Ready to push past the surface? The PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Course is your passport to deeper adventures, new skills, and unforgettable underwater experiences. Whether you are looking for exploring shipwrecks, drifting with currents, or simply feeling more confident at depth, this course opens the door to the next level of diving freedom.

The Questions We Answer About in This Article

Curious about the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Course? Let’s break down the most common questions divers ask, and give you clear, simple answers:

• What is the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course?
• How hard can be the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course?
• The Open Water Diver Vs Advanced Open Water Diver, What are the Main Differences?
• How many dives needed for the Advanced Open Water Diver course?
• What Dives Included in the Advanced Open Water Diver Course?
• How long does PADI AOW eLearning take?
• What’s the minimum age for the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course?
• Are there any other requirements for the PADI AOW course?
• Is Advanced Open Water Diver worth it?
• What are the depth limits with a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certification?
• How much does a PADI AOW course cost?

What Is the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Course?

With the Advanced Open Water Diver course from PADI, you improve your scuba skills, gain confidence and delve into new experiences under the subrivision of an experienced PADI Instructor.

You’ll practice underwater navigation, make a deep dive in addition to three Adventure Dives of your choosing.

How Hard Can Be the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Course?

Many people have worries about the Advanced Open Water Diver course as they think it will be more difficult than the Open Water Diver course. But, actually the opposite is true (you can ask any advanced scuba diver or PADI instructor).

Don’t forget that the Open Water Diver course is designed to turn people who have never used scuba gear into underwater explorers. And this is a huge transformation.

On the other hand, the Advanced Open Water course is all about enhaning your scuba skills that you already mastered in the entry-level course in addition to experiencing new activities, that works on building your skills, abilities, and confidence. You learn all that by diving with an experienced PADI Instructor.

The Open Water Diver Vs Advanced Open Water Diver, What are the Main Differences?

During the Open Water Diver course, you learn all the basics of the scuba diving: the proper way of assembling scuba gear, How to conduct safe ascents and descents, etc. In the Advanced Open Water Diver course, you ingrain your scuba skills in addition to trying different types of diving activities.

Although both of the two courses include open water dives with a PADI Instructor, the two courses are quite different.

The PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course include:

• Very little classroom/reading when comparing it to the Open Water Diver course.
• There is no exam to pass.
• Two adventure dives are required: a deep dive in addition to an underwater navigation dive.
• Three Adventure Dives of your choice.

The PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course resembles a sampler platter. It includes a deep dive as well as an underwater navigation dive, and you can choose the other three dives. You can try from underwater photography, night diving, wreck diving, etc.. (choose whatever interests you). There are more options below.

How Many Dives Needed for the Advanced Open Water Diver Course?

To enrol in the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course, the only requirement is an Open Water Diver certification. There is no need for any dives besides with those of the Open Water Diver course; you only need to finish all the dives involved in the training of the Open Water Diver certification.

You can enrol in the Advanced Open Water Diver training immediately aftergetting your Open Water Diver certification.

During the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course, you should complete five dives. These dives are called “Adventure Dives.”

The two required dives are: 

• The deep dive in which you will dive with the instructor beyond the limits of the Open Water Diver depth (18-30 meters/60-100 feet).
• The underwater navigation dive in which you will practice navigation and compass skills on land, then underwater.

The three remaining dives can be done as you like. Ask your PADI Instructor about the available types of adventure dives and tell him your interests to find out what suits you.

You can find these types of Adventure Dives available anywhere:

• Fish Identification.
• Night.
• Underwater Naturalist.
• Digital Underwater Imaging.
• Peak Performance Buoyancy.
• Search & Recovery.

On the other hand, you may not find the next list of specialty dives may available in all locations. Contact your chosen dive shop to confirm availability.

• Adaptive Support.
• Boat.
• Altitude.
• Delayed Surface Marker Buoy (DSMB).
• Full Face Mask.
• Rebreather.
• Cavern.
• Dive Against Debris.
• Drift.
• Dry Suit.
• Ice.
• Diver Propulsion Vehicle (DPV).
• Enriched Air.
• Sidemount.
• Self-Reliant Diving.
• Shark Conservation.
• Wreck.

BONUS: Each Adventure Dive you make can be credited toward the related PADI Specialty certification. For instance, if you choose to do a dry suit dive during your PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course and interested about this type of scuba diving, there will be remaining one of the two dives required to take the PADI Dry Suit Diver Specialty certification.

What Dives Included in the Advanced Open Water Diver Course?

It’s always a good idea to ask about the recommended choice of your PADI Instructor, but you also should consider the most interested courses to you. Here are a few suggestions to consider:

Most people aren’t good at buoyancy by nature, and there are many benefits to diale in this skill. That’s the reason for recommending the Peak Performance Buoyancy Adventure Dive to the beginners.

In case of planning to shoot underwater photos or video, choose to make the Digital Underwater Photography Adventure Dive (which includes videography skills), as it will help you avoid the common mistakes of beginner divers. Your scuba instructor will teach you the techniques that will drastically shorten the learning curve.

How Long Does the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver eLearning Take?

You can complete the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver eLearning in six to eight hours.

Other PADI AOWD Requirements

MYTH: You need to be more experienced before starting the Advanced Open Water Diver course.

The only requirement of the Advanced Open Water Diver is having a PADI Open Water Diver certification, Junior Open Water Diver certification, or have a qualifying, entry-level certification through another training organization. Other than that, the only thing you need is to be fit to dive.

What’s the Minimum Age for PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Course?

Certified scuba divers having 15 years old at least can get an Advanced Open Water Diver certification

Divers whose ages between 12 to 14 can get a Junior Advanced Open Water Diver certification

Divers having 10 and 11 years can get a Junior Adventure Diver certification. Upon reaching 12 years old, they can complete the deep dive and take a Junior Advanced Open Water Diver certification.

Is the Advanced Open Water Diver Course Worth It?

If you want to enhance your scuba skills, increase your confidence and delve into new adventures — the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course is worth it without any doubt! As mentioned above, PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course needs very little studying when comparing it to the Open Water Diver course, and no need for any exams.

In addition to that, after completing each Adventure Dive, you can take credit toward a PADI Specialty certification. In case of choosing to make a Digital Underwater Imaging Adventure Dive as a step included in your Advanced Open Water Diver course, you’ll only have one dive to earn your Digital Underwater Photographer certification.

You can also dive deeper than an Open Water Diver. With this advantage, you have the ability to visit some truly mind-blowing scuba diving destinations.

What is the depth limit With a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Certification?

With an Advanced Open Water Diver certification in your pocket, you can dive to 30 meters/100 feet.

If you want to dive to the limits of recreational diving (40 meters/130 feet), you’ll need to enroll in the PADI Deep Diver course and complete three additional dives.

The Price of the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver 

Every PADI Dive Shop is operated privetly, so the cost of any course can be different from place to place. The size of the class (a group class versus semi-private) can also have an impact on the price. Contact any local dive shop, or in the area where you will be traveling, and ask about the prices.

Before starting the course at the choosen dive shop, you can start with the eLearning part at home. This will enable you to complete the part of Knowledge Development of the course before diving into the water with your PADI Instructor. Click here to get started now.

PADI Advanced Open Water eLearning Discount

The members of PADI Club™ can get around 20% discount on the eLearning part of the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course — and many other scuba courses.