PADI Open Water Diver

Overview

The Open Water Diver course is an entry level dive course, which is divided into three parts:

The course includes five classroom sessions, five pool sessions, four open water training dives and one optional open water snorkel session.

Participants must be 15 years old and physically fit to dive to enter the Open Water Dive course. Participants between the ages of 12 and 14 may earn a Junior Open Water Diver Certification.

Upon successful completion of the course, the diver receives an internationally recognized Open Water Diver certification card, allowing the diver to purchase or rent scuba equipment, purchase air fills for scuba cylinders, dive from charter boats and at dive resorts and participate in diving activities without an instructor present up to a recommended depth limit of 60 feet / 18 meters.

The PADI Open Water Diver qualifies to enter higher levels of training.

PADI Open Water Diver course program

day 1:
Approx. three hours of classroom in which you have to watch the PADI Open Water Video. After the class, there is a confined water training dive (approx. 2 hours), where your dive instructor will explain and show you how to assemble your gear. Then you have to perform some basic skills in shallow water with the guidance of your instructor.

day 2 and 3:
Each day you will have 2 open water training dives. On these dives you have to repeat the same exercises you did during the shallow water training on the first day and perform new exercises as well. In the remaining time of the dive you go for fun dive.

Additional Information

The PADI Open Water Course requires you to read the Padi Open Water book and take exams after each chapter. The book is very well designed and has lots of colored figures which ease understanding. Each chapter has several quizzes and a summary preview at the end which helps you focus on the most important points.
You have to take the exams while you are doing your open water training!
After successfully finishing all your dives and exams you will get a temporary membership card and the only thing left to do is to fill in the form for your PADI membership and send it - with your photo included - to PADI.

NOTE: In case of bad weather conditions, seasickness or ear discomfort, we will discontinue your dives but you will need an extra day or two to finish your training.
Schedules can be changed upon student request but you have to notify to your dive instructor!