About the Course
PADI Open Water Diver is the first scuba certification level. Our highly trained PADI Instructor will teach you how to scuba dive in a relaxed, supportive learning environment. As all of our dives will be in the sea you'll quickly learn new skills and put these into practice in a real life environment. Not only will this make you a better diver now but you'll pull on this experience in years to come!
You'll begin to learn about scuba diving principles and terminology using e-learning. This package is full of content, videos and can be accessed on any device (even offline). We'll then learn basic scuba skills in confined open water (or pool-like environment depending on the weather). When you're ready, we'll make four dives in an open water environment (the Atlantic ocean) with your instructor supporting you every step of the way.
By the end of the course, you'll have the skills and knowledge to dive at home or abroad and be an ambassador for the underwater world.
Why take this course
Explore the other 70 percent of our planet
Support ocean protection
See things you've never seen before
Learn from a scuba diving expert
Carry the world's most recognized scuba certification
What you'll learn
Be a confident and skilled diver
Assemble and use scuba gear
Manage your buoyancy
Respectfully approach marine life
Handle common problems
Dive safely to 18m
Course Prerequisites
You must be at least 15 years old. Due to our location and sites used we cannot currently enrol anyone under this age onto most of our courses. Please speak to us about alternative options for younger divers.
Able to swim, medically fit for diving, comfortable in the water
During the Open Water Diver course, your instructor will ask you to:
Float or tread water without aids for 10 minutes
Swim 200 metres/yards with no aids or 300 metres/yards with mask, fins and snorkel
Equipment & Extra Cost
We'll provide all the basic scuba gear you'll use including a mask, snorkel, fins, regulator, buoyancy control device, dive gauges, weights, tank and drysuit (depending upon the time of year).
We recommend purchasing your own mask, snorkel and fins as this not only set's you up for your next adventure but also gives you peace of mind when if comes to hygiene too. Whilst we disinfect all our gear we really do encourage you to own your own core kit.
We offer discount on TUSA, Waterproof, TovaTec and Beaver Sports gear and equipment. We can have this ready for you ahead of your course. Chat to us before hand to discover what we have in stock or to order in your preferred colour!
After the course...
Experience new adventures with a PADI Instructor by your side. PADI continuing education courses like Advanced Open Water Diver and Deep Diver will help you develop your skills as a diver. Learn more about PADI Specialty courses.
Not sure which specialty to try first? Try the Advanced Open Water Diver course, it's like a specialty sampler platter.
Improve your navigation and buoyancy skills while you try new activities like wreck diving, night diving, or digital imaging.
An Advanced Open Water Diver certification also opens the door to dive sites deeper than 18m/60ft
If you don't have the opportunity to dive for six months (or longer), you can quickly refresh the knowledge and skills you learned in Open Water with the PADI ReActivate® program. Your PADI certification never expires, but after a long period of inactivity, you may want to brush up on diving fundamentals and safety procedures.
Medical Requirements
Scuba diving requires a minimum level of health and fitness. Certain health conditions, medications and/or recent surgery may require you to get written approval from a doctor before diving.
Avoid disappointment, download and review the Diver Medical form to ensure you won’t need a doctor’s approval to dive before enrolling in a scuba course. You can find this on the About page of our website under 'key info'. Only medical professionals can give clearance to dive. In the case of the UK this is a specialist area and you may need to speak to a HSE Approved Medical Examiners of Divers (AMEDs)
If you (or your doctor) have questions about medical fitness to dive, contact the experts at Divers Alert Network (DAN) or a HSE AMED.