Open Water Diver
Get Certified!
Get your PADI OPEN WATER DIVER certification. If you’ve always wanted to learn how to SCUBA dive, discover new adventures or simply see the wondrous world beneath the waves, this is where it starts.

The PADI Open Water Diver course is the world’s most popular SCUBA course, and has introduced millions of people to the adventurous diving lifestyle.
What You Learn
♦Knowledge Development (online, home study or in a classroom ) to understand basic principles of SCUBA diving
♦Confined Water Dives to learn basic scuba skills
♦Open Water Dives to review your skills and explore!
If you’ve tried diving through a Discover SCUBA Diving experience or resort course, the skills you learned may be credited towards a portion of the full PADI Open Water Diver course certification.
Prerequisites
To enroll in the PADI Open Diver course or Junior Open Water Diver course, you must be 10 years or older (PADI eLearning requires an extra registration step for students under 13 years due to international internet laws). Contact Semper DIVE! before you begin registering for eLearning.
The Fun Part
The fun part about this course is . . . well, just about all of it because learning to dive is incredible. You breathe underwater for the first time (something you’ll never forget) and learn what you need to know to become a certified diver. During the course, you’ll make at least five pool dives and four dives at local dive sites under the supervision of your PADI Instructor.
Get College Credit
You may be able to earn college credit for the PADI Open Water Diver course!
The Scuba Gear You Use
In the PADI Open Water Diver course, you learn to use basic SCUBA gear. The equipment you wear varies somewhat, depending upon whether you’re diving in tropical, temperate or cold water. Check with Semper DIVE! about the gear you’ll use during this course. You can find almost everything at Semper DIVE!
The Learning Materials You Need
PADI offers a variety of home-study materials for the Open Water Diver course. While eLearning is the most convenient option, you may also choose a book and DVD package or a multimedia DVD-ROM. All materials and eLearning registrations will be provided to you by Semper DIVE!
PADI’s Open Water Diver Materials
cover what you need to know about basic scuba diving skills, terminology and safety procedures. For each concept you’ll read a description and watch a video demonstration. Then you’ll jump in the pool (or pool-like environment) to practice these skills with your instructor. Later, as a certified diver, use the course materials as a reference guide for future diving adventures and to review what you learned.
What You Need
Students need to have their own mask, fins, snorkel and wetsuit boots for the Confined Water Dives – all of which can be purchased from Semper DIVE! The rest of the gear will be loaned to students for the Confined Water Dives (you may choose to purchase your own gear): Regulator, Buoyancy Compensator Device (BCD), Weight, and SCUBA Tank.
You will use the same gear for your Open Water Dives. However, depending on where your Open Water Dives are conducted and what time of year, you may need exposure protection as well: Wetsuit, gloves, hood.