Advanced Open Water Diver
Fact: In the 1970′s, PADI, NAUI, YMCA and the LA County Scuba Program got together in a series of meetings lasting a year. Through trials and surveys, they determined it takes a new scuba student 9 dives to become familiar with their gear…and 18 months to master the “skills” taught in an Advanced Open Water Program.
Now that you’re a certified diver, you’ve taken your first plunge into the larger world of scuba diving. You can continue your journey in the PADI Advanced Open Water Course. Whether you’re fresh out of your Open Water class or if you have 75 dives beneath the sea, the Advanced Open Water class will help you build the skills you need under the watchful eyes of an instructor to lead you.
Achieving your Advanced Open Water certification, you will be allowed to participate in advanced dives, such as wreck, drift and deep, independent of supervision. Throughout the world, you will be recognized as a more capable and confident diver with your PADI Advanced Open Water certification card. And achieving your advanced certification in the Northwest? Highly respected by divemasters and instructors throughout the tropical world.
The PADI Advanced Open Water course is structured by allowing you to do independent study before class through book or DVD. We then meet to do 5 dives, with the required Deep and Underwater Navigation included. The other three dives can vary, however, we stick to the dives that build Advanced divers. Our dives typically are a mix of Search and Recovery, Underwater Photography, Night, Drift or Underwater Naturalist. The dives for each course section are chosen based on the tides and currents available on the given weekend. Beyond these core components, we also place emphasis on good buddy skills and communication, gas management, buoyancy mastery and fish identification.
Your training in the PADI Advanced Open Water program builds on the philosophy: Knowledge and skills first, in combination with appropriate equipment selection and experience in different diving environments is the key to becoming a skilled, confident diver.
How to begin?
Pre-requisite: Open Water Certification from ANY recognized agency(NAUI, PADI, SSI, SDI and others) and the desire to learn. Student should own their own gear, however, if you don’t…give us a call and we’ll arrange it for you.
Step 1: Email us to make a reservation in the next class with available openings.
2010 Classes:
- Aug 28/29 - 2 spots open
- Sept 25/26 - 2 spots open
- Oct 15/16 – 6 spots open
- Oct 29-31 – 6 spots open
Step 2: Click through to the Dive Shack and make your payment through our secure PayPal server, or arrange to mail a check to GirlDiver headquarters. Your books will be shipped to the address on the PayPal invoice so you can get started reading about your upcoming adventures. If registering for a class in the future, a $100 deposit (non refundable) will hold your spot with balance due 30 days prior to class.
Required Gear:
- Primary light
- Back Up light
- Surface Marker Buoy
- Dive Knife
PADI Advanced Open Water includes:
- 5 – 7 Advanced Dives
- Independent Home Study
- Class sessions covering gas management and reading current tables for the Pacific Northwest
- Free scuba equipment rentals, airfills and certification card
- Guaranteed fun
Upon completion, when you show your Advanced Open Water card, you will be eligible for:
- Participation in Advanced boat diving expeditions
- Tropical Eco-Adventure trips including wreck diving and cavern exploration
- Qualified to enroll in PADI Rescue Diver course, Wreck Diving Specialty and Cavern or Ice Diving specialties.
Check out our classes in The Dive Shack!