The PADI Open Water Diver Course is your gateway to the underwater world! It can be a little daunting planning your first dive and understanding the certification process. We are here to help you understand how to go about the course, all you have to do is prepare to have an adventure of a lifetime underwater! Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to become PADI certified with us.

Choosing the right PADI course is the first step in the process. If you’re new to scuba diving, it is ideal to start with the PADI Open Water Diver course. This certification is globally recognized and allows you to dive up to 18 meters (60 feet) anywhere in the world and is valid life long. This is often confused with the PADI Discover Scuba Diving program and the PADI Scuba Diver course. The PADI Discover Scuba Diving program is a one time experience introducing you to the underwater world under complete supervision of an instructor. This is not a certificate course and participating in it will not make you a certified scuba diver. The PADI Scuba Diver course certifies you to dive to a maximum depth of 12 meters (39 feet), but always with a dive professional. For divers who already have the Open Water certification, we also offer the Advanced Open Water Diver course which is the next step. Going ahead you can also choose from the Rescue Diver course or even go pro and do the Divemaster course. There is also plenty of Specialty Courses for those who want to specialize in certain types of diving. You can choose from PADI Specialties including Deep Diver, Enriched Air Diver, Wreck Diver, Underwater Photographer or Night Diver.

Once you choose your course, there is some theoretical aspect of the course that you are required to complete. You can either complete the theory on PADI’s eLearning platform or study in a classroom. The theory gives you a good idea of what is to come and what you can expect during the practical aspects of your course.

You start with some confined water training in the swimming pool where you get the opportunity to learn and practice essential diving skills and safe practices before heading out into the ocean. This part of the training also gives you a thorough understanding of how to use your gear. Confined water training takes anywhere from 4-8 hours depending on the class size and your comfort level. Please note that actual time taken could also be longer than this depending on the situation.

Now that you have completed your theory and confined water training, you are ready for your ocean dives! The PADI Open Water course requires you to complete four dives in open water before you can be certified. These dives are typically done over two days with two dives on each day. You will finally be experiencing the magic of the underwater world with schools of fish, stingrays and turtles dropping by to say hello to say as you glide along the reefs of Sri Lanka. Your first three dives involve performing some of the skills you learnt during the confined water training. On dive number 4, you will see that you have evolved over the last few days and are able to dive with ease! Rest assured, you will be yearning to go back underwater after these dives! Please note that you need to complete a 10 minute float and a 200m swim test (or 300m snorkelling test) to get certified!

Once you have completed all your training and open water dives, you will be certified as a PADI Open Water Diver! You will receive a digital card from PADI as proof of certification. This card is valid everywhere around the world and will allow you to dive to a maximum depth of 18m.

We, at Divinguru, have a professional team of international instructors who are committed to running the courses in a smooth, efficient and effective manner, ensuring that the students learn their skills and safe practices thoroughly. We assure that your experience with us will be the best in Sri Lanka! So are you ready to get PADI certified? Get in touch with us if you wish to know more or require further information regarding bookings and pricing! Check out also our article about How to Practically Prepare for the Open Water Diver Course.