Diving In – Students Earn Their PADI Stripes
What do you do when the sea is rough, and the winds are wild? If you’re one of our Year 10 students, you dive right in, literally.
Over the weekend, 20 determined Santa Maria students completed their PADI Open Water Diver certification despite some challenging ocean conditions. Strong easterly winds and choppy waters didn’t deter them, in fact, they embraced the challenge with calm determination and impressive teamwork.
From the Pool to the Open Sea
The course kicked off in familiar territory, with the first day spent in the College pool. Here, students practised the basics – learning how to manage their gear, perfect their buoyancy, and respond to underwater emergencies.
On day two, the girls took their first plunge into open water at the Rockingham Shipwreck Dive Trail. Surrounded by marine life and sunken structures, this was a true taste of what diving is all about. The third and final day took things to the next level, diving at Rottnest Island. Conditions were more challenging, but the rewards were worth it. With each new dive, the students proved their capabilities as future scuba enthusiasts.
Learning That Goes Beyond the Classroom
Throughout the course, our students developed real-world resilience. They learned how to stay calm under pressure, adapt quickly, and support each other when things got tough. These are life lessons that will serve them well both in and out of the water.
Thanks to Our Partners
A big thank you to the team at Perth Scuba, whose expert instructors kept safety at the forefront while encouraging each girl to push beyond their comfort zone. Their guidance was instrumental in helping our students succeed, especially when the seas weren’t exactly smooth sailing.
The Heart of Real-World Learning
This diving adventure speaks to so much of what we value at Santa Maria. It reflects our commitment to excellence and courage, while nurturing student attributes like resilience, adaptability and problem-solving. We saw our girls lift each other up, stay focused in tough conditions and celebrate every small win as a team.
Reflections from the Students
I really enjoyed myself over the weekend doing my PADI scuba diving certification with the dive instructors. They made everything easy to understand. I am glad I had the opportunity to do it, and I will be doing it again with PADI. Ella
The PADI course was such an amazing experience! The weekend was both exciting and a little nerve-wracking, but the instructors were super helpful, and it felt great to finally put everything we learned into practice. Being underwater was incredible, especially when we were doing backflips, going over the reef and looking at cool fish. It was definitely challenging at times, but so worth it. I can’t wait to go diving again! Amelie
We loved this experience and recommend it to future Year 10 students who are considering it. It is a valuable skill to have, as well as the ability to develop connections with like-minded peers. Siobhan & Lucy
I had an amazing time taking the scuba diving course. It was an incredible and eye-opening experience to breathe underwater for the first time. Mia
Scuba diving was one of the best experiences. It was so cool seeing the underwater world and being a part of it, and it was such a new experience. There were some challenges, like equalizing my ears, but the scuba instructors were so patient, and we took everything slow. In the end, we ended up at 12m and saw so many fish and a shipwreck. That weekend is one we won’t forget, and we can’t wait to go again. Abbey & Lilly
Congratulations to Our Newest Divers
We’re incredibly proud of our newly certified divers and all they achieved over this unforgettable weekend. Your determination, spirit and support for one another were inspiring. We can’t wait to see where your diving adventures take you next!
- ConnectingLearning2Life, Featured, OutdoorEducation, PADICertification, PerthScuba, Resilience, RottnestIsland, SantaMariaCollege, ScubaDiving, StudentAchievement, Year10
Author: Santa Maria College
Santa Maria College is a vibrant girls school with a growing local presence and reputation. Our Mission is to educate young Mercy women who act with courage and compassion to enrich our world. Santa Maria College is located in Attadale in Western Australia, 16 km from the Perth CBD. We offer a Catholic education for girls in Years 5 – 12 and have 1300 students, including 152 boarders.
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