Master Deep Diving with PADI Advanced Course

PADI Advanced Open Water Certification Course

Ready to take your diving skills to the next level? BlueWater Divers' top-rated PADI Advanced Open Water certification is exactly what you need to expand your underwater horizons. This isn't just another certification course – it's your gateway to deeper sites, stronger currents, and more challenging dive conditions that separate casual divers from serious underwater explorers. Over two action-packed days with three boat trips, you'll push past your comfort zone while building the confidence and skills that make diving truly rewarding.

Beneath the Surface

This world-class course packs serious value into 48 hours of hands-on learning. You'll join up to seven other students for an intimate learning experience that our experienced instructors have perfected over thousands of certifications. The $599 investment covers everything except your gear – tanks, weights, snacks, and water are all included, so you can focus on what matters most: becoming a better diver. The course structure is smart and practical. You'll knock out two mandatory adventure dives – deep diving and underwater navigation – that every advanced diver absolutely needs to master. Then comes the fun part: three elective specialty dives where you get to explore what really interests you. Wreck diving lets you explore sunken vessels and artificial reefs, drift diving teaches you to ride currents like an underwater glider, and underwater photography helps you capture those moments that make your non-diving friends jealous. Each specialty gives you a taste of advanced diving techniques while building real skills you'll use on every dive afterward. The beauty of this setup is that it's not classroom heavy – you're in the water doing real diving while learning. Our instructors are right there with you, watching your technique, offering tips, and making sure you're comfortable before pushing to the next challenge. By day two, you'll notice the difference in your buoyancy, your confidence, and your overall dive awareness.

Dive Brief & Gear Info

Here's how the logistics work: you'll complete your PADI eLearning before showing up, which covers all the theory and planning knowledge you need. This online portion is included in your course fee and lets you move through the material at your own pace. Once you arrive, it's straight to the practical stuff. Deep diving takes you beyond the 60-foot recreational limit of your Open Water cert, teaching you nitrogen narcosis management, bottom time calculations, and the buddy skills crucial for deeper exploration. Navigation training covers natural navigation using reef features and terrain, plus compass work that actually makes sense in real diving conditions. You'll practice reciprocal headings, square patterns, and distance estimation – skills that turn you from a follower into a dive leader. Gear rental is available if you need it, though many students prefer bringing their own mask, fins, and wetsuit for comfort. Our rental equipment is well-maintained and regularly serviced, so don't worry if you're traveling light. Tanks and weights are provided, along with any specialty equipment needed for your chosen adventure dives. The boats are spacious and designed for diving, with gear storage, rinse stations, and comfortable seating between sites. Our captains know these waters inside and out, picking dive sites based on current conditions, your skill level, and what marine life is active. Weather and visibility determine exact locations, but you'll always dive sites that challenge you appropriately while keeping safety the top priority.

Marine Life You'll See

While this certification focuses on skill development rather than specific species, the sites we use for training offer fantastic marine encounters that make every dive memorable. Reef systems provide the perfect classroom for navigation training, with their complex topography of swim-throughs, coral heads, and sand channels. These areas typically host schools of tropical fish, from colorful parrotfish and angelfish to larger grouper and snapper that demonstrate why underwater photography is such a popular specialty. Wreck sites used for specialty training create artificial reef systems that attract completely different marine communities. These structures become home to resident fish populations, including territorial sergeant majors, curious barracuda, and the occasional turtle or ray cruising by to investigate the activity. The marine life varies with depth, giving advanced students exposure to deeper water species they wouldn't encounter on shallow training dives. Pelagic visitors like jacks, tuna, and sharks occasionally cruise these deeper sites, providing exciting encounters that remind you why advancing your certification opens up so many more diving opportunities. Seasonal patterns affect what you'll see, with some months bringing better visibility and different species migrations. Regardless of timing, the focus remains on building your skills while experiencing the diverse underwater environments that make each specialty dive unique. The marine encounters are a bonus that makes the learning process naturally engaging – it's hard to get distracted by technique when there's so much life around you to observe and appreciate.

Plan Your Next Dive

Your PADI Advanced Open Water certification doesn't just add letters after your name – it genuinely transforms how you dive and what sites you can access worldwide. Dive operators everywhere recognize this certification as proof you can handle challenging conditions, deeper sites, and more independent diving. The skills you develop here become the foundation for specialty certifications, technical diving, and eventually instructor training if that's your path. The course deposit is non-refundable but valid for a full year, giving you flexibility to schedule around weather, work, or travel plans. This customer favorite certification consistently gets rave reviews because it delivers immediate, noticeable improvement in diving ability. Students regularly tell us they wish they'd done their Advanced Open Water sooner because it makes every subsequent dive more enjoyable and accessible. Whether you're planning dive vacations, considering underwater careers, or just want to get more from your local diving, this renowned certification course provides the skills and confidence to make it happen. BlueWater Divers has built our reputation on delivering thorough, professional training that exceeds PADI standards while keeping the experience enjoyable and pressure-free. Book your spot today and join the thousands of divers who've discovered what lies beyond basic certification – deeper sites, stronger skills, and a lifetime of better diving ahead.