Academic
You'll plan your learning path with your instructor by choosing from a long list of Adventure Dives. There are two required dives - Deep and Underwater Navigation - and you choose the other three, for a total of five dives.
During the Deep Adventure Dive, you learn how to plan dives to deal with the physiological effects and challenges of deeper scuba diving. The Underwater Navigation Adventure Dive refines your compass navigation skills and helps you better navigate using kick-cycles, visual landmarks and time.
The other knowledge and skills you get vary with your interest and the adventures you have - photography, buoyancy control, fish identification, exploring wrecks and many more.
Prerequisites & Requirements
Age Requirement: 12 years or older
Course Prerequisites: Open Water Diver/Junior Open Water Diver (or qualifying certification)
Time Commitment: Approximately 2 days
Equipment
You'll need a dive computer along with the rest of your basic scuba equipment. A dive light and slate are also recommended. Your PADI Instructor or local dive center staff may suggest other gear appropriate for local deep diving.
Getting Started
Sign up for Advanced Open Water Diver Online - PADI's AOWD eLearning option - to get started immediately. The web-based system lets you learn about seven of the most popular Adventures Dives - including the required Deep and Underwater Navigation Adventure Dives, plus Boat, Night, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Underwater Naturalist and Wreck Adventure Dives. You study at your own pace through an easy to use, interactive program. You also have access to an online version of the Advanced Open Water Diver manual and can complete sections for other Adventure Dives as directed by your PADI Instructor.
You can also choose to read the Advanced Open Water Diver manual and watch the Advanced Open Water Diver video (a book and DVD package). Stop by your local PADI Dive Center and Resort to enroll in the course, get your materials and start learning. Your PADI Instructor will meet with you to schedule knowledge review sessions along with your Adventure Dives.
Medical Requirements
Scuba diving requires a minimum level of health and fitness. Chronic health conditions, certain medications and/or recent surgery may require you to get written approval from a physician before diving.
Avoid disappointment, download and review the Diver Medical Form to ensure you won’t need a physician’s approval to dive before enrolling in a scuba course. Instructors, divemasters and dive shop staff are not physicians and should not be asked for medical advice; only medical professionals can give medical clearance to dive.
If you (or your physician) have questions about medical fitness to dive, contact the experts at Divers Alert Network (DAN).
Advanced Open Water Diver Course
