Master the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certification. Learn about course requirements, adventure dives, depth limits (30m/100ft), and how to unlock new dive sites.
The Advanced Open Water Diver (AOWD) certification is the second level of recreational scuba diving training, designed to expand your diving skills, confidence, and horizons beyond the entry-level Open Water Diver certification. Issued by PADI and other major diving organizations, this credential increases your maximum diving depth from 18 meters (60 feet) to 30 meters (100 feet) and grants access to a world of dive sites previously unavailable to entry-level divers.
Unlike its name might suggest, you don't need to be an "advanced" or experienced diver to pursue this certification. Many divers complete their Advanced Open Water training immediately after finishing their Open Water Diver course, with some doing both courses over consecutive weekends or during a single diving vacation.
The Advanced Open Water Diver course is fundamentally different from the Open Water Diver course in structure and approach. While the Open Water course focuses on teaching foundational scuba skills and safety fundamentals, the Advanced course is a practical, adventure-focused program with minimal classroom time and no written exams. Instead, you learn by doing—completing five "Adventure Dives" that each focus on a specific diving skill or specialty.
There are numerous compelling reasons to pursue Advanced Open Water Diver certification:
Many of the world's most spectacular dive sites require Advanced Open Water Diver certification or above. Notable examples include:
Wrecks: The legendary WWII shipwrecks in Chuuk Lagoon (Truk Lagoon) lie at 30-40 meters (100-130 feet). Without Advanced certification, these historic dives are inaccessible. Wreck diving offers a unique blend of history, marine life, and exploration that captivates divers worldwide.
The Blue Hole, Belize: This iconic dive site is only recommended for Advanced-certified divers due to its 30-meter depth and specialized structure.
The Angelita Cenote, Mexico: At 30 meters, you descend through a surreal white cloud of sulfur and hydrogen before entering a layer of crystal-clear freshwater—a unique experience unavailable to Open Water Divers.
Deep Reef Systems: Many vibrant coral formations and their associated marine life congregate at depths beyond the Open Water Diver limit.
Liveaboards: Many dive vacation liveaboards require Advanced Open Water Diver certification or above, restricting open-water-only certified divers from premium diving vacations.
Certain species live, feed, or gather in deeper water. By diving to 30 meters, you access new marine encounters:
The Advanced Open Water course is designed to build on your foundational skills and develop your abilities as a diver. The structured approach with instructor guidance allows you to:
The Advanced course's "sampler platter" structure allows you to test different diving specialties without committing to full specialty courses. This exploration often leads to:
The Advanced Open Water Diver certification is a crucial stepping stone in the diving progression pathway. Completing this course positions you to:
| Aspect | Open Water Diver | Advanced Open Water Diver |
|---|---|---|
| Depth Limit | 18 meters (60 feet) | 30 meters (100 feet) |
| Prerequisite | None | Open Water Diver cert |
| Course Duration | 3-4 days | 2-3 days (can spread out) |
| Total Dives | 4 dives | 5 dives |
| Classroom/Theory | Extensive (5 modules) | Minimal (6-8 hours eLearning) |
| Written Exam | Yes, required | No exam |
| Mandatory Skills | Full fundamental curriculum | Deep diving, Navigation |
| Elective Options | None | 3 of 25+ adventure dives |
| Minimum Age | 10 years | 15 years (12 for Junior) |
| Training Structure | Foundational skills | Practical specialization |
The most significant difference is the approach: Open Water Diver training transforms someone who has never dived into a certified scuba diver, while Advanced training takes that certified diver and expands their capabilities and experience through practical, hands-on training focused on interesting specialties.
The heart of the Advanced Open Water Diver course is the five Adventure Dives. Each dive focuses on a specific skill or activity, and two are mandatory while three are your choice.
1. Deep Dive (Required)
The Deep Adventure Dive is one of two mandatory dives and represents your first experience diving beyond the Open Water Diver depth limit. During this dive, you'll:
The Deep Dive is carefully structured with an instructor to ensure you build confidence while staying safe. Your instructor will guide your descent, monitor your well-being, and help you manage the physiological and psychological aspects of deeper diving.
2. Underwater Navigation Adventure Dive (Required)
The Navigation Adventure Dive develops one of the most practical and valuable skills in scuba diving: the ability to navigate underwater accurately. During this dive, you'll:
This skill is invaluable for all subsequent diving. Good navigation skills allow you to explore dive sites with confidence, locate specific points of interest, and safely return to your entry point—critical for independent diving.
After completing the two mandatory dives, you select three additional Adventure Dives from 25+ options. This flexibility allows you to customize your Advanced course to match your interests and goals. Here's a guide to popular choices:
Digital Underwater Photography
If you want to capture and share your underwater experiences, this Adventure Dive is invaluable. You'll learn:
This dive credits toward the PADI Digital Underwater Photographer Specialty, meaning you'll need just one more dive to complete that specialty certification.
Peak Performance Buoyancy
Mastering buoyancy control is one of the most important skills for efficient, safe, and environmentally responsible diving. In this Adventure Dive, you'll:
Instructors consistently recommend this dive to students because improved buoyancy fundamentally improves all subsequent dives.
Night Diving
Diving at night opens an entirely new underwater world. Many divers are initially nervous about night diving, but this Adventure Dive, with instructor guidance, reveals why night diving is so rewarding. You'll:
Wreck Diving
For history enthusiasts and adventure seekers, wreck diving is captivating. This Adventure Dive teaches you:
Drift Diving
Many world-class dive sites involve moderate to strong currents. Drift diving teaches you to dive effectively in current, opening access to sites like:
You'll learn current awareness, fin techniques, and safety procedures specific to drift diving.
Fish Identification
Understanding the marine life you encounter dramatically increases diving enjoyment. This Adventure Dive provides:
Search & Recovery
This practical specialty teaches valuable rescue and recovery techniques:
Other Popular Options:
Certification Requirements:
Age Requirements:
Health Requirements:
Important Note on Prerequisite Dives:
A common misconception is that you need additional experience beyond your Open Water Diver certification to take Advanced. This isn't true. Many divers take Advanced Open Water immediately after completing their Open Water course—often over the next weekend or during the same diving vacation. The course is designed to advance your skills regardless of your current experience level. In fact, taking Advanced immediately after Open Water allows you to:
The Advanced Open Water Diver course is notably different from the Open Water course in its approach and structure.
Unlike the Open Water course with its extensive classroom work, the Advanced course features minimal theory:
Duration: 6-8 hours of eLearning or manual study
Format: Online eLearning (preferred by most) or physical manual
Content: Advanced diving theory including:
Assessment: No written exam (unlike Open Water Diver)
Flexibility: Complete at your own pace before or alongside your dives
The practical component consists of five Adventure Dives:
Duration & Schedule:
Dive Breakdown:
Day 1 (Typical Schedule):
Day 2:
Instructor Supervision:
An important feature of the Advanced Open Water course is that each Adventure Dive can count toward the corresponding PADI Specialty certification. For example:
This means Adventure Dives serve double duty: they count toward your Advanced certification while also progressing you toward specialty certifications that interest you.
PADI Advanced Open Water Diver:
Junior Advanced Open Water Diver (Ages 12-14):
The 30-meter depth limit is carefully established based on several physiological and safety factors:
Nitrogen Narcosis Considerations: At depths beyond 30 meters, nitrogen narcosis becomes increasingly pronounced. This phenomenon, where nitrogen under pressure affects cognitive function similarly to alcohol intoxication, becomes challenging to manage without additional training (technical diving).
Air Consumption Rates: Air consumption increases significantly with depth:
This exponential increase limits bottom time and requires sophisticated planning.
Bottom Time Limitations: Using the Recreational Dive Planner™:
The significant reduction in bottom time at deeper depths reflects nitrogen absorption rates and decompression sickness ("the bends") risks.
Safety Margins: The 30-meter limit provides a safety margin while still allowing access to most recreational dive sites. For deeper diving (to 40 meters/130 feet), PADI requires additional training through the Deep Diver Specialty course.
Upgrading to Advanced Open Water Diver certification opens numerous diving opportunities:
After earning Advanced Open Water certification, some divers wonder about the Deep Diver Specialty course. Here's how they compare:
| Aspect | Advanced Open Water Diver | Deep Diver Specialty |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 30 meters (100 feet) | 40 meters (130 feet) |
| Number of Dives | 5 dives (2 mandatory, 3 elective) | 3 additional dives |
| Duration | 2-3 days (or spread out) | 1-2 days |
| Content Focus | Broad (sampler approach) | Deep diving only |
| Other Specialties Included | Yes, 3 options | No, deep diving only |
| Prerequisites | Open Water Diver | Open Water Diver (Advanced recommended) |
| When to Take | After Open Water Diver | After Advanced Open Water |
Many divers take both: Advanced Open Water to explore multiple specialties and build depth experience, then Deep Diver Specialty to unlock diving to 40 meters and gain specialized deep diving knowledge.
Pricing for Advanced Open Water Diver certification varies depending on location, facility, and what's included:
Typical Cost Range:
What's Typically Included:
Additional Costs to Consider:
Money-Saving Tips:
A common concern among divers considering Advanced training is whether it will be more challenging than Open Water Diver. The answer surprises many: the Advanced course is actually easier and less demanding.
Why Advanced is Easier:
Minimal Classroom Work: The Open Water Diver course requires extensive classroom study with five modules, multiple quizzes, and a comprehensive exam. Advanced Open Water requires just 6-8 hours of eLearning with no exam.
Skill Foundation Already Established: You completed your Open Water Diver training, so you already know how to scuba dive. Advanced training simply applies and expands those existing skills in specialized applications.
Hands-On Learning: The majority of Advanced training occurs in the water, doing the activities you enjoy. You learn by diving with an instructor, which is far more engaging than classroom-based learning.
No Exam Pressure: The lack of written exams removes a major stressor some divers experience.
Instructor Support: All dives include personalized instructor guidance tailored to your interests and needs.
Flexible Pace: You can spread your five dives over several weeks or complete them in a weekend—whatever fits your schedule.
Most divers report that Advanced training is more enjoyable than Open Water Diver training because it focuses on practical application and exploration rather than foundational skill development.
The Advanced Open Water Diver certification opens numerous pathways for continued diving education and progression:
Each of the 25+ Adventure Dive options can progress toward a corresponding PADI Specialty certification:
Combining specialties over time builds a comprehensive skill set.
If interested in making diving a career:
For those wanting to dive deeper than recreational limits:
Combining multiple specialty certifications:
Ready to expand your diving capabilities? Here's how to begin:
Advanced Open Water Diver requires an active PADI Open Water Diver (or equivalent) certification. If you don't have this yet, take that course first.
The PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certification is your gateway to the deeper, more diverse experiences recreational diving has to offer. It's more than just a depth limit increase—it's an opportunity to expand your skills, explore new diving specialties, access world-class dive sites, and discover what aspects of diving you're most passionate about.
Whether you're drawn to wreck diving's historical intrigue, underwater photography's creative possibilities, night diving's magical transformation, or the simple pleasure of exploring deeper reef systems, the Advanced Open Water Diver course provides the training, experience, and certification to pursue these interests safely and confidently.
The beauty of Advanced Open Water training is that you don't need to be an experienced diver to start—you just need curiosity, a desire to learn, and an Open Water Diver certification. Many of diving's most passionate advocates took their Advanced course immediately after their Open Water Diver certification, discovering along the way that there's so much more to explore beneath the surface.
Take the next step in your diving journey. Your deeper adventure awaits.