PADI Advanced Open
Water Diver Course

 

When you first became interested in diving, your primary focus was most likely on getting your Open Water Diver certification. You soon realized, however, that trying to be a “real” scuba diver with nothing more than a beginning diver certification is like trying to compete in the job market with an elementary school education. It is just plain not enough.

That’s why PADI created the Advanced Open Water Diver course. It introduces students to critical knowledge and skills that beginning courses don’t have time to cover.

Additionally:

• Students gain additional open water experience under the guidance and supervision of a knowledgeable instructor.
• They receive an introduction to a variety of specialty diving activities.
• Their recommended depth rating goes from 60 to 100 feet.

• Students meet an important prerequisite for PADI Rescue, Divemaster and Instructor training, as well as for a number of PADI Specialty Diver courses, such as Navigation and Deep. If your ultimate goal is to earn the prestigious PADI Master Scuba Diver rating, this course is your starting point.
• Additionally, course graduates qualify to take part in a number of diving activities in which participation is limited to “Advanced Divers Only.”

Despite the fact it is designed to be taken immediately afterward students complete the Open Water Diver course, there are some substantial differences between the beginning course and the Advanced course.

• To start, there are no classroom or pool sessions. You master the small amount of academic learning required through self study, which your instructor will review with you, at the dive site, prior to each dive.
• Where the focus of the beginning course is to develop fundamental knowledge and skills, the Advanced course focuses primarily on introducing you to a variety of fun and enjoyable specialty diving activities.
• The beginning course follows a single, standardized curriculum. In the Advanced Open Water Diver course, you get to design you own curriculum — just like choosing electives in college.

 

Who Can Learn? All you need is Open Water Diver certification (or equivalent) from any recognized training agency, and the ability to answer No to all questions on the PADI/RSTC Medical History form (or get a physician’s approval). Students 12 to 14 can qualify for special Junior Advanced Open Water Diver certification by taking the same course, which can be upgraded automatically to adult-level certification on their 15th birthday. Please Note: New divers often worry about whether they are “ready” for the Advanced course. They shouldn’t. The whole idea behind Advanced Open Water training is to better prepare new divers for the real world. In fact, if you have any concerns about your abilities as a diver, enrolling in the Advanced Open Water Diver course should be the very next thing you do after completing your beginning course. You’ll be amazed at the difference it makes.

 

What is Involved? In the Advanced course, you make a total of five “Adventure Dives,” two of which must be the Underwater Navigation and Deep dives. For the remaining three, you can choose from: Boat. Drift Diving. Dry Suit Diving. Enriched Air Nitrox. Night Diving. Peak Performance Buoyancy. Search and Recovery. Underwater Naturalist. Underwater Photography. No matter which dives you choose, each one will count as the first dive from among those required for a particular specialty rating. For example: Let’s say you wanted to earn your Night Diver specialty rating. This certification requires a total of three night dives; however, because your Advanced course night dive counts as one of these, you need only complete two more night dives under instructor supervision to become a certified PADI Night Diver.

 

Where Can You Learn? Most locally conducted Advanced Open Water Diver courses take place at White Star Quarry the same weekends as our regularly scheduled entry-level open-water training dives. You can also take the Advanced Open Water Diver course in conjunction with many of our Just Add Water group trips to exotic dive destinations around the world. Contact store for details.

 

When Can You Learn? Here is the complete schedule for 2008, showing the available weekends and what Adventures Dives we will be doing here in the Midwest. (Key: PPB=Peak Performance Buoyancy; Dry=Dry Suit; EANx=Enriched Air Nitrox; S&R=Search and Recovery, *=Do either Drysuit or Wreck dive)

Date

Location

Boat

PPB

Deep

Drift

Dry

Nav

Night

EANx

Photo

S&R

Wreck

Jun 28-29

White Star

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•

•

•

•

Jul 12-13

St. Lawrence

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•

•

•

•

Jul 19-20

White Star

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•

•

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Jul 19-20

White Star

•

•

•

•

•

Jul 26-27

Tobermory

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•

•

•

•

Aug 2-3

Niagara River

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•

Aug 4-6

Flower Gardens

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•

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•

Aug 9-10

White Star

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•

•

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Aug 16-17

White Star

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•

•

•

•

Aug 23-24

Niagara River

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•

Aug 23-24

White Star

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•

•

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•

Sep 6-7

St. Lawrence

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•

•

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•

Sep 6-7

White Star

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•

•

•

•

Sep 20-21

White Star

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•

•

•

•

Oct 4-5

White Star

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•

*

•

•

*

Oct 18-19

White Star

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•

*

•

•

*

Note: Highlighted lines indicate the dates of special “Kids Only” Advanced courses at White Star Quarry.

 

How Much? The course fee is $145 and includes all instruction and certification card processing, if earned. Students must purchase the PADI Adventures in Diving manual, Deluxe Data Carrier and the PADI Advanced dive log module. These items are available in the PADI Adventures in Diving Crew Pack. Additionally, students are also responsible for supplying the equipment listed below, transportation to and from dive sites, dive site admission or charter fees, meals, overnight accommodations and tank fills (just as you would if you were out diving purely for fun).

 

Required Equipment: Students are responsible for supplying the following: Mask, snorkel, fins. Adequate exposure protection. One cylinder per dive, per day. Weight system, weights. Buoyancy Control Device (BCD). Regulator/alternate air source. Depth gauge/timer or computer. Audible surface signal. Surface signal (safety tube). Cutting tool. Slate. Some Advanced course dives may have additional equipment requirements as well. For example, for the night dive you will need to buy or rent a primary and back-up light, and a tank marker light. Contact Just Add Water for details. All of these items are available for purchase at Just Add Water; many may be available for rental as well.

 

Sign Up On Line Reserve your space now…before someone else does. It’s fast. It’s easy. More importantly, it will put you one step closer to the being the best diver you can. Get started now…

 

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