Scuba Diving Courses | Specialty Courses

Open Water Diver

Get your PADI scuba certification. If you’ve always wanted to learn how to scuba dive, discover new adventures or simply see the wondrous world beneath the waves, this is where it starts.

The Fun Part

The fun part about this course is . . . well, just about all of it because learning to dive is incredible. You breathe underwater for the first time (something you’ll never forget) and learn what you need to know to become a certified diver. During the course, you’ll practice all the skills in a pool (or pool like condition) and four dives at local dive sites under the supervision of your PADI Instructor.

What You Learn

• How much fun scuba diving is
• Scuba diving equipment considerations for your local diving environment
• How to plan, and execute actual dives
• How to prevent and manage problems

• Knowledge Development (online, home study or in a classroom) to understand basic principles of scuba diving
• Confined Water Dives to learn basic scuba skills
• Open Water Dives to review your skills and explore!

The Scuba Gear You Use

In the PADI Open Water Diver course, you learn to use basic scuba gear including a dive computer, and standard accessories. The equipment you wear varies somewhat, depending upon whether you’re diving in tropical, temperate or cold water

The Learning Materials You Need

PADI’s Open Water Diver materials cover what you need to know about basic scuba diving skills, terminology and safety procedures. For each concept you’ll read a description and watch a video demonstration. Then you’ll jump in the pool (or pool-like environment) to practice these skills with your instructor. Later, as a certified diver, use the course materials as a reference guide for future diving adventures and to review what you learned.

Prerequisites

To enroll in the PADI Open Diver course or Junior Open Water Diver course, you must:

• Be 10 years or older (PADI eLearning requires a minimum age of 13 years due to international internet laws)