Diving School Io Ikeda

Diving School Io Ikeda sits in Osaka, just a 2-minute walk from Ikeda Station on the Hankyu Takarazuka Line — close enough that you reach the shop without getting wet. Expect a smile and a warm coffee on arrival. As a PADI 5 Star IDC centre with 3 PADI instructors, it runs almost every course from beginner to professional level.

Courses and dive sites

New divers can choose the PADI Open Water Diver course over 3 days (from USD 419) or a 4-day version (from USD 482). With a maximum of 4 people per instructor, even first-timers get plenty of attention. Tours head out to the Minabe and Kushimoto areas in Wakayama Prefecture and to Otomi in Fukui Prefecture, with dives at Okishima, Otomi Beach and Minabe Syougase.

Underwater you might encounter sharks, whales, turtles, ocean fish, and sharks and rays. The shop offers equipment sales and rental, air conditioning, free Wi-Fi and a retail counter, with staff who speak English and Japanese — a welcoming choice for divers building skills around Osaka.