The PADI Open Water Diver course consists of 5 knowledge development sessions (manual, video and classroom learning), five confined water (pool) modules and four open water dives. This course takes approximately four to five days.
The only difference between the Adventure Diver and Advanced Open Water Diver courses is the number of dives and which dives the student must perform. To obtain the Adventure Diver certification, students can elect to do any 3 dives. To obtain the Advanced Open Water rating, however, students must do a deep dive, a navigation dive, and 3 elective dives for a total of 5 dives.
Some specialties such as Wreck Diver and Deep Diver require you to have your Advanced Open Water certification before beginning the class. The reason is that these specialties require navigation or deep diving skills that must be mastered before you can safely begin the course. Your PADI instructor can tell you what prerequisites exist for the specialty you are interested in.
If you’re already certified through a recognized agency, it’s often possible to make the switch simply by enrolling in a PADI course that’s equivalent to your next level of training. For example, if you have an entry-level certification from NAUI or CMAS, you may qualify to enroll in a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course. Most recognized training agencies have equivalent certification levels, simply inquire at Southeast Texas Scuba which continuing education course you’re eligible to take. It’s worth noting that you can’t receive a certification unless you complete that specific course, i.e. you cannot convert your entry-level NAUI certification to a PADI Open Water Diver certification unless you complete the Open Water training and theory. Instead, you must complete the next course (i.e. Advanced Open Water), and become certified as a PADI diver thereafter.
There are many PADI program/courses that are offered to youth. All of which are great ways to discover the wonderful world of diving. Some of these are:
- Discover Snorkeling (there is no minimum age)
- Skin Diver ( minimum age 8 years old)
- PADI Seal Team ( minimum age 8 years old)
- Bubblemaker ( minimum age 8 years old)
- Discover Scuba Diving ( minimum age 10 years old)
- Discover Local Diving ( minimum age 10 years old)
- Junior Scuba Diver ( minimum age 10 years old)
- Junior Open Water Diver ( minimum age 10 years old)
- Junior Adventure Diver ( minimum age 10 years old)
- Junior Advanced Open Water ( minimum age 12 years old)
- Junior Rescue Diver ( minimum age 12 years old)
- Junior Master Diver ( minimum age 12 years old)
All of these programs/courses are available though Southeast Texas Scuba so please come by or contact us so we can talk about scheduling classes.
You must be a minimum of age 16 years old to be a Open Water Diver but can be minimum age 10 years old to be a Junior Open water Diver.
The only difference between the PADI Open Water Scuba Diver Course and the PADI Junior Open Water Scuba Diver Course are depth restrictions for Junior open water divers. The depth restrictions for Junior open water divers is a maximum depth of 12 meter/40 feet. A junior open water diver age 10-11 years old is restricted to diving with a parent, guardian, or PADI Professional. A junior open water diver 12-14 must dive with an adult certified diver.
Electronic learning (eLearning) is the delivery of education online, using web-based technology. PADI eLearning allows you to begin your dive education at your convenience, on the internet, and finish your training in the water with a PADI Professional. With PADI eLearning, you complete the knowledge development (classroom) portion of the most popular classes at your own pace – studying anytime and anywhere you have a high-speed internet connection. If you have a busy schedule or just prefer the convenience of online study, eLearning is a good choice.
Standard Diver Equipment at a minimum:
- Fins, mask and snorkel
- Compressed gas cylinder and valve*
- Buoyancy control device (BCD), and low pressure inflator*
- Primary regulator and alternate air source*
- Breathing gas monitoring device (e.g. submersible pressure gauge)*
- Depth monitoring device*
- Quick release weight system and weights (if necessary for neutral buoyancy)*
- Adequate exposure protection appropriate for local dive conditions.*
- At least one audible emergency surface signaling device (whistle, air horn, etc.).
- One visible (inflatable surface tube, flare, signal mirror, etc.).
- Dive computer or RDP (eRDPML or Table)*
- Knife/diver’s tool
- Dive flag – where required locally*
- Items designated with a * are equipment provided to students during class and available for rental after certification.
Open water dives are conducted in a body of water significantly larger than a swimming pool offering conditions typical of a natural body of water encountered by divers. 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.
To credit as a logged dive the dive takes place in open water and specific information about the dive (i.e. date, time, location, depth, profile, etc.) is recorded. Training dives for PADI courses (in open water) qualify as logged dives.
We’ve seen it countless times; a diver with a new mask so fogged you can’t even see his eyes – even after repeated applications of a defog solution! This can be extremely frustrating and even dangerous. What is happening here with new masks is that during the manufacturing process a thin film of silicone accumulates on the mask lens. This silicone is resistant to any of the conventional de-fogging measures. The solution is to “pre-treat” or “prep” the mask by removing this film prior to its use.