Putting the theory into practice at home, instead of spending 4-5 days of your holiday studying and practicing skills in a pool, you�ll arrive with the majority of your open water course done.
The final portion of the course typically takes a day and a half to complete. Once certified, you can spend the rest of your time exploring and gaining additional dive experience.
Becoming a certified diver has three phases
- Phase one: Knowledge development. This is the theory part of the PADI Open Water Course, and you can opt to learn in the classroom or with PADI eLearning at your own pace from home or wherever you are.
- Phase two: Confined water. This is where you get to go underwater for the first time! You�ll practice using scuba gear in a pool (or pool-like environment) until you�re comfortable. During the confined water sessions, you�ll learn the basic scuba diving skills in a progressive order, where each skill builds on the ones previous to it. PADI training includes practice �mini dives� to help you build confidence in your new abilities and practice your skills in various scenarios.
- Phase three: Open water dives. This is the best part � it�s what you�ve been waiting for! The open water portion includes four dives in open (unrestricted water), including bodies of water such as the sea, lake, or flooded quarries.
PADI Open Water Diver is the first scuba certification level that allows you to dive independently (with a buddy but without an Instructor or other scuba diving professional). A highly-trained PADI Instructor will teach you to scuba dive in a relaxed, supportive learning environment. By the end of the course, you�ll have the skills and knowledge to dive at home or abroad and be an ambassador for the underwater world
You�ll complete some or all of the two phases (knowledge development and confined water) with an open water referral before leaving home. You can finish the final part of your scuba course, the open water dives, aka �check out dives,� anywhere.
