Abyss Scuba Diving
Abyss Scuba Diving
5
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Full view
About
Australia boasts world-class scuba diving experiences, and when it comes to diving in Sydney, the city truly stands unrivalled. Located amidst Sydney's finest dive sites, Abyss Scuba Diving takes pride in being a 5-star PADI Career Development Centre, Avelo Dive Centre, and PADI Freediving Centre. With a wide array of offerings ranging from beginner diver lessons to advanced diving training, career development programs, and Sydney-based diving adventures, Abyss Scuba Diving truly encapsulates the essence of the city's vibrant diving scene. Notably, it also serves as the thriving hub for Sydney's most active dive club.
Ramsgate, New South Wales, Australia
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Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
627 reviews
Excellent
586
Very good
26
Average
5
Poor
1
Terrible
9
Matthew G
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia3 contributions
Jan 2020
My partner & I just completed an introduction to Freediving 2 day course with Abyss. I have to say we are both completely hooked with this new sport. The care, dedication and attention we received from the team at Abyss ensured we learnt in a safe, nurturing and supportive environment.
Even before we started we had issues with our initial course dates, and online training. Abyss were very understanding and helpful in trying to find solutions for our issues.
The on-site 2 day course was amazing! Freediving is an inherently dangerous sport. We were fully prepared before attempting any significant freehold attempts. Both trainers (Jeff & Chris) were brilliant. Teaching us about the principles and ideals of this unique sport before allowing us to learn through experience. The course is 1 day in pool and 1 in open-water.
They gave us a great deal on buying some serious fins (needed) and the rest of their rental gear was top notch. Abyss really want you to become part of their freediving community and their commitment to everyone learning safely and becoming accredited is super impressive.
We are both definitely going to continue our study of this new sport and intend to become part of the Abyss diving family.
Even before we started we had issues with our initial course dates, and online training. Abyss were very understanding and helpful in trying to find solutions for our issues.
The on-site 2 day course was amazing! Freediving is an inherently dangerous sport. We were fully prepared before attempting any significant freehold attempts. Both trainers (Jeff & Chris) were brilliant. Teaching us about the principles and ideals of this unique sport before allowing us to learn through experience. The course is 1 day in pool and 1 in open-water.
They gave us a great deal on buying some serious fins (needed) and the rest of their rental gear was top notch. Abyss really want you to become part of their freediving community and their commitment to everyone learning safely and becoming accredited is super impressive.
We are both definitely going to continue our study of this new sport and intend to become part of the Abyss diving family.
Written January 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jamie L
Curl Curl, Australia11 contributions
Mar 2020 • Solo
I cannot begin to describe how great these past 10 days have been! Doing my Instructor Diving Course with Abyss has been amazing. After having already done my Open Water and Advanced Course with them I knew they were amazing at what they do, but doing the IDC opened my eyes to how truely passionate and proud they are of what they do and how ridiculous their knowledge level is.
Jamie (my groups course director) has been fantastic to learn from, over 15 years with the store and an insane amount of knowledge it’s no wonder people come from all across the globe to learn from the Course Directors at Abyss, my group were even lucky enough to have Peter, the owner of Abyss, do the exam preparation - there is literally nothing he doesn’t know (down to the impact of fish poo on your dives... just kidding... kinda). The staff aren’t just experts in their field they literally live and breathe diving and make you want to as well.
With Abyss I got to meet some of their interns and the standard and astounding progression they have made to their students is next level. We had a Divemaster in training help us out as a “student” for one of our training days, she had 8 dives to her name less than a month ago and now has 50 dives and was at a better level of diving than I am going into the IDC, obviously I’m doing all my in between dives with Abyss instructors to catch up to her now! They are so accommodating making sure that me and my fellow instructors in training are up to scratch; they arrange extra guided shore and boat dives to get our dive numbers up and make sure that we can brush up our necessary skills in between training dives. They love what they do and make you all the better for it. I truely can’t think of a better shop to train with and will continue to dive with them for as long as I can.
On a side note, for all those worried about the current corona hype, PADI have released a safety statement that covers all areas for concern in diving and Abyss, with their platinum standard instructors, means you couldn’t be in safer hands and now is the perfect time to dive while you’re “working from home”. Doing this course ha been the greatest way to take my mind of the big problems of the world and I don’t think there’s a better reason than that. Get in the ocean and escape the craziness of the world!
I’m only gutted I won’t be around Australia long enough to get to dive more with such a wonderful group of people... I’m sure I’ll be back soon though.
Jamie (my groups course director) has been fantastic to learn from, over 15 years with the store and an insane amount of knowledge it’s no wonder people come from all across the globe to learn from the Course Directors at Abyss, my group were even lucky enough to have Peter, the owner of Abyss, do the exam preparation - there is literally nothing he doesn’t know (down to the impact of fish poo on your dives... just kidding... kinda). The staff aren’t just experts in their field they literally live and breathe diving and make you want to as well.
With Abyss I got to meet some of their interns and the standard and astounding progression they have made to their students is next level. We had a Divemaster in training help us out as a “student” for one of our training days, she had 8 dives to her name less than a month ago and now has 50 dives and was at a better level of diving than I am going into the IDC, obviously I’m doing all my in between dives with Abyss instructors to catch up to her now! They are so accommodating making sure that me and my fellow instructors in training are up to scratch; they arrange extra guided shore and boat dives to get our dive numbers up and make sure that we can brush up our necessary skills in between training dives. They love what they do and make you all the better for it. I truely can’t think of a better shop to train with and will continue to dive with them for as long as I can.
On a side note, for all those worried about the current corona hype, PADI have released a safety statement that covers all areas for concern in diving and Abyss, with their platinum standard instructors, means you couldn’t be in safer hands and now is the perfect time to dive while you’re “working from home”. Doing this course ha been the greatest way to take my mind of the big problems of the world and I don’t think there’s a better reason than that. Get in the ocean and escape the craziness of the world!
I’m only gutted I won’t be around Australia long enough to get to dive more with such a wonderful group of people... I’m sure I’ll be back soon though.
Written March 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for the great review. You will make a great PADI Instructor. Good luck with your travels, I am sure you will have a wonderful time.
Written March 24, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Megan H
Brisbane, Australia1 contribution
Jan 2020 • Family
Had an amazing 2 days with Chris and Steve - such patient caring professional instruction. All my kids aged 12-21 were certified and feel very confident. I came unsure that I would be able to complete all the skills, but Chris helped me feel confident and was a very calm instructor.
Written January 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for the great review, and thanks for choosing Abyss to train your family as scuba divers. Scuba diving is a fantastic sport and a great way for a family to have common interests as the children grow into adults.
Thanks Again.
Peter Letts
Founder & Managing Director
Abyss Scuba Diving
Written January 10, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
going2maui2006
Kihei, HI678 contributions
Dec 2019
One of the biggest things on my to do list for diving has always been to dive with sea dragons. I can finally say mission accomplished! My son and I went with Abyss through a friends recommendation. The staff was all very helpful and I was very pleased with our dive guide. He helped with the rental gear and even brought along a nice lunch to warm us up in between dives. We did a two tank dive. The first dive we saw one sea dragon and the next dive we saw four! Spent a lot of time watching them. I would definitely recommend this company and would use them again if I come back to Sydney area. There are a lot of other cool things to see in this area besides the sea dragons too...nudis galore!
Written January 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for the great review. Seadragons are a very special critter to see, they have so much character. They are particularly difficult to photograph as they are not only masters of camouflage but always want to turn their back on the diver.
We hope to see you out diving again, so we can show you more of the underwater wonders around Sydney.
Thanks Again
Peter Letts
Written January 31, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
mustardbj
Sydney, Australia131 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
My partner and I did the open water diving course with Abyss. I had wanted to do this for years and finally found the courage. Our instructor Jarrod was enthusiastic, positive, patient and a great teacher. He made you feel comfortable. When I had trouble equalising (ears), he encouraged me to take my time and suggested different techniques to try. Abyss were helpful during all interactions including explaining the different courses, booking and ensuring I had gear needed to keep warm. I was glad we didn’t do budget course as 4 students per instructor was perfect and I personally liked doing the online theory at my own pace and felt more confident i understood the what and why before the practical component (just allow enough time to do Theory as it takes a while!). At the end they provide information about local dive trips so you can continue to do dives and practice.
Written January 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for the great review and congratulations to you both on becoming PADI Open Water divers. We are extremely pleased you chose us to teach you how to dive and we hope to see you both out diving with us again very soon.
Thanks Again
Peter Letts
Written January 26, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Yanyan Y
Sydney, Australia7 contributions
Nov 2020 • Solo
I just spent a fantastic weekend with Abyss Scuba Diving and Andi diving at the gorgeous Jarvis Bay ! We saw weedy sea dragon (so damn cute !), BJ sharks, cuttlefish, sting ray, wobbegong sharks + more!
Great thumbs up 👍 to Andi! She is such a great diving instructor and a wonderful trip leader!
There were two girls having some seasick issues and they were a bit scared of the cold water. I saw Andi was so patient and kind with them. She is so good at calming people down, building trust and helping these two girls manage to complete the certification.
In addition, she also organised a lovely walk to the stunning Hymas beach (the whitest sand beach in the world 🌍!) and a delicious BBQ in the evening. And we played card games as well. Andi is so good at bonding with people and creating a great team vibe. After two days dive, I get to make some new friends and get to know Andi more !
Last but not the least, a personal thanks note to Andi for kindly giving me a lift from/to Sydney as I don’t have a car. And her positive energy definitely lighten up my low mood from a busy week at work
I would highly recommend Abyss and Andi to anyone who loves diving or wanna learn how to dive!
Thx Andi! Thx Abyss!
Great thumbs up 👍 to Andi! She is such a great diving instructor and a wonderful trip leader!
There were two girls having some seasick issues and they were a bit scared of the cold water. I saw Andi was so patient and kind with them. She is so good at calming people down, building trust and helping these two girls manage to complete the certification.
In addition, she also organised a lovely walk to the stunning Hymas beach (the whitest sand beach in the world 🌍!) and a delicious BBQ in the evening. And we played card games as well. Andi is so good at bonding with people and creating a great team vibe. After two days dive, I get to make some new friends and get to know Andi more !
Last but not the least, a personal thanks note to Andi for kindly giving me a lift from/to Sydney as I don’t have a car. And her positive energy definitely lighten up my low mood from a busy week at work
I would highly recommend Abyss and Andi to anyone who loves diving or wanna learn how to dive!
Thx Andi! Thx Abyss!
Written November 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for the great review. The Abyss weekend trips certainly are a great way to get away from Sydney and do some great diving. We hope to see some more of our great weekend dive trips.
Written November 8, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
emmaspazlow
London, UK2 contributions
Jul 2020 • Solo
Had such an amazing Freedive course with Abyss and Chris as our instructor. Chris really looked after us gave us all individual attention to make us feel comfortable and happy. I learnt a lot about myself as well as the physics of freediving and what happens to the human body, it’s pretty incredible!
I had an awesome two days, thanks so much to Chris and the Abyss team! Can’t wait to see you all again.
I had an awesome two days, thanks so much to Chris and the Abyss team! Can’t wait to see you all again.
Written July 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for the great review and congratulations on becoming a PADI freediver, it's a great achievement.
Thanks for choosing Abyss
Peter Letts
Written August 18, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lauraneen
Parramatta, Australia1 contribution
Mar 2021
Abyss Diving was fantastic. The weather was terrible, bucketing down in rain, and we still enjoyed ourselves, learnt news skills and overcame fears.
Day 1 was a big challenge. Most of the day I found it hard to trust the process and stay calm. Super thankful for having such knowledgeable, approachable and supportive instructors who kept me motivated....I’m not sure I would have made it to day 2 otherwise!
Day 2 was loads of fun! So worth getting out of your comfort zone and getting to swim with cool fish! I’m looking forward to many more adventures. Loved my experience with Abyss, would confidently recommend them to anyone thinking of trying scuba diving, or up-skilling
Day 1 was a big challenge. Most of the day I found it hard to trust the process and stay calm. Super thankful for having such knowledgeable, approachable and supportive instructors who kept me motivated....I’m not sure I would have made it to day 2 otherwise!
Day 2 was loads of fun! So worth getting out of your comfort zone and getting to swim with cool fish! I’m looking forward to many more adventures. Loved my experience with Abyss, would confidently recommend them to anyone thinking of trying scuba diving, or up-skilling
Written March 21, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Congratulations on certifying as a PADI Open Water Dive. It's a great achievement, particularly in such terrible weather.
Thanks for the great review, and we hope to see you out diving again very soon.
Written March 23, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Callum M
Thredbo Village, Australia11 contributions
Jan 2020 • Solo
After spending over $10,000 with this dive centre as a newbie, I have learnt my lesson.
They sold me a faulty dive computer that they said was "top of the range" but it has never worked and they refuse to give any refund. They continued to give me the run around over and over again and even though the computer hasn't worked from the start, they just make up fictitious excuses why they aren't responsible.
I put my 12 month old regulator in for service and when they returned it it had been scratched and dented quite badly, so much so that it didn't appear to be the same regulator. Either someone (roughly) had been using it or the parts had been swapped out.
These guys are dishonest!
There are many great dive operators around, do yourself a favour and avoid Abyss scuba.
They sold me a faulty dive computer that they said was "top of the range" but it has never worked and they refuse to give any refund. They continued to give me the run around over and over again and even though the computer hasn't worked from the start, they just make up fictitious excuses why they aren't responsible.
I put my 12 month old regulator in for service and when they returned it it had been scratched and dented quite badly, so much so that it didn't appear to be the same regulator. Either someone (roughly) had been using it or the parts had been swapped out.
These guys are dishonest!
There are many great dive operators around, do yourself a favour and avoid Abyss scuba.
Written January 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
You have raised a question on honesty.
- You bought the computer in almost five years ago, now it has a problem and you have been offered a brand new computer to replace it.
- The first time you discussed the matter with us was yesterday when you tried to force us into giving you the money back by threatening a poor review.
- Today is the first time you have raised the regulator service issue. The last time we serviced you regulators was 2016.
- When it comes to the amount that you spent, it was under $5,000 on the gear, not over $10,000 as you stated in the review. The amount is irrelevant as we treat all customers fairly and honestly but it does go to the question of the honesty of this review.
Our business has 30-day satisfaction guaranteed.
Our business enforces all Warranties for the equipment.
Our business prides itself on our standards of customer service and honesty in dealing with customers.
Written January 10, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Marc Z
5 contributions
Dec 2020 • Solo
I have been diving for over 35 years, been a MSDT for almost 20 years and worked in the dive industry for a number of years. I have been taught by and seen many instructors over the years. This intro is not to blow my own trumpet but put into context my recent Abyss training experience with regards to this review. I undertook the Sidemount course with Jamie (in anticipation of further TEC training), who I can state is first class; both as a dive professional as well as a person. What impressed me most about Jamie was not only his humility but knowledge and eagerness to assist in every way. As the saying goes, "an expert has nothing to prove". The most satisfying training experiences were the small details that he taught that could not be found in the course material or on-line but came from his first hand experience. Equipment adjustments, techniques, personalised details. Practical "tricks of the trade". He also encouraged self efficiency and reliance during the course which I believe is the foundation of TEC diving He was quick to make small though important adjustments and advice which made a great difference. He intervenes at the right morment making you realise your mistakes which is a great way of learning. Conditions on the first day when doing skills were far from ideal. High tidal ranges, currents, extremely low visibility, and whilst I have seen negative reviews complaining about non ideal conditions, training in such conditions sets a diver up for safety and self efficiency, which is what Jamie had achieved with myself and my classmate. The final dive the next day was a great dive and all skills came fully into place with our dive being totally organised and executed by the class or "team" with careful supervision though minimal input from Jamie. This is my first experience with Abyss and even as a MSDT I am always ready to learn. I cannot comment on the rest of the Abyss organisation but if Jamie is their benchmark I can only conclude that they are a first rate training facility. Even though I have been doing technical dives for many years, by the end of my course I had already signed up to do my TEC40 training and if Jamie is my instructor; will even train further. I look forward to training with Jamie once again and highly recommend him as an first class instructor.
Written December 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for the great review, it's a great compliment from someone with your experience.
Peter Letts
Written January 4, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Do you provide rebreather diving? What do you think about this?
Thank you
Written December 17, 2020
Looks like you guys are located way south, how long to reach you from Sydney harbor？
Written May 13, 2019
Hi
When travelling south from the centre of Sydney, our dive shop is less than 20 minutes away. Come out on the Eastern Distributor and continue along the Grand Parade, turn right into Ramsgate Road and right into Campbell Street, left down Meurants Lane then left into Rocky Point Road.
Written May 13, 2019
Ah great. Thanks. Do you know of any other services in either Perth or Sydney that offer this?
Thanks,
Richie
Written May 15, 2017
Sorry, I don't know of anyone in Australia who now offer this service.
Written May 15, 2017
Do you guys do Heli-Diving (diving in scuba gear from a helicopter)? If so, what is the price for this?
Thanks.
Written May 14, 2017
Hi,
The Helicopter which had the capacity to do this was relocated from Sydney so we cannot offer this type of diving anymore.
Written May 14, 2017
dyou have to go through training before you can actually dive?
Written August 13, 2016
You do need to do some training before you can scuba dive. It is possible to do a short experience die with minimum training, although personally I would always recommend a PADI open water course.
The PADI open water course can be done with as little as 2 days in water training and gives you a qualification which will last a lifetime.
Written August 13, 2016
Hi , Can I book this online from India ?
I would want to gift this to a friend of mine in Sydney.
He wants to do scuba diving. can you please let me know the cost and other details ?
Written April 13, 2016
Hi, you can book all the courses, scuba diving activities and a large range of scuba diving gift certificate online at Abyss Scuba Diving. If your friend cannot dive it may be best to get a Dive Lessons Gift Certificate and this will then enable them to choose the exact option they want in terms of their PADI Open Water Course.
Check out the Abyss Scuba Diving web site it is very extensive.
Written April 13, 2016
Hi, i read your review on Abyss Scuba. I'm currently looking for a dive operator in sydney for OWD certification for my best friend. They have really good reviews except for yours....was it really that bad?
Written January 10, 2016
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