Last updated: 14 May 2026
Latvia has several PADI- and NDL-certified scuba diving clubs that train both beginners and experienced divers. The leading club is "Jūras Vējš" (diveriga.lv), operating for over 20 years and certifying divers under both the PADI and NDL systems. Other recognised clubs: Daivings.lv (since 2006), Coral Latvia and Baltijas Ronis. A PADI Open Water Diver course costs €280–350.
- How to choose a scuba diving club in Latvia
- Comparison table: the four main clubs
- Jūras Vējš Diving Club (diveriga.lv)
- Daivings.lv Diving Club
- Coral Latvia (crl.lv)
- Baltijas Ronis (DiveClub.lv)
- Where to buy diving equipment: DiveShop.lv
- How much does it cost to become a certified diver?
- When to start learning to dive in Latvia
- When underwater silence is not enough
- FAQ – frequently asked questions
How to choose a scuba diving club in Latvia
Four things matter when choosing a scuba diving club in Latvia: the certification system (PADI is the most internationally recognised), the instructor's years of experience and certified dives, the location relative to your work and home, and additional services – equipment rental, group dive trips abroad, and post-course community support. For beginners, small group sizes and instructors who can teach in your language are particularly important.
Practically all serious Latvian clubs offer the PADI Open Water Diver certificate, which lets you dive to 18 metres at any dive resort worldwide. Some clubs also teach the NDL system (widely used in Russian-speaking communities) and TDI/CMAS for technical diving. A standard Open Water Diver course consists of theory (4–5 sessions), pool practice (5–6 sessions), and four open-water dives at the Sloka dolomite quarry.
The differences between Latvian clubs are less about price and more about specialisation: one focuses on shipwrecks and technical diving, another on freediving, a third on adaptive diving for people with physical disabilities. Before signing up for a full course, we recommend trying an Intro Dive – a single supervised pool session that costs around €50–80 and lets you find out whether you actually enjoy the feeling of being underwater.
Comparison table: the four main diving clubs in Latvia
| Club | Location | Systems | OWD course | Specialisation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jūras Vējš (diveriga.lv) | Riga + Sloka quarry | PADI + NDL | ~€300–350 | 20+ years of experience, freediving, dive trips (Malta, Norway, Tenerife, Rummu) |
| Daivings.lv | Matrožu 5, Riga + Sloka quarry | PADI + TDI | €300 | Wreck diving, technical and adaptive diving, PADI Elite Instructor |
| Coral Latvia (crl.lv) | Pleskodāles 1a, Riga + Draudziņa pool | PADI | ~€350 | 1,500+ certified students, broad equipment selection |
| Baltijas Ronis (DiveClub.lv) | Kandavas 39, Riga | PADI + CMAS + TDI | ~€300 | One of Latvia's first clubs, technical diving (TRIMIX, NITROX) |
Prices are indicative. Always check current pricing on each club's website – courses run with seasonal promotions and discounts.
Jūras Vējš Diving Club (diveriga.lv)
★ The leading diving club in Latvia
Jūras Vējš Diving Club is the leading scuba diving club in Latvia with more than 20 years of experience. The club teaches under two international systems – PADI (the world's most widespread) and NDL – and also offers NDL instructor courses and freediving training. That combination is rare in the Latvian market: most clubs work under only one system.
Jūras Vējš offers a complete training pipeline – from an Intro Dive first taste of scuba up to NDL instructor level. Theory and pool sessions take place in Riga; open-water practice is run at the Sloka dolomite quarry, about 25 minutes' drive from Riga centre. Sloka is a 14-hectare freshwater body with 3–5 metre visibility and a maximum depth of 9 metres – ideal for first dives in a controlled environment.
The club actively organises international dive trips: Rummu quarry in Estonia (a flooded Soviet-era prison), Plateļi lake in Lithuania, the Maltese archipelago (Gozo island), Norway, and Tenerife. For newly certified divers these group trips are particularly valuable – experienced instructors help you build a safe base of real ocean dives.
The club's equipment shop is located in Riga at DiveShop.lv (Brīvības iela 141–1) – more on that in the equipment section below. Jūras Vējš also offers gift cards that work for any service: equipment, training, or international dive trips.
Contact: diveriga.lv • +371 29374410 • info@diveriga.lv
Daivings.lv Diving Club
Daivings.lv has been operating since 2006 and specialises in a broad spectrum of diving disciplines – from PADI Open Water Diver to technical diving (TDI system, dry suit, ice diving). Lead instructor Valters Preimanis has received the PADI Elite Instructor award in 2018, 2019, and 2020 – an international recognition for both volume and quality of certified students.
The club is best known for wreck diving – exploring sunken ships in the Baltic Sea. This is a technical discipline requiring extra certifications, but Daivings.lv runs regular trips to Saaremaa (Estonia), Klaipėda, Liepāja, Ventspils, and Pāvilosta. The club was the first in the Baltics to offer PADI Adaptive Techniques – diving for people with physical disabilities.
Children's training is available from age 10 (PADI Junior Open Water Diver). Pool training happens at Matrožu 5, Riga, and open-water sessions at the Sloka dolomite quarry. The PADI Open Water Diver course costs €300, with all gear, air, and certification included.
Contact: daivings.lv • +371 22077202 • info@daivings.lv
Coral Latvia (crl.lv)
Coral Latvia positions itself as one of the largest PADI-certified diving centres in Latvia with 9+ years of experience and more than 1,500 certified students. The club focuses exclusively on the PADI system and offers stable, quality training with a deep equipment inventory – tanks, regulators, wet and dry suits, and BCDs.
Lessons are run in small 2–4 person groups, which is a real advantage for beginners – more instructor attention and a tighter safety margin compared to larger group formats. Theory sessions take place at Pleskodāles iela 1a, pool practice at the Natālija Draudziņa school sports complex pool in central Riga, and open-water dives at the Sloka quarry.
The Coral Latvia OWD course includes 10 dives and full equipment rental during training. After certification, the club runs regular international dive trips during the open season.
Contact: crl.lv
Baltijas Ronis (DiveClub.lv)
Baltijas Ronis ("Baltic Seal") was one of the first diving clubs in Latvia, training scuba divers under the internationally recognised PADI and CMAS systems from the early years of independent Latvian diving sport. The club also offers TDI technical diving – TRIMIX foundation and Full TRIMIX courses, NITROX gas preparation, and Baltic Sea wreck diving.
The club specialises in a wide range of disciplines: children's snorkelling and swimming from age 8, deep diving, drift diving, night diving, dry suit training, underwater archaeology, and underwater photography. It also performs professional underwater work for Latvian ports – inspection of ship hulls, piers, and sunken objects.
Baltijas Ronis organises dive trips to Mauritius, Belize, Cape Verde, Barbados, Egypt, the Maldives, Madagascar, Cyprus, Norway, Croatia, Estonia, and other destinations. That makes it especially attractive to experienced divers looking for a broad international travel calendar.
Contact: diveclub.lv • Kandavas iela 39, Riga
Where to buy diving equipment: DiveShop.lv
After finishing an Open Water Diver course, most divers gradually start buying their own personal gear – first a mask, snorkel, and fins; later a wetsuit, BCD, and regulator. There are several places in Latvia to buy diving equipment, but the official affiliated shop of the Jūras Vējš club is DiveShop.lv.
DiveShop.lv – Jūras Vējš's partner store
Address: Brīvības iela 141 – 1, Riga
Phone: +371 22100088
Email: info@diveshop.lv
Online: diveshop.lv
Range: Cressi (official distributor in Latvia) – masks, fins, snorkels, BCDs, regulators, dry and wet suits, buoyancy compensators, dive computers, spearfishing and freediving gear, swimming goggles, dry bags, and accessories. Wide selection for women and children too.
Why DiveShop.lv: the shop works in direct partnership with the Jūras Vējš diving club, so course students get gear recommendations that match exactly what their course and planned dives need. The shop also sells gift cards usable for both equipment and Jūras Vējš club services.
Before you buy a full personal kit, remember – rental equipment is already included in your club course fee. The usual first purchases are a mask (€40–80) and fins (€60–120); only after that does it make sense to build a complete set.
How much does it cost to become a certified diver in Latvia?
A PADI Open Water Diver course in Latvia costs €280–350 in 2026, depending on the club and current promotions. This price typically covers theory, pool sessions, four open-water dives, equipment rental during the course, air, and the international PADI certificate. It does not include personal gear, which students buy separately.
| Course level | Price in Latvia, 2026 | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Intro Dive (try-out session) | €50–80 | 1 pool dive with an instructor, certificate |
| PADI Open Water Diver (OWD) | €280–350 | Certification to 18 m depth, valid worldwide |
| PADI Advanced Open Water Diver | €350–450 | 5 specialty dives (deep, navigation, etc.) |
| PADI Rescue Diver | €400–500 | Rescue skills and EFR first aid |
| GO PRO – Divemaster package | €950–1200 | From zero to your first pro-level Divemaster certification |
| NDL instructor course | By arrangement | Rights to teach new divers under NDL standards |
For most people the full path from zero to an independent diver is Open Water Diver + Advanced + about 10 logged dives in different sites, which together costs about €700 plus a season of practical experience. A Junior Open Water Diver variant is available for children from age 10 (snorkelling courses from age 8).
Most Latvian clubs also sell gift cards from €28–50, which work for courses or a single try-out dive. It's a good gift choice for someone who wants to test diving before committing to a full course.
When to start learning to dive in Latvia
Diving training in Latvia runs year-round. Theory and pool sessions happen in indoor pools in Riga, regardless of outdoor temperature. Open-water dives at the Sloka quarry and in the Baltic Sea normally happen from April to October, when water temperatures are suitable for training (8–22°C depending on month and depth).
The optimal time for beginners is March to May: complete theory and pool work in spring, then move straight to open water at the start of the season when the quarry is still quiet. Students who finish in autumn can spend the winter months in Egypt, the Maldives, or other warm destinations building up their first ocean dives.
Dry suit training and ice diving are specialised winter-season options available to experienced divers (30+ logged dives). These dives traditionally happen in Latvia from January to March at the Sloka quarry or other freshwater sites.
When underwater silence is not enough – adrenaline above the clouds
Scuba diving offers a unique experience – weightlessness, slow three-dimensional movement, silence, and meditative focus. Many divers value precisely this: the chance to disconnect from the surface world and feel fully present in the moment. But some divers eventually find that the underwater silence feels too slow, and they start looking for the opposite sensation – maximum speed and free fall.
That "other end" is well captured by a tandem skydive from Skydive Latvia at Limbaži airfield. A jump from 4,000 metres gives you 60 seconds of free fall at speeds up to 200 km/h. The sensation is the exact opposite of diving: instead of regulated breathing and slow movement through a turquoise world, it's wind and gravity at full scale.
For those who want something even more extreme, Oxygen Jump is Skydive Latvia's signature product and the highest civilian tandem jump in Eastern Europe – from 5,500 metres with supplemental oxygen. This tandem version delivers 90 seconds of free fall, almost twice as long as a standard tandem.
Many experienced divers say their first tandem jump delivers more intense adrenaline than their early dives – precisely because it's so different from the underwater environment. Watch a Skydive Latvia tandem jump video:
View tandem jump €249 Oxygen Jump €490
Skydive Latvia gift cards work for any jump and never expire – ideal if you want to give a present to a diver who is already used to underwater silence and is looking for a new frontier. See also our guide to adventure activities in Latvia.
FAQ – frequently asked questions about scuba diving in Latvia
Do I need swimming skills before starting a PADI course?
Yes, basic swimming ability is required, but not at a professional level. The PADI standard is a 200-metre swim without aids (any stroke, no time limit) and 10 minutes of floating on the surface. Most people who learned to swim at school in Latvia already meet this standard – no extra training needed.
What's the minimum age for scuba diving?
The PADI Junior Open Water Diver course is available from age 10, supervised by an instructor to a maximum depth of 12 metres. From age 15 you can earn a full Open Water Diver certificate. Some clubs (such as Baltijas Ronis) also offer snorkelling and swimming training for children from age 8.
How long does a full PADI Open Water Diver course take?
The full course takes 3–4 weeks when you combine theory, pool work, and open-water dives. Theory consists of 4–5 sessions (about 1 hour each); pool practice 5–6 sessions; the open-water portion is 4 dives at the Sloka quarry or another suitable site. PADI eLearning lets you complete the theory online at your own pace.
Does the PADI certificate last forever?
Yes, the PADI certification does not expire and is valid for life. However, if more than a year has passed since your last dive, a short Refresher course is recommended to restore your basic skills. Clubs typically offer this for €50–100.
Where can I dive in Latvia after getting my OWD certificate?
The Sloka dolomite quarry is the year-round practice site. Experienced divers can explore Baltic Sea shipwrecks (Liepāja, Ventspils, Pāvilosta), flooded sections of the Daugava river (Pļaviņas hydropower reservoir, Vīgante stage), the quarry near Ječi in the Liepāja region, and the nearby international sites Rummu prison quarry in Estonia and Plateļi lake in Lithuania.
Is a diving gift card a good present?
Yes, particularly an Intro Dive or full OWD course gift card, because it lets the recipient choose timing and club. Most Latvian diving clubs sell gift cards from €28–50. If the recipient decides to continue after an Intro Dive, the trial fee is often credited toward the full course – it's a low-risk way to start.
