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Posts tagged ‘PADI Speclaities’

7
Feb

I just got my PADI Open Water Diver certification…what’s next?

PADI Open Water DiverRemember when you first received your PADI Open Water Diver certification card? Think of the sense of accomplishment you felt after achieving a worthwhile goal. I can remember the day I finished my Open Water Diver training dives at the local quarry….cold water, low visibility, and a thick wetsuit. I remember filling out my logbook and having my Instructor sign it. Then I went home and thought…”OK, now what?”

This is a question we receive many times from our Open Water students either during their training or just after their certification dives. Let’s take a few minutes to share some options for continuing your diving education, and help answer the question: “I just got my PADI Open Water Diver certification, now what?”

Here are some options and suggestions for taking the next steps in your diving education.

You have a few options when it comes to the next class to increase your knowledge and experience. The most obvious option is to take the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course. During the AOW course, you will make five dives in a variety of environments and performing different skills. At this level, we assume you already know the basics of diving, but in the AOW class, you will learn more about navigation, deep diving, improving your buoyancy, searching for lost objects, and maybe even night diving. Each Instructor has their favorite dives to do for Advanced, so be sure to ask what dives are going to be done for the class in which your are interested. We have some additional details on a previous post on 10 Reasons to Become a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver

You can also take a variety of PADI Specialty Diver courses as an Open Water Diver. These can include but aren;t limited to:

  • AWARE Fish Identification
  • AWARE Coral Reef Conservation
  • Boat Diver Specialty
  • Digital Underwater Photographer
  • Drift Diver
  • Drysuit Diver
  • Enriched Air Nitrox Diver
  • Emergency Oxygen Provider
  • Equipment Specialist
  • Night Diver Specialty
  • Peak Performance Buoyancy
  • Underwater Naturalist
  • Underwater Navigator Specialty
  • Underwater Videographer

So, taking the next step in your diving education can be something to help with buoyancy, learning more about navigation or night diving, or maybe even learning how to take better pictures underwater. The choice is yours, don’t stop learning. For more details on any of the classes listed about be sure to check out our website PADI Specialty Courses Page

18
Jan

10 Reasons to Become a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver

You’re already an Open Water Diver, and you wonder why someone would want the next certification. Let’s take a look at 10 reasons to continue your diving education by becoming a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver.

  1. The PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course is designed for the newly certified diver. Many times we hear someone say  “I’ll get certified, and get a ton of dives in, then I’ll take the Advanced class”. Why not take advantage of your Instructor’s experience and learn the basics of different types of diving or new techniques to help make your dives easier? The Advanced class has a total of five dives, with two being required: Underwater Navigation dive and a Deep Dive. The other three dives are “elective dives” meaning you can choose the specialty in which you are interested. Read more »