OPEN WATER DIVER COURSE & CERTIFICATION
Learning to dive is something that most people have on their bucket list. Diving is not only our passion, it’s our way of life and something we strongly recommend everyone tries. Many ask, what is it like to go diving? From the moment you enter the water, there is a complete disconnect from the world above. Many describe their time underwater as a peaceful experience, where they are completely present and able to enjoy life. Our seas and oceans provide beautiful and vibrant corals, abundant schools of fish, and even the opportunity to see a shark or manta ray. But perhaps what we enjoy most about scuba diving, is the opportunity to enjoy it together. Even when the dive ends, the adventure continues as share and relieve your underwater adventures. There are so many different ways to enjoy scuba diving, it truly offers something for everyone.
To become a scuba diver, the first step is to complete your Open Water Scuba Diving course. Below you will find the answer to commonly asked questions such as how long does it take to complete the course, can you start from your home or can you only do it on your vacation, and what can you expect from this course? We’ve taken the time to thoroughly outline the Open Water Scuba Diving Course and anything you need to know before starting your course can be found below. We look forward to helping you start your underwater journey soon!
LEARN TO DIVE ON YOUR HOLIDAY
Sunshine, blue skies, and warm weather are ideal conditions for an amazing holiday. But imagine adding amazing marine life that you’ve always dreamed about seeing with the adventure of learning something new? Learning to dive on a holiday is a great and enjoyable way to start your underwater adventure.
Many divers start their underwater adventure with a Discover Scuba Dive, or commonly thought of as a try-dive. Under the direct supervision of a scuba instructor, you participate in a brief overview of scuba diving followed by the opportunity to breathe underwater using scuba equipment. For many, this experience is so enjoyable, they continue on with their PADI Open Water Scuba certification. Whether you start with a try dive, or you jump right into the Open Water Scuba course, the best part of learning to scuba dive on vacation is there are so many amazing destinations it can be done!
Once you’ve decided to become a certified scuba diver, the course can be completed in a handful of days. Some worry that completing the course on their vacation will ruin the fun of being on vacation – nothing could be further from the truth! Learning to scuba dive on your vacation provides a perfect opportunity for adventure and fun as you learn something new. If you’d like to get a jump start on your coursework, PADI’s eLearning curriculum allows you to complete the theoretical portion of the course at your own pace at home before your vacation even starts!
CAN EVERYBODY LEARN TO DIVE?
Scuba diving is generally considered a safe activity for most, but there are some restrictions as to who can dive. If you are over the age of 10, physically fit, can swim, and with no preexisting medical conditions, you should be able to learn to dive. Once you become scuba certified, your certification never expires which allows divers to continue their underwater adventures into their senior years.
KIDS AND DIVING
There are many different opportunities for children to start their underwater adventure. Starting at the age of 8, they can complete PADI Bubblemaker and PADI Seal Team programs, which can give them credit towards becoming a certified diver.
A MEDICAL CONDITION?
Unfortunately, there are medical circumstances under which it is advisable not to go diving. If you have a preexisting medical condition or other general concerns about your physical health, please ask our instructors. Before starting your underwater adventure, we may need you to seek medical clearance from a medical doctor.
At the age of 10 children can complete their PADI Junior Open Water Diver certification. As their bodies are still growing and developing, there are additional guidelines in place in regards to depth and supervision to help ensure their safety underwater. Junior Open Water divers can go to a maximum of 12 meters (instead of 18 meters like an open water diver) and children ages 10 and 11 must dive under the direct supervision of a PADI Professional. The great news is these restrictions are automatically removed as soon as they reach the required age so no additional coursework is needed for them to become an Open Water Scuba Diver.
WHY A PADI OPEN WATER DIVER COURSE?
With a PADI Open Water Diver certification, you can go diving anywhere in the world. In the past 50 years over 27 million people have been taught to dive according to the PADI guidelines, making PADI the most popular and widespread diving curriculum. PADI’s recognition throughout the globe gives you the flexibility to go to any PADI dive center to complete your next certification course and have that certification accepted throughout the world.
Over the past 50 years, PADI has developed a world-learning scuba curriculum that helps instructors develop safe and confident divers. Through its use of video presentations, books, and e-Learning modules, students learn about scuba equipment, diver safety, the physiological effects of diving, basic scuba skills, and so much more. After the theoretical component of the course, you and your instructor will safely start your skills training in confined water before advancing to the open water where you will complete real dives together. Through this multitiered approach, you will understand, practice, and apply the skills and concepts needed to be an open water scuba diver.
If you chose to complete your knowledge development in the classroom environment your instructor will provide you with the ‘PADI open water diver manual’, which is available in almost every language. Under the guidance of our instructors, you will work through the book chapter by chapter. Each chapter has quick exercise questions to allow you to practice applying your newly gained knowledge. After completing the chapter, you will watch a corresponding video to further enhance your understanding of the concepts. Each chapter concludes with knowledge review questions to assess your understanding. After completing the necessary coursework for all five chapters, your knowledge development finishes with a comprehensive theoretical exam. Don’t worry, throughout this your PADI Instructor will be there to help answer any questions you might have or further explain any concepts you’d like more information about.
We believe learning is enhanced when the theoretical sessions are combined with skill practice. Therefore, we often switch between working on your theory in the classroom and practicing your skills in confined water. Our instructors and divers often prefer this method to keep your course fun and engaging. Your instructor will guide you through this process and adjust the delivery of activities to best meet your needs.
The ‘PADI open water diver manual’ has chapters that cover everything from how to set up a scuba kit, how you breathe effectively underwater, what is good dive equipment, the effects that diving can have on your body, the different types of water movement, and much more. The manuals combination of written text and abundant visuals go a long way in helping students understand these concepts.
E-LEARNING IS AN OPTION
As an alternative to the book, PADI e-learning utilizes interactive modules to study the same knowledge and information through listening, reading, and responding. To complete your theory using e-Learning, the only thing you need is an internet connection. E-Learning provides you with the flexibility to start anywhere at any time, and to progress at your own time and pace. We highly recommend completing your e-Learning prior to the start of your vacation and scuba course.
To learn more about e-Learning, send us a message and we are happy to help you.
Your first breaths underwater will take place in a controlled and safe environment. Usually, that is a pool but depending on the location of your course it may also be a body of water that has conditions similar to a swimming pool. In this safe and controlled environment, your instructor will introduce you to the basic scuba diving skills and allow you to practice each skill until you can confidently repeat them. The five confined water sessions will introduce you to skills that help you breathe safely underwater, adjust your mask underwater, utilize hand signals to communicate with others, how to safely ascend and descend, how to maintain your buoyancy, and many more skills.
Learning to dive is an adventure, however, for some taking their first breaths underwater and learning new skills can be challenging. Our team of instructors understands not all of our students learn the same way. Through small group instruction, we break each skill down step by step and provide as many different methods to complete each skill. We are here to support you and when needed provide extra instruction and training to help develop your confidence underwater.
At the completion of your confined water sessions, you are now ready to enter the open water with your instructor. With your instructor, you will complete 4 training dives from either a boat or the shore. During these dives, you will continue to practice the skills you learned in confined water and explore the reef under the direct supervision of your instructor. Like your confined water sessions, our team of instructors is prepared to provide any additional guidance and support to help develop your confidence underwater.
Our instructors will provide you with the equipment and materials needed to complete your open water scuba diver course. All students will be provided with either the ‘PADI Open Water Diver Manual’ or access to PADI’s online e-learning modules. They will also be provided with a scuba kit that includes a wetsuit, mask, snorkel, fins, buoyancy control device (BCD), regulator with pressure gauge, and a dive computer.
You are not expected to purchase your own equipment to complete the course, however, we strongly encourage all our divers to purchase their own equipment. It’s simple, divers who have their own equipment are more comfortable underwater. If you are interested in purchasing your own equipment we are partners with Aqua Lung and Apeks; two world-leading manufacturers of scuba diving equipment with an outstanding reputation for design, quality, and performance.
Your PADI Open Water Diver course is complete after you successfully finish all 5 knowledge reviews and theoretical exam, completed the 5 training sessions in confined water, and the 4 open water dives. Upon completion of these, we will submit your application to PADI and they will email you a digital certification card. Your certification card proves you are an Open Water Scuba Diver and can be used to continue your diving adventures at dive centers throughout the world.
WHO WILL TEACH YOU TO DIVE?
Our team of instructors at Deco Divers has an outstanding reputation for providing fun, safe, and transformational courses and experiences. What makes us so great? Well for one, our team of instructors was trained under the guidance of PADI Course Director Ahmed Mamdouh. PADI Course Directors have achieved the highest ranking within PADI, which ensures their teaching practices are up to date with industry standards. Our team strives to be the best instructors in our region and with Ahmed Mamdouh’s guidance, we constantly seek professional growth to increase our knowledge and enhance our instructional skills, so we can continue to deliver the best instruction to our students.
For our team of instructors, diving is more than just a career. Many of us walked away from professional careers to pursue our passion for diving. Our passion leads us to go beyond the requirements for course completion. We strive to create divers who are confident and competent underwater, advocate for marine conservation, and see the opportunity for lifelong underwater exploration.
Lastly, our team of instructors are extremely flexible and can deliver PADI Courses in a wide variety of locations. Please contact our team to learn more about the different options we have for your course.
NOW YOU ARE AN OPEN WATER DIVER, WHAT IS NEXT?
As a newly certified diver, it’s time to start enjoying the wonders of the underwater world. We invite you to stay for a few days after your course to continue to gain confidence as a diver – it’s quite common for divers to need more dives to gain confidence and experience. Together we can explore local reefs from either the shore or a daily diving boat.
PADI Open Water Divers are certified to dive with a buddy up to a depth of 18 meters. For divers interested in diving to greater depths, in currents, caves, or wrecks, or even at night, additional training is needed. Short courses, called specialty courses, are available to receive training on diving in specific conditions or situations. If you have an interest in learning these specialized skills, take a look at:
Besides specialty courses, most divers chose to become a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver. In the Advanced Open Water course, you will receive more specialized training while completing five training dives. All students complete a deep and navigation dive and then select three additional training dives with their instructors. Popular options are peak performance boat diver, buoyancy, drift diving, and night diving. For more information please go to: