Advanced Open Water Diver Course
In the PADI Advanced Open Water course, you will learn to be a better diver. You will master a series of skills with which you will get less tired, be more efficient in air consumption, lengthen the dive´s time, and be a safer diver underwater. If the PADI Open Water Course has an extensive theory section, the PADI Advanced Open Water course is the opposite; a lot less theory and a lot of practice underwater.
This course is one of the most popular, and you can take it once you have finished the PADI Open Water course. One of its advantages is that this certification expands your depth limit from 18 meters to 30 meters, which will allow you to visit almost any recreational dive site in the world. If you don’t want to miss anything, this is your diving course!
In this course, you will do 5 adventure dives, which are 5 mini-courses of 5 different specialties that PADI offers, and it has many options from which you can choose. The best thing is that you have a chat with us and tell us about your tastes, interests, strengths, weaknesses, and among all of us, let’s choose the 5 adventure dives that best suit your diving style. Two of these adventures are mandatory; Deep Diving, and Underwater Navigation. You can choose the other 3 dives from a long list of options. We recommend that you also the Peak Performance Buoyancy adventure for a simple reason; The PADI Advanced Open Water course is a course aimed at becoming a better diver, and the techniques that you will learn in this adventure are essential to be a better diver. You will notice their effects in subsequent dives. Trust us; You´ll love it!
At Hidden Depths Diving we offer two modalities to take the PADI Advanced Open Water course; In 2 days / 5 dives, for those who have less time, and in 3 days / 6 dives, which is the modality that we recommend, since you will enjoy an extra dive for a great price, it is an extra day of diving, so you will also enjoy longer and more relaxed dives.
Check the course structure section a little further down this page. There we explain in detail the differences between the two modalities.
A different way lo learn scuba diving
We believe in a personalized way of teaching. Diving is our passion, and we put all our love and energies into teaching you to dive in the best possible way. Unhurried, at your own pace, taking as much time as needed to make you become a great diver. To make this possible, our groups are small, generally between 2 and 4 students per instructor, so that you can receive the attention you deserve. Always placing extra emphasis on conservation, respect for the environment, and safety in diving.
All this with a relaxed and professional atmosphere. Come and meet us, we have the best atmosphere to get any PADI scuba diving license in Koh Lanta. You will love it!
Prerequisites
- Previous qualification: To be already a certified diver such as PADI Open Water, Junior Open Water, or equivalent certification from any other diving organization.
- Minimum age: 15 years. **12-year-old children and older can earn a PADI Junior Advanced Open Water Diver certification.
- Medical form: You must complete a medical form and be fit for diving.
PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course structure - 3 Days / 6 Dives (recommended)
You will complete the course in 3 days and do 6 full dives (maximum one hour) at a rate of 2 dives each day. During the first 5 dives you will learn everything related to the 5 adventure dives of the course, plus a sixth recreational dive for you to practice, polish, and enjoy everything you have learned in the course.
As discussed earlier, the PADI Advanced Open Water course contains a lot of practice and much less theory than the Open Water course:
Diving theory: We will have to read and understand the 5 chapters belonging to the 5 chosen diving adventures (don’t be scared, interesting, quick, and enjoyable reading). At the end of each chapter, you will take a short knowledge review test.
Open Waters: You will complete the 5 compulsory dives of the course, plus the extra recreational dive in which you will only have to worry about enjoying yourself. During the 5 dives of the course, you will practice various exercises corresponding to each adventure.
Check the PADI website for further information about the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Course.
PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course structure - 2 Days / 5 Dives
If you prefer to do the course in just 2 days, we will do the 5 dives of the course without the extra fun dive.
The course´s structure will be the same as the 3-day course described above, but with one caveat; One of the two days that the course lasts, we will have to do three dives instead of two. The three dives of the day will have to be a little shorter than the usual dives; They will become dives of 45 minutes instead of 1 hour, to balance the course times with those of the rest of the divers on the boat who do 2 dives.
Included in the Advanced Open Water price:
The price of the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Course includes all the PADI materials and the 5/6 dives necessary to complete this course, transportation services from your accommodation to and from the dives, breakfast, lunch, and all food and drinks served on the boat, rental of the complete diving equipment, and the services of a PADI professional.
Not Included in the price:
There is a fee of 600 Baht per person per day that the Thai government charges for diving within the National Parks. This supplement has to be paid to dive at any of the dive sites on Koh Lanta and Koh Phi Phi and is not reflected in the prices of the dive day or the courses, as it is a rate totally unrelated to the dive center. Hidden Depths Diving is a mere intermediary that is facilitating and organizing the collection of money and delivering it daily to the authorities of the corresponding marine park.
Cost :
5 Dives = 13.000 THB
6 Dives = 14.500 THB
Book your dives online
Book your dives online at least one week in advance and get a 10% discount!
Medical requirements for scuba diving
It is mandatory to pass a simple medical questionnaire before taking any PADI diving course. It is a simple questionnaire on different pathologies in which it is supposed that you answer “no” to all the questions to be eligible and start the diving course.
In case you answer “yes” to any of the questions, it does not mean at all that you are not suitable to dive, it simply means that you need to consult a qualified doctor and that he/she certifies in writing that you are suitable for diving.
You can bring this certificate with you, or we can do it in Koh Lanta for an approximate price of 600 Baht. If you want, we can help you manage the reservation with the doctor, and it will not take you more than 10 minutes to have your certificate.
If you want to go ahead, or want to take a look at the medical form, here are the links to the PADI medical form in the main languages: English – Spanish – French – German – Italian – Chinese (simplified).
Once you finish the course
Once you finish the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course, you will be an advanced scuba certified diver. This certification enables you to dive autonomously to a maximum depth of 30 meters.
Your next challenge
You can continue to expand your diving knowledge and skills after completing the Advanced Open Water PADI course, either by taking the PADI Rescue Diver course or by taking any of the PADI Diving Specialties.
Other dive services
In Hidden Depths Diving we firmly believe that an eco-responsible diving model is possible. We strive every day to offer you a different, familiar, environmentally friendly, safe, and fun diving experience. Where you will feel part of a great family of divers who, in addition to enjoying diving, we fight so that future generations can enjoy the same wonders that we dive today.