PADI Advanced Open Water Diver
Expand your diving horizons. Five adventure dives across two days, designed to build on your existing skills and unlock deeper, more diverse dive sites worldwide.
What you need
Course Structure
Certification
Not starting over. Going further.
The PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course is about gaining more experience, improving your control in the water, and exploring new types of diving. This isn’t a beginner repeat — it’s the next chapter.
You’ll complete five adventure dives, each focused on a different aspect of diving, while continuing to develop your skills in a practical and relaxed environment.
Two mandatory dives. Three you choose.
The two required dives — Deep and Underwater Navigation — build the foundational skills every advanced diver needs.
For the remaining three, you and your instructor choose based on what interests you and what conditions allow. Common electives include Peak Performance Buoyancy, Night Dive, Wreck Dive, Search and Recovery, and Dry Suit.
How the course works
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01
Paperwork and course planning
~30 minWe complete the necessary paperwork and plan your five adventure dives together — based on your interests, local conditions, and any specialties you want to focus on.
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02
Theory — eLearning or instructor guidance
~2–3 hours totalEach adventure dive includes a short knowledge review. You can complete these online at your own pace via PADI eLearning, or with in-person guidance before each dive.
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03
Deep Dive (mandatory)
~45 min · to 30mLearn how to safely plan and conduct dives up to 30 meters. You’ll cover depth awareness, gas management, and the physiological considerations of deeper diving.
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04
Underwater Navigation (mandatory)
~45 minDevelop your ability to navigate underwater using a compass and natural references. A core skill that makes every future dive safer and more enjoyable.
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05
Three elective adventure dives
~3 dives · your choiceChoose three from Peak Performance Buoyancy, Night Dive, Wreck Dive, Search and Recovery, Dry Suit, and more. Each focuses on practical experience and a specific skill area.
What you will gain
Dive up to 30 meters
Triple the maximum depth of your Open Water cert — access deeper sites, dramatic walls, and rare marine life.
Wider dive site access
Many of the world’s best dive sites require Advanced certification — wrecks, walls, and remote locations open up.
Real underwater confidence
Five dives in varied conditions build the kind of comfort and awareness that only real experience can give.
A foundation for specialties
Each elective dive is a taste of a full PADI specialty — letting you discover what you want to pursue next.
No — the course is designed for divers who have just completed their PADI Open Water Diver certification. It’s a great way to gain more experience and confidence under the guidance of a PADI professional.
The course can be completed in as little as two days, but you can also spread it out over a longer period to suit your schedule.
Yes — after certification, you’ll be qualified to dive up to 30 meters (100 feet), giving you access to deeper and more challenging dive sites worldwide.
You can start the course at 12 years old, but the depth limit for divers under 15 is 21 meters. The full 30-meter Deep Dive can only be completed once you’re 15 or older. Younger divers receive a Junior Advanced Open Water certification that upgrades automatically at 15.