust to water pressure while diving.

What happens if I run out of air?

That’s not likely because you have a gauge that tells you how much air you have at all times. This way, you can return to the surface with a safety reserve remaining. But to answer the question, if you run out of air, your buddy has a spare mouthpiece that allows you to share a single air supply while swimming to the surface.

Are there dangerous animals like sharks?

We do have small sharks, cat sharks, but they are harmless. If you are lucky you might see a basking shark, but we do not have any dangerous sharks in Irish waters. In fact all our marine life is very safe and will not harm you.

SEE WHAT OUR VISITORS SAY!

GREAT DIVING HERE

Great day diving with 2 friends. Great boat, great captain, stress free and friendly service. Would highly recommend
Irishtraveller1982

GREAT PLACE TO GO DIVING

Excellent dive centre, really enjoyed my dives with them, easy to deal with, flexible and know what they are doing. Highly recommend them.
Gerard

GREAT DIVING

Anne and Graham Ferguson are very nice and interessting people with a great knowledge. The diving was fantastic, very nice spots we saw a lot of crayfish and so mutsch more. The vareiety is great I really enjoyed the diving.
Fabian

GREAT CHILLED DIVING

Third trip to Ocean Addicts in late August. Did an afternoon and morning dive this time. Yet again great service from Graham and Anne. There is a reason they have been going for years and others have fallen by the wayside.
Bedduffshirl

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PADI 5 Star Dive Resort

PADI 5 STAR DIVE RESORT CERTIFIED

Our policy is to provide services that exceed our customers’ expectations of quality and service. You are in safe hands with our experienced staff who will look after your welfare while you are on board with us.

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STAY SAFE AND SUPPORT LOCAL

All our boats are licensed by the Department of Transport, conform to the highest safety standards and are fully insured. The dive boats carry emergency medical oxygen and a marine first aid kit.