The PADI Open Water is by far the most popular scuba diving course in the world. During the PADI Open Water you learn all the necessary skills and knowledge to scuba dive around the world safely.
Scuba Diving is the closest feeling you can get to exploring a new world, like going into space. This might sound difficult as going into space takes years of training, but going underwater and getting this out-of-this-world experience can be achieved with only a few days of incredibly fun training!
The PADI Open Water Diver Course is taught the same way all around the world because of the PADI Standards. This means that to be able to get a PADI Certification you need to meet the PADI performance requirements of the PADI Open Water Course that is standardised for any PADI Dive Centre, PADI Dive Instructor or PADI Divemaster worldwide.
The only difference between Open Water Courses around the world is the schedule and timeframe to complete the diving course. On this page I will explain all the ins and outs of the PADI Open Water Diver Course like the PADI Open Water skills, the knowledge development, the exams, and the best part, the Diving Experiences.
How to get the PADI Open Water Certification?
One of the questions I get most is how do I get the PADI Open Water Certification? To get this scuba diving certification is not actually that difficult and PADI have worked hard to make it easy and safe for most people to get this Open Water certification. The PADI slogan says it all: “PADI, the Way the World Learns to Dive”.
The PADI Open Water Certification is given to anyone who completes all the PADI Performance Requirements of the Course:
- Complete five knowledge development segments, including quizzes and final exam.
- Complete Confined Water Dives 1-5
- Meet the water-skills assessment requirements
- Complete Open Water Dives 1-4
Getting your PADI Certification is not hard, it’s fun and it’s an incredible experience, but you do need to follow the rules to make sure that your PADI Open Water Course is also a safe experience. After you have completed the PADI course you will receive the PADI Open Water Certification Card.
Learn more about the full PADI Open Water Diver Skill List
We highly recommend that you ask for the Project AWARE PADI Certification card as that card is a much nicer design with pictures of incredible aquatic life like Whale Sharks, Manta Rays, Turtles and much more. The best thing about taking a Project AWARE PADI certification card is that you will automatically donate to Project AWARE, an amazing Marine Conservation Organisation.
How Long is the PADI Open Water Certification Good For?
The PADI Open Water certification is good for life! That means that when you get your PADI Open Water certification card you can enjoy scuba diving for the rest of your life, worldwide.
What is important to remember, though, is that any skills you learn can sometimes fade over time. If you are scuba diving regularly you don’t have to worry too much about that, but if you have breaks in between your scuba diving experiences we recommend you take a scuba refresher course called the PADI Reactivate course (which used to be called the PADI Scuba Review).
When to take the PADI Reactivate course depends on how long it’s been since your last dive. It’s recommended that you reactivate (refresh) your dive skills after 6 months of no diving, but we do understand that if you have done thousands of dives you can maybe wait a bit longer before doing a PADI Reactivate course. Best to check with your PADI Dive Shop – they can give you the best advice.
What jobs can you get with a scuba diving certification
How Much is the PADI Open Water Diver Course?
The price of the PADI Open Water course depends on a few factors, like where in the world you are taking the PADI Open Water course, how many people are in your group, whether or not you get extra dives, how much the Dive Centre overheads are, how much salary the dive instructor takes and how far the boat has to travel out to complete the open water dives.
How much is the Open Water Course on average? The PADI Open Water Diver Course can cost anywhere between 250 and 700 USD depending on where you are in the world.
Just to give 4 examples, here are the average prices taken from Dive Centre websites in these areas:
- Egypt: 299 Euro (324 USD)
- Koh Tao, Thailand: 11000 THB (305 USD)
- Florida Keys: 590 USD
- Germany: 389 Euro (421 USD)
How much the PADI Open Water Diver Course costs depends mostly on the location in where you will take it.
Is the Cheapest PADI Open Water Course the Best Option?
The saying: “You get what you pay for” definitely applies to most circumstances in choosing your PADI Open Water. But then again some of the cheapest PADI Open Water Courses in the world are offered by fantastic dive centres with amazing Diving Instructors.
On the other hand, some of the cheapest Courses will land you with some of the worst PADI Open Water lessons and the worst Dive Instructors. Unfortunately, this question is not easy to answer.
I have seen some of the best PADI Dive Shops and PADI Dive Instructors offer some of the best Open Water Diver Courses for the cheapest prices and at the same time I have witnessed some of the worst Dive Shops and PADI Diving Instructors also offering some of the cheapest PADI Courses.
The best tip I can give you is to spend some time online trying to find the best place to do your PADI Open Water Diver Course. Check their website, their Social Media, and most importantly, the reviews.
I do believe that in most cases, the best way to find the best PADI Open Water Diver course, is to not choose the cheapest option.
Where in the World is the Best Place to do the PADI Open Water Diver?
Finding the best place in the world to do the PADI Open Water Diver Course is also hard to answer. Like with the Open Water Diver course cost, it is not always as easy as saying: you should do it in that country or at that dive centre.
PADI does maintain a high quality of PADI standards across the globe to ensure that their PADI Open Water course is taught the same way around the world, but sadly we have found out that some Dive Shops and even more Dive Instructors do not always follow these standards resulting in sub-standard PADI Open Water Diver Courses.
I have heard Dive Shop owners in Europe talking negatively about dive shops in Asia, whilst hearing Dive Shops in Asia complaining about Dive Shops in the Caribbean and Dive shops in the Caribbean complaining that other places around the world are bad. What is going on?
In the end it is all about the money. Trust me on this, the moment you hear any Dive Shop, Manager, Divemaster, Dive Instructor or anyone else talking negatively about another place that is teaching the PADI Open Water, it usually means that they are bad themselves.
There are amazing Dive Shops, Divemasters and Dive Instructors teaching the PADI Open Water all around the world. The quality of the PADI Open Water Diver Course doesn’t depend on the location in the world, it depends on the people who are teaching and managing the course.
PADI Open Water Course Schedule
How long is the PADI Open Water Diver Course? This depends again on the location in the world. In some places the PADI Open Water Diver Course can take between 2 to 10 weeks, while in other places it can be as short as 3 days.
Some people say that taking a shorter PADI Open Water course is bad for quality, but that is not always true. Like I mentioned before it depends more on the Dive Shop and the Dive Instructor teaching you.Learn more about how to become a Diving Instructor
For example, in most cases a 6-week PADI Open Water course is the same a 3-day course, just stretched out over 6 weeks. In Europe for example many people have to work or go to school, so they decide to split up the PADI Confined Water training into 5 sessions. That way in Europe they can do the PADI Confined Water Dive 1 on a Monday evening, followed by the PADI Confined Water Dive 2 on a Friday Evening.
In a 3-day course you just combine all 5 PADI Confined Dives into one or two days. Some people say that this is bad, but then again staying in the flow of teaching and learning can have great benefits. In other words, depending on the circumstances there is not really a difference in quality between a 3-day or 6-week PADI Open Water Diver Course, if the Dive Shop, and most importantly, the Diving Instructor is good.
Would like to learn how to teach beginner scuba divers, then join the PADI IDC Course
Best Dive Gear to Get for Beginners
Most Dive Shops around the world now offer the use of their dive gear during the PADI Open Water. Some dive shops might ask you to pay extra for dive accessories like dive computers or dive compasses, while others don’t offer any dive equipment at all in their PADI Open Water Diver Courses.
Whether or not Dive Shops include the use of their dive gear in the course, we still recommend you purchase your own dive gear for the PADI Open Water Diver Course. The reason for this is that you are about to experience one of the coolest adventures in your life. Most rental dive shop equipment is well-maintained and safe, but not always the most comfortable version for you and almost certainly it’s been used by many divers before you.
Owning your own Dive gear is amazing as it is much more comfortable, better-fitting, cleaner (especially with Covid-19), can last a lifetime, plus you look cooler in your own brand-new Dive Equipment.
We understand that it depends on your budget when buying your own dive equipment, but you don’t always have to start with a full dive gear package. You can also start with basic dive gear like a scuba mask, snorkel, fins etc. Here you’ll find a list of some of the best dive gear that we recommend for the PADI Open Water Diver Course, listed in the order in which you should build your collection:
Scuba Diving Mask:
Snorkel for Scuba Diving:
Scuba Diving Fins:
Scuba Diving BCD:
Scuba Regulator:
Scuba GearBag:
PADI Open Water Diver Course Manuals and Videos
There are many different options to choose from for your preferred manual. You can choose between:
- PADI Open Water Paperback Manual
- PADI Open Water eLearning
- PADI Open Water Touch
- PADI Open Water Digital Online Manual
In each manual there are 5 chapters with knowledge review questions in the end of each chapter. To meet the performance requirements of the course you need to complete and understand all the knowledge review questions of all the chapters.
There are also 5 videos related to each of the chapters, and the answers to your knowledge review questions are also explained in the PADI Open Water Videos. This means you can use the book and the videos to help you study for your diving course.
So which Open Water manual option is the best choice? Well that depends a bit on your learning style and your dive shop policies. In the end all manuals explain the same theory you need to know to scuba dive very well.
Would you like to start learning from the PADI Open Water Diver Manual now? Then get your copy here and be super-prepared for your Scuba Diving Course:
What to Expect in The PADI Open Water Course
Every place in the world has different schedules for the PADI Open Water. But most likely you will start with an Orientation about the diving course. You will get some homework, watch PADI Open Water Diver course videos, learn from the diving manual or eLearning Online, practice diving skills in the PADI Confined Water sessions and of course learn how to scuba dive in the Open Water.
During and after this course you will not only build the confidence to scuba dive, but you will experience an adventure that not many people get to do in their lifetimes… it’s just incredible!
PADI Open Water Diver Course Orientation
During the orientation you will get to know your PADI Diving Instructor and PADI Divemasters or Divemaster Candidates that might assist you on the Open Water course. If there are other students, you will now also meet them and get some introductions.
After the introductions you will go over the paperwork for the Open Water Diver course. 3 forms need to be completed:
- PADI Liability Release and Assumption of Risk Agreement, or in the EU, the Statement of Risk and Liability (including PADI Non-Agency Disclosure and Acknowledgment Agreement)
- PADI Medical Statement or PADI Medical Form
- PADI Standard Safe Diving Practices Statement of Understanding
You might also get a Student Record File (Recommended)
Learn more about the PADI Medical Form here.
Once the paperwork is completed you usually discuss your PADI Open Water schedule and the logistics of the course. Depending on where you choose to do the Open Water Diver course you might now get some homework to complete and/or watch some PADI Open Water Diver Course videos.
Homework and the PADI Open Water Classroom Sessions
To complete the theory of the PADI Open Water Diver course you need to complete and understand all the knowledge review questions that you will find at the end of each chapter of your manual.
Learn here more about all the PADI Open Water Diver Manual Answers of Chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
On top of that you need to complete all the quizzes and a Final Exam. The quizzes have 10 questions each and the PADI Open Water Exam has 50 questions. A lot of people worry about the exam, but I can tell you now that the Exam questions are very easy. Especially if you have a great Dive Instructor, you will have nothing to worry about. Great PADI Dive Instructors spend lots of time explaining all the Open Water Dive Theory to you.
To complete all the knowledge review questions and prepare for your PADI Open Water Exam you usually get some homework from your dive instructor and watch the PADI videos. You’ll also get classroom lectures to cover all the PADI Open Water dive course theory with your dive instructor.
Confined Water Sessions During the PADI Open Water Diver Course
I usually tell my PADI IDC Candidates – people on the Instructor Development Course who are training to become a Diving Instructor – “Babies should learn to crawl before they walk, walk before they run, and run before they fly an F-16”.
Likewise, it’s important for new students to first practice the diving skills in confined water before repeating them in deeper open water.
What is confined water? Is that a pool? This is a very common question. Confined water is a general term that refers to either a swimming pool or confined open water. Confined open water is an open water site that offers swimming pool-like conditions with respect to clarity, calmness and depth. It has both shallow water and water sufficiently deep to allow student divers to meet all skill performance requirements.
During your confined water session, you will be practicing many scuba diving skills in a very relaxed environment. This means that if you don’t like it, or if you’re nervous, or maybe you have a little panic, it is very easy to get to the surface to catch your breath and try again. In most cases you can even stand up. This gives you a great environment to get used to breathing underwater and to grow your confidence for the open water dives.
If you want to know what diving skills you will have to perform in the PADI Open Water Course then keep reading as I will list every skill in detail further on in this article 👇
Open Water Sessions During the PADI Open Water Diver Course
This is the big event in the PADI Open Water course, indeed most people join the course so that they can scuba dive in an open water environment like a tropical reef for example. During the PADI Open Water Diver course you need to complete 4 open water dives. This can be done in a lake, sea or ocean.
Depending on where you choose to take your PADI Open Water in the world, you may get to see lots of aquatic life or not so much. To be honest if you ask my opinion, just being underwater is an incredible feeling of exploration and adventure, even if there is not so much to see. In other words, I highly recommend you try the PADI Open Water course regardless of the location.
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Of course, taking the PADI Open Water in a tropical area will give you more chance to see an incredible diversity of marine life like Turtles, Angel Fish, Banner Fish, Butterfly Fish, Manta Rays, lots of corals and if you are very fortunate maybe even a Whale Shark!! Diving in these tropical waters also gives you nice warm water temperatures so you can wear less dive equipment (especially exposure suits) and be more comfortable.
Taking the PADI Open Water Diver Course in colder water is also fantastic and a completely different experience than diving in warm waters. Most people say that taking the PADI Open Water in cold water feels more adventurous, you might even get better diving skills, whilst getting to see aquatic life that only lives in colder water. But if you dive in colder water, we highly recommend thicker wetsuits or even a good dry suit. Investing in good exposure protection is a must if you want to enjoy cold water diving comfortably and safely.
During the PADI Open Water Course you will have to complete some of the diving skills in confined water, followed by an amazing tour around a dive site. Besides repeating your diving skills in open water, you will be working a lot on your scuba diving hand signals, buoyancy, trim and swimming position. Just remember that this is still a course, which means that you will be mostly focussing on learning how to scuba dive safely. Yes, you will likely be seeing incredible stuff, but if you don’t, then don’t be disappointed – your main goal is to get your PADI certification. After receiving your PADI certification you can fun dive anywhere around the world to the level of your training.
PADI Open Water Skills List in Confined Water
Many people wonder what the skills are for the confined water session of the PADI Open Water diver course. There are 5 PADI confined water sessions. In some countries you will be doing these confined water dives separately because people need to work or study and therefore have less free time. In other places in the world you might do the 5 PADI Confined water sessions in one morning, afternoon or even better, during a whole day.
PADI Confined Dive Flexible Skill:
Skin Diving
Dive Equipment Set Up
Disconnect Low Pressure Inflator Hose
Weight Belt Removal & Replacement at the Surface
Emergency Weight Belt Drop
PADI Confined Water Dive 1 Skills List for Open Water:
Put on dive equipment using proper technique
Buddy Check
Inflate/Deflate BCD at the Surface
Regulator Clearing Two Methods
Alternate Air Source Stationary for 30 Seconds
Controlled Descent Shallow to Deep
Swim Maintaining Buoyancy
Air Check
Ascent Using Proper Technique
Inflating BCD at the Surface
SnorkellingOrally Inflate the BCD at the Surface
PADI Confined Water Dive 2 Skills List for Open Water:
Put on dive equipment using proper technique
Buddy Check
Clear a Snorkel Using Blast Method
Snorkel to Regulator Exchange
Snorkel for 50 Meters (with a buddy)
5 Point Descent (with a buddy)
Mask Removal & Replacement for 1 Minute
Air Depletion & Signal
Air Check
5 Point Ascent
Exit Using the Ladder
Dive Equipment Disassembly
PADI Confined Water Dive 3 Skills List for Open Water Diver Course:
Buoyancy Check at the Surface (with a buddy)
Cramp Release at the Surface (with a buddy)
5 Point Descent Visual Reference (with a buddy)
Cramp Release Underwater (with a buddy)
Hover for 30 seconds
Swim Adjusting Trim & Buoyancy
Alternate Air Source Swim for 1 Minute (with a buddy)
CESA – Controlled Emergency Swimming Ascent
Air Check
Dive Equipment Disassembly
PADI Confined Water Dive 4 Skills List for Open Water Course:
Buoyancy Check at the Surface (with a buddy)
Tired Diver Tow 25 Meters
Scuba Unit Removal & Replacement at the Surface
5 Point Descent Over Sensitive Bottom
Swim Over Sensitive Bottom
Hover Orally Inflate for 1 Minute
Free Flowing Regulator for 30 Seconds
No Mask Swim
Air Check
5 Point Ascent Over Sensitive Bottom
Dive Equipment Disassembly
PADI Confined Water Dive 5 Skills List for Open Water Course:
Scuba Unit Removal and Replacement Underwater
Weight Belt Removal & Replacement Underwater
Air Check
Mini Dive
Plan the Dive (with a buddy)
Mini Dive Explanation:
Buoyancy Check at the Surface (with a buddy)
5 Point Descent (with a buddy)
Swim Repeating Skills
Ascent with Safety Stop (with a buddy)
Deep Water Exit
Equipment Disassembly
PADI Open Water Skills List for Open Water
On every open water dive in the PADI Open Water Course you have to repeat some of the skills that you practiced before in the Confined Water sessions. This ensures not only that you master the skills with repetition, but it also confirms that you can use these skills when needed on real open water dives. Sometimes it is one thing to practice the skill easily in confined water, but it can be another to repeat that same skill in open water, where it is deeper and conditions can be less calm. If you choose to practice this with a good dive shop and/or PADI Dive Instructor then it shouldn’t be hard. In fact it should be a great experience.
Learn more about the PADI Open water Diver Skills List
PADI Open Water Dive 1 Skills List:
Recognise Hand Signals
Buddy Check
Enter the Water with Inflated BCD
Weight Check at the Surface
Decent using a line or sloping bottom contour
Trim Check
Clear a partially flooded mask
Removal, Recover and Clear a Regulator
Explore the dive site
Stay Close to your buddy
Give accurate air signals
5 Point ascent
PADI Open Water Dive 2 Skills List:
Plan the dive
Buddy check
Adjust weighting at the surface
Keep your mask on and breath from your regulator or snorkel at the surface
Orally Inflate your BCD at the Surface
Decent using a line or sloping bottom contour using the 5 point method
Become Neutrally Buoyant with the LPI (Fin Pivot, Hover or Trim)
Clear a fully flooded mask
Alternate Air Source stationary
Explore the dive site
Check Air
Alternate Air Source Ascent
PADI Open Water Dive 3 Skills List:
Plan the dive
Buddy check
Be positive buoyancy on the surface
Decent with a visual reference using the 5-point method
Hover by orally inflating the BCD
Mask Removal and Replacement
Explore the dive site
Be streamlined and avoid touching aquatic life
Ascent and make a safety stop
PADI Open Water Dive 4 Skills List:
Plan the dive with your buddy using the PADI Dive Planning Slate
Buddy Check
Adjust weighting at the surface
Descent with no visual reference using the 5 point method
Explore the dive site with a buddy
Keep checking air and return pressure
5-point ascent with a buddy and a safety stop
Frequently Asked Questions About the PADI Open Water Diver Course
What is the PADI Open Water Diver course?
The PADI Open Water Diver course is the world’s most popular scuba certification program, introducing beginners to the fundamentals of scuba diving. It combines theoretical knowledge, confined water training, and open water dives to equip students with the skills and confidence needed to dive independently.i
Who is eligible to enroll in the PADI Open Water Diver course?
Anyone aged 10 years or older, in good physical health, and possessing basic swimming skills can enroll in the PADI Open Water Diver course. No prior scuba diving experience is required.
What does the PADI Open Water Diver course entail?
The course typically includes:
- Five knowledge development sessions (online or in a classroom)
- Five confined water dives to learn basic scuba skills
- Four open water dives to practice skills and explore
This comprehensive approach ensures students gain both theoretical understanding and practical experience.
How long does it take to complete the PADI Open Water Diver course?
The course duration varies but generally spans 3 to 4 days. Some dive centers offer flexible schedules, allowing students to complete the course over consecutive days or spread out over weekends.
Where can I take the PADI Open Water Diver course?
The PADI Open Water Diver course is available at PADI dive centers and resorts worldwide. Popular destinations include tropical locations like Koh Tao, Thailand, known for their clear waters and vibrant marine life.
Conclusion
I hope that by reading this you now have a better understanding of the PADI Open Water course. Please check out the “learn more” pages that go into much more detail of the different parts of the PADI Open Water. This diving course is amazing, easy and shouldn’t be that scary at all and it can take you to places you can only dream of and see creatures that look like they came straight out of a silence fiction movie. Forget about just watching underwater documentaries, you can be part of this underwater world by taking the PADI Open Water Diver Course.
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