You do not have to be “advanced” to take the Advanced Open Water course. This course is designed to advance your diving. You are eligible to begin the course after earning your PADI Open Water Diver certification.

The course helps to build confidence, and to expand your scuba skills through different Adventure Dives. You try out different specialties, while gaining experience under the supervision of your PADI Instructor. You log dives, and develop capabilities as you find new ways to have fun while scuba diving.

Get Credit.

Who should take this course?

Each Adventure Dive may count as credit toward the first dive of the corresponding PADI Specialty Diver Course. If you have already taken a specialty diver course, ask your instructor if you have earned credit for an Adventure Dive.

PADI (Junior) Open Water Divers who are at least 12 years old are ready to step up and enroll in an Advanced Open Water Diver course. Young divers may only participate in certain Adventures Dives—check with your PADI Instructor.

If you are currently an Adventure Diver, you need to complete only two more Adventure Dives to earn the Advanced Open Water Diver certification.

You will learn...

How can you start learning now?

You will plan your learning path with your instructor by choosing from a long list of Adventure Dives. There are two required dives: Deep and Underwater Navigation. You choose the other three, for a total of five dives. 

During the Deep Adventure Dive, you learn how to plan dives to deal with the physiological effects and challenges of deeper scuba diving. The Underwater Navigation Adventure Dive refines your compass navigation skills, and helps you to navigate better when using kick-cycles, visual landmarks and time.

Additional acquired knowledge & skills vary with your interests,  and the adventures you have—ranging from Photography, Buoyancy Control, Fish Identification, Wreck Diving, and many more.

Sign up for Advanced Open Water online—PADI’s eLearning option—to get started, immediately. The Web-based system lets you learn about seven of the most popular Adventure Dives—including the required Deep and Underwater Navigation Adventure Dives, Boat, Night, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Underwater Naturalist and Wreck Adventure Dives. You study at your own pace through an easy-to-use, interactive program. You also have access to an online version of the Adventures in Diving manual, and can complete sections for other Adventure Dives as directed by your PADI Instructor.

You can also choose to read the Adventures in Diving manual and watch the Adventures in Diving video (a book and DVD package). Stop by Divers@Sea to enroll in the course, to get your materials and to start learning. Our instructor staff will meet with you to schedule knowledge review sessions along with your Adventure Dives.

Beyond using basic scuba equipment, you will need a compass and dive tool. You will also use special gear, depending on the Adventure Dives you choose.

For example, you would use a dry suit for the Dry Suit Adventure Dive, or Dive Lights during the Night Diving Adventure Dive. Our instructional staff will explain the equipment that you need, and may suggest additional gear.