Agder Dykkersenter // Scuba diving center

Agder Dykkersenter in Arendal has divers with class 1 training from Norsk Yrkesdykkerskole and Statens dykkerskole.

For those who wish, a private course is also offered.

Agder Dykkersenter also fills diving bottles.

Agder Dykkersenter has been certified as a PADI 5-Star Dive Center!

Agder Dykkersenter is located on Hisøy island in Arendal, and the owner, Erling Sætherlien, has run the diving center for almost 30 years. In 2021, almost 100 divers were certified through the center. Sætherlien says that they see a growing interest in diving courses, and that more people are now opening their eyes to the opportunities that exist for fantastic experiences underwater also in Norwegian waters. Even the winter is a good time underwater, then you have clear water and good visibility, and with a dry suit you can dive all year round here in Norway as well.

Recognized certification

The diving center started the new year by gaining recognition as a 5-Star Dive Center through PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors). PADI is a well-known system for diving education, which extends from basic Open Water courses that allow you to dive to 18 meters, to instructor level, where you can help train other divers.

We see that many who start with Open Water and get the interest in diving go on to higher levels to be able to get more experiences underwater. Among other things, there are several wrecks you can dive into in the areas around the southern norwegian coast, but several of these require that you can go deeper than 18 meters, says Sætherlien. We also see that there is increased activity in the diving community, and there are several diving clubs that are eager to arrange trips and gatherings. We recommend new divers to try to get into an established environment, so that you can continue diving after taking the course and meet others with the same interest. Those who join a club usually get even greater pleasure from diving.

Diving education

Sætherlien elaborates that PADI is recognized all over the world, and many who travel to dive use PADI's overview to find a diving center, and travel to places where these are located. We have already received a request for the summer from foreign tourists who are interested in diving in our area. Being a 5-star diving center through PADI is a hallmark of high quality, and it attracts people from both other places in Norway and from abroad. There are currently only five PADI 5-star diving centers in Norway, where Agder Dykkersenter is the only one between Stavanger and Stavern.

Wants to attract tourists all year round

For us, this is an important recognition for the work we do, and an important step in the work of attracting more people both local and visiting, says Sætherlien. We work with local accommodation to offer packages with both accommodation, diving and good food and drink, and want to attract tourists all year round. We believe this is an important investment to extend the season beyond the short summer months, our area has so much to offer the rest of the year as well. We have now updated the calendar with many courses throughout the spring and summer, and we warmly welcome both new and advanced divers, Sætherlien concludes.