Advanced Courses
Advanced Open Water Diver Course
You don’t have to be “advanced” to take it –it’s designed to advance your diving, so you can start right after earning your PADI Open Water Diver certification.
The PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course is the second level of training for recreational scuba divers. The focus is to improve your confidence and abilities as a diver. You will expand your skills and knowledge with more in depth theory and five open water dives.
To get certified as Advanced Open Water Diver you need to complete two specialties: Deep & Navigation and three additional of your choice. You can choose them from the following list:
- Fish Identification
- Drift Diver
- Night Diver
- Peak Performance Buoyancy
- Underwater Naturalist
- Underwater Photography
- Wreck Diver
The theory is minimal in the advanced course compared to an entry-level certification. The course is based on five open water dives and for each you will need to read between 10-20 pages in the PADI Advanced Open Water manual and answer the corresponding knowledge reviews. Before you go on the dives your instructor will discuss the theory with you and make sure you understand everything and are ready to practice and improve in the water.
During your dives in the ocean you will apply your new knowledge and feel more confident in your abilities. After each dive you will receive a detailed feedback about your performance to help you improve your diving skills. Upon completion of this course you will be certified to dive to 30 metres / 100 feet.
To sign up for this course you must be at least 12 years old and have an entry-level certification from PADI or another agency. The Advanced Open Water Diver course can be taken immediately after you obtain your Open Water certification. You need to be comfortable in the water, have basic swimming skills, and as well be in reasonable physical health.
You will need to complete a medical statement and may be asked to consult a physician to receive a medical clearance prior to diving. If you have any medical issues or concerns, please let us know in advance. You can download the Continuing Education Administrative Document incl. a Medical Statement here.
Rescue Diver Course
This course will test your ability to solve problems under pressure and give you all the tools to spot and deal with difficult situations before they actually occur.
The Rescue Diver course is probably the most challenging training most recreational divers will take. It builds on your existing skills, teaches you how to prevent problems and address them should they occur. Important diver rescue theory and intensive in-water rescue training will be fun and rewarding.
By the end of the course, you will have expanded your knowledge of diving, increased your level of diving skills and be more aware of what is happening in your environment. Most importantly, rescue training can help you to save lives and increase safety by preparing you to properly respond to diving emergencies.
Before you get into the water you will be learning the theory e-learning and watch the video that will explain theory and preview skills you practice during the course in confined water. To complete the theory you have to answer knowledge reviews, which your instructor will check with you, and you will finish the theory with a single choice exam.
Course topics include for example:
- Self-rescue
- Identifying and managing stress in other divers
- Emergency management and equipment
- Rescuing panicked or unresponsive divers
- Administering emergency oxygen
You will complete open water training exercises and practice handling emergency situations in realistic simulations. The course will emphasize a diver’s ability to be flexible and adapt to personal and environmental conditions.
To sign up for this course you must be at least 12 years old and have an Advanced Open Water certification from PADI or other agency. You also need an Emergency First Responder Primary and Secondary Care training certificate (within 24 months) or you complete this training along the course. You need to be comfortable in the water, have good swimming skills, and as well be in reasonable physical health.
You will need to complete a medical statement and may be asked to consult a physician to receive a medical clearance prior to diving. If you have any medical issues or concerns, please let us know in advance. You can download the Continuing Education Administrative Document incl. a Medical Statement here.
Emergency First Response Course
This training will focus on the building of confidence in lay rescuers and increasing their willingness to respond when faced with a medical emergency.
First Aid and CPR are good skills for everyone not just in scuba diving. You need these skills for the PADI Rescue Diver course. The Emergency First Response (EFR) course teaches you medical emergency response skills and gives you confidence so you are prepared to help in an emergency.
The skills you learn can be used in any area or environment and most organizations will credit this as a basic first aid course. You will study with a book and a video that will explain theory and preview skills you practice during the course. To complete the theory you have to answer knowledge reviews, which your instructor will check with you, and you will finish the theory with a final multiple choice exam.
Course topics include for example:
- BLS (Basic Life Support) CPR and rescue breathing at the layperson level
- Preventing and caring for shock
- Spinal injury management
- Use of barrierers to reduce desease transmission risk
- Basic first aid and first aid kit considerations
Anyone who is interested in acquiring or updating CPR and first aid skills can take this course.