During the PADI Open Water Diver course, you’ll learn what you need to know to explore the underwater world using scuba. Most people find it a rewarding challenge.

The PADI Open Water Diver course includes three parts: Knowledge Development, Confined Water Dives, and Open Water Dives. Knowledge Development covers the principles, concepts and terms you need to know for dive safety and enjoyment. During the Confined Water Dives, you learn and practice scuba skills in a pool or water with pool-like conditions. You’ll enjoy making one or more minidives, which take you through the same steps you follow when you make open water dives. To complete training you practice, apply and demonstrate what you learn during four Open Water Dives at a local dive site.

Earning a PADI Open Water Diver certification shows that you met the course requirements. Dive centers and resorts require proof of certification before they will rent scuba equipment, fill scuba cylinders or book dive excursions. As a PADI Open Water Diver, you’ll be trained to a maximum depth of 18 metres/60 feet, and are qualified to dive in conditions as good as, or better than, those in which you trained. It’s just the beginning of a lifetime filled with dive adventures.

The PADI Open Water Diver course consists of three main phases:

• Knowledge Development ( online, independent study or in a classroom) to understand basic principles of scuba diving
• Confined Water Dives to learn basic scuba skills
• Open Water Dives to use your skills and explore!
• You may be able to get college credit for the Open Water Diver course.

Short on time? The PADI Scuba Diver course might be right for you.

For information on other available languages please contact your PADI Dive Center.

In the PADI Open Water Diver course, you learn to use basic scuba gear, including a mask, snorkel, fins, regulator, buoyancy control device and a tank. The equipment you wear varies, depending upon whether you’re diving in tropical, temperate or cold water.

Check with your local dive center about the gear you’ll use during this course and get advice about everything you need from your PADI Instructor.

You can start your learning now with PADI’s home-study materials – Open Water Diver eLearning. You should also stop by your local PADI dive shop to enroll in the course and speak to a PADI Instructor about scheduling time for inwater training. Your instructor will also answer any questions you have along the way and check your progress to make sure you understand important scuba diving information.