Welcome to the Dive Life: Steps After Certification

You’ve just become a certified PADI Open Water Diver—congrats! Your card’s in your pocket, and the ocean is calling. So what’s next? It’s normal to feel excited (and a little nervous) about diving without your instructor. That feeling means you’re ready to grow.

Let’s look at the easy steps for new open water divers that you should follow to learn how to dive with confidence and make the most of your new adventure.

6 Smart Steps for New Open Water Divers

Are you looking for some smart steps for new open water divers? Here are a few suggestions:

• Grab a Buddy and Dive.
• Join a Local Dive Club.
• Join PADI Club.
• Take the Pledge – Save the Ocean.
• Immerse Yourself (While on Land).

Grab a Buddy and Dive

The sooner the better. One of the important steps for new open water divers to take is to start their diving adventures at one of their training sites to build confidence. It’s common sense advice, because you already have predive briefs and local insights from your instructor.

It will also be an amazing and different experience when you explore a “training” site freely, how much fun!! So, get your gear and go. If you don’t have all the needed gear yet, rent it from a local PADI Dive Shop instead. Use your open water skills while they’re still fresh.

Join a Local Dive Club

Having like-minded friends is a big part of launching your new dive life. It is recommended to start with the dive shop’s club if they’ve got one.

Otherwise, with moments of research, you will get many options no matter where you live. You’ll get ready dive buddies, and lots to learn and experience.

Join PADI Club

PADI Club™ connects divers and ocean enthusiasts worldwide who are also interested in living their best life above and beneath the waves. There are also a ton of PADI Club benefits to help you maintain your diver status, for example:

• Special dive trips to the best dive spots.
• 20% off most PADI online courses
• A free eCard every year (in addition to exclusive designs for the members of PADI Club).
• Free Scuba Diving magazine subscription.
• Get 25% off one new cert card per year.
• Special deals from PADI Club partners.

Plus, PADI Club membership fees directly support ocean conservation via the PADI AWARE Foundation™.

Take the Pledge – Save the Ocean

As a new Open Water Diver, Your certification empowers you to turn passion into ocean-saving action in order to protect our blue planet. You can help with many choices, such as coral restoration, clear marine debris, or spread ocean awareness.

Dive with purpose, pledge as an Ocean Torchbearer and turn local action into a global change.

Immerse Yourself (While on Land)

If you can’t explore other options right away, just dive in and make the most of your scuba time. It’s the best way to keep you interested and enhance your dive knowledge after the PADI Open Water Diver course. You could:

• Subscribe to a few dive magazines.
• Jump into virtual reality diving.
• Plan your ultimate dive trip.
• Practice basic skills on land.
• Enroll in your next PADI eLearning course.

What Comes After PADI Open Water Diver?

The Advanced Open Water Diver course is made in a specific way to help divers – especially new Open Water Divers – Sharpen your skills across dive types—from deep to night dives.

Remember, you’ll become an Advanced Open Water Diver when you complete your course; at the beginning, you don’t have to be “advanced one”.

It is also considered a smart way to experience new dive spots and conditions that will increase your choices later. Think about your current skills, then try to imagine how it will be after five more dives under your belt.