PADI Open Water Diver

About the PADI Open Water Diver Course

PADI® Open Water Diver is the first scuba certification level. A highly-trained PADI Instructor will teach you how to scuba dive in a relaxed, supportive learning environment.

By the end of the course, you'll have the skills and knowledge to dive at home or abroad and be an ambassador for the underwater world.

What You'll Learn

• Be a confident and skilled diver
  
• Manage your buoyancy
  
• Handle common problems
  
• Assemble and use scuba gear
  
• Respectfully approach marine life

Certification Requirements

• Able to swim; medically fit for diving
• Good physical health
• Expect shallow dives (12m/40ft), the maximum allowed depth is 18m/60ft

How to Earn Your Scuba Diving Certification

Learn about scuba diving principles and terminology (either offline or online), then learn basic scuba skills in a pool (or pool-like environment) with a highly trained PADI Instructor. When you're ready, make four dives in an open water environment (the ocean, a lake) with your instructor supporting you every step of the way.

Step 1

PADI E-learning

PADI e-learning makes it easy to fit scuba lessons into a busy schedule. Learn about scuba diving principles and terminology whenever, wherever it's convenient for you.

It's your course on your time. Study offline, or online using a computer or mobile device. Connect with your instructor whenever you have a question.

• e-learning time commitment: 5-10 hours

Step 2

With Your Instructor

ADDITIONAL COST: Your Dive Shop will charge fees for training and gear rental.

Practice using scuba gear in a pool (or pool-like environment) until you're comfortable. PADI training includes practice "mini dives" to help you build confidence in your new abilities before making four dives in open water.

• Total time commitment: In as little as 2-4 days

Course Prerequisites & Minimum Age Requirements

Able to swim, medically fit for diving, comfortable in the water

During the Open Water Diver course, your instructor will ask you to:

• Float or tread water without aids for 10 minutes
• Swim 200 metres/yards with no aids or 300 metres/yards with mask, fins and snorkel

Minimum age: 10

Divers certified between the ages of 10-14 earn a Junior Diver certification

After this Course

Experience new adventures with a PADI Instructor by your side. PADI continuing education courses like Advanced Open Water Diver and Deep Diver will help you develop your skills as a diver.

Not sure which specialty to try first? Try the Advanced Open Water Diver course, it's like a specialty sampler platter.

• Improve your navigation and buoyancy skills while you try new activities like wreck diving, night diving, or digital imaging
• Choose from more than 20 specialty diving options
• An Advanced Open Water Diver certification also opens the door to dive sites deeper than 18m/60ft

If you don't have the opportunity to dive for six months (or longer), you can quickly refresh the knowledge and skills you learned in Open Water with the PADI ReActivate® program. Your PADI certification never expires, but after a long period of inactivity, you may want to brush up on diving fundamentals and safety procedures.

Available Languages

English, Espanol, Français, Nederlands, Deutsch, Italiano, 한국어, اللغة العربية, 日本語, 中文繁体, 中文简体, Ελληνική γλώσσα, Dansk, Hrvat, Čeština , Português, Bahasa Indonesia, Suomi, Norsk, Svenska, Bahasa Melayu, Polski, Magyar nyelv, Русский язык, Türkçe, עִבְרִית, ไทย, Tagalog

Visit the PADI Website

Visit the PADI website for detailed course pricing, more information or to book this course.

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Breathe In, Chill Out. Learn How To Dive And Explore An Amazing World Beneath The Waves. Start Today At PADI.com

PADI is the world's largest scuba diving training organisation. For over 50 years, PADI has enabled people around the world to seek adventure and save the ocean through underwater education, life-changing experiences and travel.

For accredited courses a certificate will be sent directly to you from the appropriate awarding body.

For short courses a completion certificate is available at the end of the course.

PADI’s online courses are designed to work on the browsers listed below. For the best experience, make sure your browser is up-to-date.

• Chrome
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If you plan to be somewhere without internet access, use the PADI Training app to download course content and study offline. Content can be downloaded in small sections with a total file size of approximately 182 MB. When you get back online, upload your progress so you can resume your training right where you left off.

The PADI Training app is available for Android and Apple iOS devices. For the ideal experience, devices should be no more than three models old and running with the most current OS (operating system).

After you purchase this course you will be contacted by PADI.

Envico Limited is an independent intermediary working with PADI in an affiliate program. Envico is not accredited by or associated with PADI or any other examination body or institution in any way. All courses promoted on this website are delivered by independent and established accredited or approved training providers.