Open Water Diver – More Information

If you’ve always wanted to take scuba diving lessons, experience unparalleled adventure and see the world beneath the waves, this is where it starts. Get your scuba diving certification with Scuba-tec’s, PADI Open Water Diver course the world’s most popular and widely recognised scuba course. Whether you have a holiday booked somewhere nice and warm and wanted to try the local diving scene or you are interested in diving in the UK, where we have the best coastal wreck diving in the world.

The course is divided into two parts; confined water section, which is classroom for completion of the academic sections and swimming pool work, where you’ll practice the academics that you have learned in the classroom. The second part is the open water section, which is where you’ll demonstrate your new skills in open water under instruction of your instructor.
We have outlined the content of this course, which starts with the confined water element through to open water.

Confined water element of the course

Week 1

Knowledge review, in the classroom, knowledge review, followed by a quick test to reinforce your knowledge, and dive briefing.
Pool session skills, set up scuba equipment, introduction to breathing underwater, regulator clearing of water, clear a partially flooded mask, out or air exercise, using you buddy’s alternate air source. Equalisation techniques, hand signals used underwater, air monitoring, underwater swimming techniques, oral BCD inflation at the surface and exit the pool and breakdown your scuba equipment and de-brief by your instructor.

Week 2

Knowledge review, in the classroom, knowledge review, followed by a quick test to reinforce your knowledge, and dive briefing.
Pool session skills, set up scuba equipment, pre-dive safety check, deep-water entry, weight check, Snorkel breathing and clearing, snorkel/regulator exchange, snorkel swimming with buddy, 5 point decent, neutral buoyancy techniques, clear a fully flooded mask, remove and replace mask underwater, air depletion exercise, air monitoring, underwater swimming, 5 point ascent and exit the pool and breakdown your scuba equipment and de-brief by your instructor.

Week 3

Knowledge review, in the classroom, knowledge review, followed by a quick test to reinforce your knowledge, and dive briefing.
Pool session skills, set up scuba equipment, pre-dive safety check, deepwater entry, weight check and adjustment, cramp release, 5 point decent with visual reference, buoyancy skill of hovering, trim weight and positioning, air depletion exercise, controlled emergency swimming ascent, air monitoring, underwater swimming techniques, oral BCD inflation at the surface and exit the pool and breakdown your scuba equipment and de-brief by your instructor.

Week 4

Knowledge review, in the classroom, knowledge review, followed by a quick test to reinforce your knowledge, and dive briefing.
Pool session skills, set up scuba equipment, pre-dive safety check, deepwater entry, weight and trim check, tired diver tows, scuba removal and replace at the surface, 5 point decent without hitting the pool bottom, hover by oral inflation of BCD, freeflow regulator, no mask swim, air monitoring, underwater swimming, 5 point ascent and exit the pool and breakdown your scuba equipment and de-brief by your instructor.

Week 5

Knowledge review, in the classroom, knowledge review, course test, and dive briefing.
Pool session skills, set up scuba equipment, pre-dive safety check, deep-water entry, 5 point decent, scuba removal and replace underwater, weight removal and replace underwater, mini dive, air monitoring, underwater swimming, 5 point ascent and exit the pool and breakdown your scuba equipment and de-brief by your instructor
Your instructor will also introduce a number of dive flexible skills during the 5 pool sessions

Week 6 (Dry Suite orientation)

Classroom and Pool session skills, overview of dry suit, dive briefing, set up scuba equipment, pre-dive safety check, deep-water entry, buoyancy check, 5 point decent, dry suit inflator remove and replace, excessive air removal, natural buoyancy, hovering, air monitoring, underwater swimming techniques, oral BCD inflation at the surface and exit the pool and breakdown your scuba equipment and de-brief by your instructor.

Open water at Stoney Cove

Day 1 (2 dives per day, unless doing dry suite speciality, which will be 3 dives on day 1)

Dive 1, full dive briefing, set up scuba equipment, pre-dive safety check, deep-water entry, buoyancy weight check, 5 point decent, clear partially flooded mask, regulator recovery, underwater swimming, air monitoring, 5 point ascent, exit the water and dive debrief by your instructor.
Dive 2, full dive briefing, set up scuba equipment, pre-dive safety check, deep-water entry, buoyancy weight check, BCD oral inflation at the surface, 5 point decent, neutral buoyancy, clear fully flooded mask, air monitoring, alternate air source and ascent, exit the water and dive debrief by your instructor.

Day 2 (2 dives)

Dive 3, full dive briefing, set up scuba equipment, pre-dive safety check, deep-water entry, buoyancy weight check, 5 point decent with visual reference, hovering oral BCD inflation, mask removal and replace, underwater swimming, air monitoring, 5 point ascent, exit the water and dive debrief by your instructor.
Dive 4, full dive briefing, set up scuba equipment, pre-dive safety check, deep-water entry, buoyancy weight check, 5 point decent without reference, explore dive site as a buddy team and avoid contact with the bottom, air monitoring, 5 point ascent, exit the water Your instructor will discuss the dry suit speciality course during the confined sections of your course.

How to get started