Are you curious about the time it takes to become certified as a diver? There are a few different options, depending on the level of experience you want to achieve. PADI offers a beginner class that teaches the fundamentals of diving. The PADI Open Water Diver certification program is also available.
PADI's entry-level diver course
PADI entry-level divers course consists five chapters, 4 Knowledge Reviews and a Final Exam. The course is usually completed in three to four days. However, you may be able to complete it faster if you take the online course. This course covers basic diving skills and includes open water dives.
PADI Open Water Diver Manual is your basic guide to diving. It includes information on proper equipment, terminology, safety procedures, and more. It also contains five videos that explain each topic and answer any questions you might have.
Open water certification dives
There are several steps that you need to complete in order to be certified open water. Start by getting your training. Before you can begin open water diving, you will need to spend a few sessions in the pool. These sessions will help you improve your water skills. The first dive is for orientation. The second dive is for scuba skills. The third dive is meant to relax, and the final dive is to consolidate everything that you have learned.
You can get your certification done in a weekend if you are a member of a local dive club. To complete your training, however, you might need to adapt to the schedule of the instructor or dive centre if the location you chose is not available. Open water certification takes about three to four days.
Next-level certification dives
An instructor can give a beginner scuba diver a few try-dives in a pool before moving on to the next level. Try-dives are usually done in shallow water (under 6 feet). Open water diving requires you to be more confident in all aspects of the aquatic environment, from navigating the waters to staying safe. Open water diving is performed in bodies of water such the ocean, lakes or even flooded quarry holes.
While the actual time to become certified can vary, it typically takes four days. Online courses can be completed in as little as a week. There are no pre-set deadlines for entry-level courses, though waiting periods can be required for some professional ranks.
Prerequisites required for certification at the next level
It is important to get some experience with scuba diving before you are able to obtain your next-level certification. Try-dives in a pool are a good way to get acquainted with the sport. Dive in lakes and flooded pits is also possible. Open water diving requires more experience than a try-dive.
The SDI open-water training course is designed for those who want to continue their scuba training. It will teach basic scuba skills and problem solving skills. It will also teach you how to perform a self-rescue, a technique used by rescue divers. Open water training can be a prerequisite to many liveaboards or more difficult dive sites.