Advanced Open Water Diver
Take your diving further, faster
2 days
PADI Certified
Course booking
From
£435.00
Need help choosing? Our team can match the course to your experience, goals and confidence level.
PADI 5-Star
Instructor Development Centre
Small Groups
Real Instructor Attention
Unit 4, Bellman Court, Great Knollys Street, Reading, RG1 7HD
Diving Academy
Safety First
Confidence Before Speed
Course overview
What to expect
Advanced Open Water Diver
Ready to stop treading water at Open Water level and actually start exploring? This course drops you straight into five Adventure Dives over two days: a genuine deep dive beyond your previous limit, underwater navigation, then three more from wrecks, night diving, photography, buoyancy or nitrox. Most divers walk away with a real jump in confidence and control, plus a certification that unlocks better dive sites worldwide, and it sets you up perfectly for Rescue Diver next.
In detail
About This Course
The PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course is where diving stops feeling like a series of lessons and starts feeling like an adventure. Rather than more classroom theory, the course is built around five Adventure Dives that push your skills and confidence under the direct guidance of an instructor, making it an ideal next step straight after Open Water certification.
Two dives are fixed: a deep dive that takes you to depths beyond your Open Water limit under close supervision, and an underwater navigation dive that sharpens your ability to find your way using natural references and a compass. Both are genuinely useful, confidence building skills that carry into every future dive.
The remaining three Adventure Dives are yours to choose, with options including Digital Underwater Photography, Dive Against Debris, Dry Suit, Enriched Air Nitrox, Fish Identification, Night, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Search and Recovery, Underwater Naturalist and Wreck Diver. This flexibility lets you shape the course around what excites you most, whether that is macro photography, exploring wrecks, or simply diving more efficiently.
By the end of two days, most divers notice a real jump in comfort, buoyancy control and situational awareness underwater. Advanced Open Water Diver also opens the door to PADI Rescue Diver, widely considered one of the most rewarding courses in the entire PADI system.
The process
How The Course Works
Step 1
Deep & Navigation Dives
Two dives are non-negotiable here: a genuine deep dive that pushes you past your previous depth limit, and an underwater navigation dive that gets you finding your way without relying on a guide. Between the two, you leave with real skills, not just a higher number on your certification card.
PADI states: the Deep and Underwater Navigation Adventure Dives are both required.
Step 2
Choose Your Own Three
The remaining three Adventure Dives are yours to pick, built around what excites you and what the local environment does best - think night diving, wrecks, drift, boat diving or peak buoyancy control. It's the part of the course that ends up shaping which specialty you chase next.
PADI states: you choose three further Adventure Dives from options such as Peak Performance Buoyancy, Night Diving, Wreck Diving, Drift Diving and more.
Step 3
A Head Start on Specialties
Every Adventure Dive you complete can double as the first dive of the matching PADI Specialty Diver course, at your instructor's discretion. So the five dives you do here don't just finish Advanced - they can quietly get you started on whatever you decide to certify in next.
Course curriculum
What You'll Learn
Learning Outcomes
- Deep diving
- Underwater navigation
- Three elective Adventure Dives chosen from options such as Digital Underwater Photography, Dive Against Debris, Dry Suit, Enriched Air Nitrox, Fish Identification, Night, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Search and Recovery, Underwater Naturalist, or Wreck Diver
Getting ready
Before You Start & What's Next
What's Included
- Advanced Open Water Diver Online eLearning covering the required Deep and Underwater Navigation dives plus optional Boat, Night, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Underwater Naturalist and Wreck Adventure Dives
Prerequisites
- PADI (Junior) Open Water Diver certification
- Minimum age 12
Next Steps
- PADI Rescue Diver
Upcoming training
Dates & Booking
No fixed dates listed right now
Choose your preferred start date and the academy will confirm instructor availability with you directly.
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Not sure where to start?
We will help you pick the right course, package and dates without making the process feel complicated.
Quick facts
Duration
2 days of structured training
Location
Unit 4, Bellman Court, Great Knollys Street, Reading, RG1 7HD
Certification
Recognised PADI qualification on completion
Have questions?
We're here to help
Our course directors can talk you through Advanced Open Water Diver, confirm it's the right fit for your experience, and help you find a date that works.
From
£435.00
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