Scuba Diving Shoreham-by-Sea: PADI Courses at our 5 Star Instructor Development Centre
Looking for scuba diving near Shoreham-by-Sea?
Shoreham-by-Sea has a working harbour, a long shingle beach and a real connection to the water. If you want to take that a step further, with a private heated training pool, personal instruction and a centre focused entirely on scuba diving, Abyss Scuba School in Littlehampton is well worth the trip along the coast.
Littlehampton Marina is around 18 miles west of Shoreham-by-Sea, with direct trains along the coast as well as the A27 by car.
Everything happens at one address: Littlehampton Marina, around 18 miles from Shoreham-by-Sea. That is where you will find our heated indoor training pool, classroom, dive shop and servicing workshop, along with PADI courses that run from a first try dive right through to instructor level. Groups are kept small so you get real time with your instructor.
We welcome divers from Shoreham-by-Sea and across Sussex, from complete beginners to qualified divers looking for their next course.
👉 Start your scuba diving journey near Shoreham-by-Sea today.
Why Shoreham-by-Sea Divers Choose Abyss Scuba School
Scuba Diving Training Near Shoreham-by-Sea — Learn in the Right Environment
Shoreham-by-Sea lives by its harbour and its beach, but not all scuba diving training environments are the same.
Many courses are delivered around limited pool hire sessions or shared leisure-centre facilities. At Abyss Scuba School in Littlehampton, scuba diving is the sole focus. Our dedicated dive centre features a heated indoor training pool, small group sizes, and structured PADI instruction designed to help beginners from Shoreham-by-Sea learn safely and confidently from their very first session.
From Shoreham-by-Sea, our purpose-built scuba facility at Littlehampton Marina is around 18 miles away, typically 35 minutes to an hour by car depending on traffic.
That is why people from across Sussex choose Abyss Scuba School for a more personal and professional way to learn to scuba dive, and why it is worth the trip from Shoreham-by-Sea.
Private, Personal Scuba Diving Training near Shoreham-by-Sea
If you have grown up around the harbour at Shoreham-by-Sea, learning to dive is a natural next step. Abyss Scuba School takes a different approach to training: small groups, personal instruction, and a dedicated dive facility where instructors know your name before your second session. Our Littlehampton centre is around 18 miles from Shoreham-by-Sea, and the calm, supportive environment is worth the journey.
A Private Heated Training Pool — No Sharing, No Waiting
Because we own our heated indoor pool, your training is never squeezed between other bookings. Anyone travelling from Shoreham-by-Sea gets the full session in warm, calm water with only their group and instructor, and the time to repeat a skill until it feels comfortable.
A Unique Viewing Window — See Every Moment Underwater
Our pool comes with something unusual: a window at water level so people on the poolside can see everything that happens below the surface. It is a favourite with parents, and a real reassurance for nervous beginners coming over from Shoreham-by-Sea, who can bring someone along to watch.
Training, kit and servicing in one place
Theory, pool training, equipment retail, cylinder fills, kit servicing all at the same marina location in Littlehampton. There is no travelling between different venues or trying to coordinate training with a separate dive shop. For divers travelling from Shoreham-by-Sea, Abyss Scuba School offers a complete scuba diving facility focused entirely on training, progression and ongoing support.
Calm, unhurried learning, worth the trip from Shoreham-by-Sea
Learning to scuba dive should feel calm, structured and enjoyable from the very beginning.
Our marina setting is a world away from a crowded leisure centre. You park for free right outside, walk straight in, and train in a facility where diving is the only thing going on, so your attention stays on your skills and on enjoying yourself.
We welcome students from Shoreham-by-Sea and across the South Coast who are looking for professional scuba diving lessons in a more personal environment.
The only PADI Alternative Provision centre in the UK
We hold the only WSCC-approved Alternative Provision for scuba training in the country. Our DBS-checked team, including ELSA-qualified instructors, is experienced with SEND and SEMH learners and with children as young as 8.
Families and professionals from Shoreham-by-Sea and across the South Coast can choose Abyss Scuba School for a calm, supportive and structured environment that could support confidence, communication and personal development through scuba diving and marine-based learning.
PADI Scuba Diving Courses Serving
Worthing, Selsey, Chichester, Brighton & Many more
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![Discover Scuba Diving with Abyss]()
Discover Scuba Diving with Abyss
The Taster Session. Experience the thrill of breathing underwater in our heated private pool. No experience needed—just bring your swimwear and a sense of adventure!
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![PADI Open Water Diver Course]()
PADI Open Water Diver Course
The Full Certification. The world's most popular scuba course. Learn the fundamentals and earn your licence to dive to 18m anywhere in the world.
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![PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Course]()
PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Course
Level Up Your Skills. Fine-tune your buoyancy and explore new horizons like deep diving and navigation. No exams—just five themed dives to build your confidence.
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![PADI Re-Activate Course]()
PADI Re-Activate Course
Back in the Water. Haven't dived in a while? Quickly brush up on your skills and safety knowledge so you feel 100% ready for your next holiday or local trip.
Accessible Diving for Everyone
We offer the full range of PADI programmes at our private facility, tailored to your pace and goals. As the only PADI centre in the UK with a WSCC-approved Alternative Provision, we're known across Sussex and Hampshire for making diving accessible to all not just those who find it easy. Our DBS-checked team includes ELSA-qualified staff with extensive experience supporting SEND and SEMH learners, and the calm, consistent environment at our Littlehampton marina facility is well worth the journey from Shoreham-by-Sea.
🤿 Beyond the Pool
Once you've mastered your skills, the adventure continues. We run regular sea diving trips off the Sussex and Hampshire coast and from our local marina. We also use specialist inland sites including Vobster Quay and Stoney Cove for year-round training and advanced skills development.
👋 Join the Community
Becoming an Abyss diver means joining a thriving community. Our active dive club meets for local shore dives, boat trips, and social events and our WhatsApp community connects hundreds of divers across the South. Plus, you can join us on our escorted overseas holidays to explore world-class reefs with the instructors you already know and trust.
Diving from Shoreham-by-Sea: Where Your Certification Takes You
Shoreham-by-Sea looks out to sea every day. Qualify as a diver and you get to see what is underneath it. The South Coast offers some of the UK's best scuba diving, with sites to suit both newly qualified and experienced divers. Qualified divers here can choose between shore entries, boat trips to wrecks and artificial reefs, and inland sites such as Vobster Quay and Stoney Cove that stay diveable year-round. Popular UK spots like Swanage Pier and Chesil Beach are close enough for club outings, and marine life ranges from cuttlefish and lobsters to schooling fish. Abyss Scuba School runs regular trips to these sites, and overseas too, so your PADI Open Water certification gets plenty of use alongside the instructors you trained with.
We also serve divers from Southampton, Portsmouth, Hayling Island, Havant, Emsworth, Chichester, Selsey, the Witterings, Pagham, Bognor Regis, Arundel, Rustington, Angmering, Worthing, Lancing, Hove and Brighton.
Visiting us from Shoreham-by-Sea
Address
Abyss Scuba School
Unit 1C Littlehampton Marina
Ferry Road
Littlehampton
BN17 5DS
By Car: Abyss Scuba School is around 18 miles from Shoreham-by-Sea via the A27, typically 35 minutes to an hour by car depending on traffic. Free parking is available directly outside the centre at Littlehampton Marina.
By Train: Direct trains run along the coast from Shoreham-by-Sea to Littlehampton, taking around 30 minutes. From Littlehampton station it is around a 10 minute walk to the marina.
On-Site Parking: Free on-site parking is available directly outside the dive centre with no charges or time restrictions.
On-Site Services: Cylinder fills, scuba equipment servicing, and a retail shop stocking brands including Fourth Element, Cressi, Suunto and DIVEVOLK are all available on-site at Littlehampton Marina.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Abyss Scuba School at Littlehampton Marina is typically 35 minutes to an hour from Shoreham-by-Sea by car. We are a 5 Star PADI Instructor Development Centre with a private heated indoor training pool, small groups, personal instruction and everything on one site, which makes us a strong choice for beginners and qualified divers from Shoreham-by-Sea.
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Absolutely. Your theory and pool training take place at our Littlehampton centre, around 18 miles from Shoreham-by-Sea, with qualifying open water dives completed at suitable local or inland dive sites. We train divers from across Sussex.
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Our Discover Scuba taster session starts at £55 per person. The full PADI Open Water certification is £600 and includes use of our private heated pool and all required scuba equipment. Visit our Courses page for the full current price list.
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From age 8, children can try scuba in our pool on the PADI Bubblemaker programme, and from 10 they can start the PADI Junior Open Water Diver course. Families travelling from Shoreham-by-Sea like the viewing window, because parents can watch the whole session from the poolside.
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No, you do not need any kit to start. Course equipment is provided, and there is no pressure to buy. Later on, the dive shop at our Littlehampton centre can advise on a mask, fins, wetsuit or computer that suits you.
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Yes. Abyss Scuba School delivers a WSCC-approved Alternative Provision and our DBS-checked team includes ELSA-qualified staff. We have experience supporting SEND and SEMH learners in a calm, structured environment, using our private pool and consistent instructors.
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The PADI Open Water course is flexible. Many students complete theory and pool sessions over a weekend or a series of evenings, followed by four qualifying open water dives over two days. Our team will help you find a schedule that works for you.
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There is plenty. The South Coast has shore and boat diving, inland sites give year-round options, and our dive club runs regular trips, so newly qualified divers from Shoreham-by-Sea always have people to dive with.
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The main difference is the environment. Abyss Scuba School has its own private heated training pool, a viewing window, small group instruction, on-site kit services, retail support and a facility built around scuba diving. You are not squeezed into a hired pool slot, which is why it is worth the trip from Shoreham-by-Sea.
Ready to take the plunge?
Sussex has a fantastic diving scene waiting to be explored. Take your first step at Abyss Scuba School in Littlehampton, and arrive at your first open water dive confident, capable, and properly trained from the very start.
