PADI – Open Water Diver

Who should take this course?

If you’ve always wanted to take scuba diving lessons, experience unparalleled adventure and see the world beneath the waves, this is where it starts. Get your scuba diving certification with the PADI Open Water Diver course – the world’s most popular and widely recognized scuba course. Millions of people have learned to scuba dive and gone on to discover the wonders of the aquatic world through this course.

To enroll in a PADI Open Water Diver course (or Junior Open Water Diver course), you must be 10 years old or older. You need adequate swimming skills and need to be in good physical health. No prior experience with scuba diving is required.

What will you learn?

The PADI Open Water Diver course consists of three main phases:

• Knowledge Development ( online, independent study or in a classroom) to understand basic principles of scuba diving
• Confined Water Dives to learn basic scuba skills
• Open Water Dives to use your skills and explore!

What scuba gear will you use?

In the PADI Open Water Diver course, you learn to use basic scuba gear, including a mask, snorkel, fins, regulator, buoyancy control device and a tank. The equipment you wear varies, depending upon whether you’re diving in tropical, temperate or cold water.

Check with your local dive center about the gear you’ll use during this course and get advice about everything you need from your PADI Instructor.

Next Step

Breathing underwater for the first time is something you’ll never forget, so don’t wait.

• Sign up for  Open Water Diver Online and start learning right away.
• Enroll in a PADI Open Water Diver course at your local  PADI Dive Center or Resort.
• Try scuba diving with the  Discover Scuba Diving program.
• Download a Medical Statement and Questionnaire (pdf).
• Browse the  scuba certification FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions).