What’s the Difference Between PADI Open Water Diver and Advanced Open Water?

In comparison to open water diving, advanced open water diving is a PADI course you can take after completing the PADI Open Water Diver Certification. The advanced open water diver course takes your diving knowledge and skills to the next level.

Learn how to grow in confidence under the water, develop your scuba skills, and expand your knowledge, the advanced open water course is the next level in your diving advancement. If you want to develop your diving skills and take your learning to the next level, the advanced open water course is just what you’ve been looking for. 

What Happens on an Advanced Course?

On the PADI Advanced Open Water Course, the diver has to partake in five different Adventure dives, each of which concentrates on a particular dive skill or activity. Of the five different training dives you will complete on the advanced open water dive, the Underwater Navigation Adventure Dive and the Deep Adventure Dive are both mandatory.

The Underwater Navigation Adventure Dive helps you practice your navigation skills underwater while diving so that you can safely explore. The Deep Adventure Dive teaches divers to dive to depths between 18-30 metres or 60-100 feet. Both of these mandatory training dives teach you invaluable skills and help advance your diving. 

The remaining three dives, you get to choose what interests you most and learn more about it. Depending on local conditions and dive sites, you can choose your remaining three elective dives from the following list:

– Fish ID
– Drift diver
– Digital underwater photographer
– Boat diver
– Multilevel and computer
– Enriched air (requires an additional manual)
– Peak performance buoyancy
– Night diver
– Search and recovery
– Surface maker buoyancy
– Wreck
– Underwater naturalist

Why Take the Advanced Open Water Course?

There are many reasons why divers choose to take the advanced open water course; you will gain more experience as a diver while under the supervision of an instructor. During the advanced open water course, you can log your dives and develop your capabilities during fun scuba diver training lessons.

The course provides you with a safe space in which to sample different diving specialities, learn new skills, grow in confidence, and try something new to see what interests you the most. If you want to further your diving skills, the advanced open water dive course could be just right for you. 

Do You Need Equipment for The Advanced Dive Course?

When taking the advanced open water dive course, there are a number of equipment items you need. Beyond the basic scuba diving equipment, you will need the following items:

– Dive knife
– Dry suit
– Dive light
– Lift bag
– Underwater compass

Depending on which dive adventure you choose, you may also need underwater photography equipment or other specialist gear. Your instructor will go through the equipment you will need for each of the dive courses so that you’re properly prepared for each training lesson. They will also suggest any additional gear needed and ensure you are properly prepared with all the equipment you need.

What You Will Learn

The PADI Advanced Open Water Course teaches you a range of skills, including:

– The psychological effects of deep scuba diving
– How to make better use of your dive computer
– The practical aspects of diving
– How to navigate using visual landmarks, time, and kick-cycles
– The practical aspects of diving

On the advanced open water course, you will learn how to become a more well-rounded diver, you will be able to extend your depth limits, improve your dive skills, and learn underwater navigation. There are so many skills you can learn as a diver and the advanced course simply takes you to the next level. What’s more, it’s also a great opportunity to try something new, such as underwater photography or night diving.

How Long Does the Advanced Course Take?

One of the most common questions we get asked, regarding the advanced open water course, is how long will it take? One of the many great things about this course is that it can typically be completed in just two days, that is if you dedicate yourself to a few hours study in advance. But if you’re committed and put in the work, you will be able to complete the course in just two days and get on with enjoying what advanced diving has to offer.

What Do You Achieve?

Once you have successfully completed the advanced open water course, you will be able to:

– Dive down to a maximum of 30 metres
– Understand how to navigate underwater

Like many other divers who have completed the course, you will leave feeling more comfortable in the water, more confident in your own ability, and see an improvement in your buoyancy control.

Where You Can Sign Up

If you’re interested in taking the PADI Advanced Open Water course, you can sign up with Oyster Diving. We offer one advanced course every month and it only takes one weekend to complete the five adventure dives we offer! For more details, you can visit our Advanced Open Water Page and book your place on the next course today.

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