PADI Advanced Open Water Diver
- Duration
- 2–3 days, five adventure dives
- Needs
- PADI Open Water Diver, or an equivalent certification. Minimum age 12.
- Includes
- Full equipment, PADI e-learning and certification, boat dives with an instructor

About the course
Advanced Open Water is the next step after Open Water Diver. It builds on the skills you already have and gives you more experience with a PADI Instructor beside you. You don’t need any dives beyond those from your Open Water course, and many divers go straight on to it.
There is little study compared with Open Water, and no final exam. You complete the knowledge reviews through PADI eLearning before you arrive or with your instructor on the island.
Five Adventure Dives
Two dives are part of every course. You choose the other three with your instructor.
Deep
Plan and make a dive below 18 m, down to 30 m (21 m for divers aged 12 to 14). Required.
Underwater Navigation
Find your way with a compass and natural landmarks. Required.
Three of your choice. Popular around Kavaratti:
- Peak Performance Buoyancy
- Night
- Fish Identification
- Drift
- Boat
- Wreck
- Digital Underwater Imaging
Most divers finish in two days. A night dive adds an evening.
Younger divers
Divers aged 12 to 14 earn the Junior Advanced Open Water Diver certification.
After the course
Each Adventure Dive can count as the first dive of the matching PADI Specialty course. Advanced Open Water (or Adventure Diver including the Underwater Navigation dive) is the prerequisite for PADI Rescue Diver.
Bring
Your certification card or its e-card, and your logbook if you have one.
