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PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Course

The PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course can be taken back to back with the PADI Open Water Diver course, and usually spans two to three days. It is designed to boost your confidence, and build on your skills by introducing you to new activities. The course consists of five PADI Adventure Dives with a knowledge review on each (you will need a PADI Adventures In Diving Manual to complete these).

All students must complete an Underwater Navigation course, where you will expand on your compass reading skills. A Deep Dive is also obligatory, where you plan and execute a dive to a maximum depth of 30 metres.

You are then free to choose three Adventure Dives from:

  • Boat Dive
  • Multilevel Dive
  • Wreck Dive
  • Night Dive
  • Drift Dive
  • Nitrox Dive
  • Dry Suit
  • Search & Recovery
  • Peak Performave Buoyancy
  • Underwater Naturalist
  • Digital Underwater Photography

To qualify for PADI Advanced Open Water Diver you must have already attained the PADI Open Water Diver qualification and be at least 15 years old. As with the PADI Open Water Diver Course, a medical questionnaire will need to be completed. If you have any pre-existing medical conditions you should confirm your fitness to dive with your doctor and obtain a letter of confirmation.

PADI Rescue Diver Course

The PADI Rescue Diver course is a challenging course, designed to teach the diver to recognise, avert and, where needs be, deal with emergency situations. This a challenging, two to three day course, designed to expand your knowledge and understanding, and to consider the safety of your buddy and fellow divers. Though taxing, the course is also very rewarding and will boost to your diving confidence no end. Many experienced divers will tell you this it the best course they’ve ever taken.

The subjects you will cover are:

  • Self Rescue
  • Recognising & Managing Stress In Other Divers
  • Emergency Management & Equipment
  • Diver Accident Scenarios
  • Rescuing Panicked Divers
  • Rescuing Unresponsive Divers

Again, there is a knowledge element to the course and for this will need a PADI Rescue Diver Crew Pack, including a pocket mask. To enroll for the course, you must meet the criteria defined for the PADI Advanced Open Water Course, and in addition be trained for first aid and CPR within the last two years.

PADI Divemaster Course

Congratulations. By this point, you're well on your way to turning pro and transforming your passion for diving into your bread and butter. The PADI Divemaster course is designed to help you improve your stamina and hone your dive knowledge, taking you up to a professional level. This course gives you the opportunity to work with and assist your instructor during training, and builds on your problem solving and accident management skills.

The course consists of five parts:

  • Water Skills
  • Stamina Tests
  • In Depth Diving Knowledge Development
  • Practical Assessments
  • Work Experience

The PADI Divemaster course is designed to ease the student from recreational to professional diving. After successful completion you will be able to assist a PADI instructor during training sessions for PADI Diver courses and supervise training activities by planning, organising and directing dives. Achieving Divemaster standard will enable you to progress to the PADI Dive Instructor Course.

The PADI Divemaster course is both practical and knowledge based, and includes an internship at a dive centre, so that you may learn about the diving business and where you would like to take your diving career. Students should expect to undertake a minimum of 120 hours training (spread out over time). To qualify for your Divemaster award, you will need a minimum of 60 dives under your belt. To enrol, you must have undertaken at least 20.

To complete the knowledge element of the course, you will need:

  • The Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving
  • The Diving Knowledge Workbook
  • Divemaster Slates
  • PADI Divemaster Manual
  • CD-ROM with Instructor Outlines for Divemaster Conducted Programs

Your swimming test will be increased to 400 meters and you will have to tread water for 15 minutes (with your hands held out of the water for the last two). You will need to undertake an 800m timed snorkel, using fin strokes only. You will then need to perform a time 100 metre tired diver tow in full scuba diving equipment. The medical questionnaire is more meticulous than for other levels, and is accompanied by a medical examination.

To enrol for the PADI Divemaster Diver course you will need to be at least 18 years old, and have reached the Rescue Diver level of training. You must hold a valid Emergency First Aid certificate.

With the Divemaster under your belt, you're ready to start your instructor training, beginning with the PADI Instructor Development Course. There are multiple speciality courses available once you have qualified as an instructor, leading up to the ultimate award of Master Scuba Diver.