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.

The PADI Open Water Diver Course is the world’s most popular and widely recognised entry level scuba course. 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. Are you ready to become certified PADI Open Water Diver in Sri Lanka? Here is a short guide how to choose the best diving centre for your OWD course.

There is dozens of diving schools in Sri Lanka but how do you make sure that you get the best possible training and experience? Here is a simple list of questions to ask before choosing a diving centre for training:

1. Is the dive centre PADI registered and renewed?

2. Do the dive centre and Instructors have an Insurance?

3. How many Instructor do they have, where are they from and what languages they speak?

4. How many participants is in one course, Student to Instructor ratio.

5. Are there any additional costs I should be aware of?

6. How many days the PADI OWD Course takes?

 The duration of the entry level scuba course is crucial. Don’t rush your PADI OWD course! You learn the most over time. The minimum duration of the PADI Open Water Diver Course is 3-4 days. Do other dive centres offer course just in 2 days? Check the whole schedule out and make your opinion.

Day 1: registration and theory

Every diver needs to fill Diver Registration Form which includes PADI Safe Diving Practices and Liability Release forms. Very important is also the Diver Medical Questionnaire to see if you are ready to go diving. Is any dive centre not offering these? Careful with that.. scuba diving requires good physical and mental health. If you successfully complete your “first exam”,.. I mean this diver registration form then you can start with the theoretical part of the course. The theory takes whole day and it’s important to understand all theoretical fundamentals of scuba diving. Don’t worry! Our instructor is there for you to show you real life example, equipment and makes it fun! The theory is divided into 5 chapters.. you’ll watch videos, complete knowledge reviews, quizzes and final exam.

Day 2: confined dives in swimming pool 

Now you are ready to jump in the water! Our new diving centre in Nilaveli has a special diving pool with deep part where you practice and improve your skills as a diver. Again, there is 5 confined dives to complete and depending how comfortable you are in the water, it might take half up to whole day. Definitely you can get ready for this part before starting your course! Get used to breathing through your mouth and swim with your eyes open in the water. That helps a lot!

To become a qualified scuba diver you need to be able to swim! At least you have to be able to maintain yourself comfortable at the surface for ten minutes in water too deep in which to stand.

You also have to do a 200 m swim (any style) or 300 m snorkel swim (with mask, snorkel and fins) without a time limit.

Day 3 & 4: diving in the open water

Now you are ready to go diving into the ocean! Each dive (total 4) has been designed to give divers the opportunity to practice and hone their diving skills while increasing confidence and comfort in the water. Each day you go diving from one of our boats, for the first two dives of the PADI Open Water Course the maximum depth is 12m. The maximum depth for final two dives of the OWD Course is 18m. We start everyday at 8:30am and finish diving at around 1pm. After you return to the diving school your Instructor helps you to complete your logbook entries and identify different species of marine life you have witnessed on your dives. Diving helps create a bond between people, all coming from different parts of the world, but all sharing the same love for the ocean, and we provide the platform just for that. Develop your skills as a diver in real diving environment and be surrounded by tropical fish! Did you know that the best corals in Sri Lanka you find on the east coast? Check out our dive sites.

Certification & Materials

Don’t forget about your materials and certification! Remember that you need to be assigned with the physical or digital PADI Open Water Diver Manual in the end of the course. Make sure the dive centre certifies you! 

You’ll receive an email from PADI with your temporary e-card and later on you can check your e-card in the PADI App where you have everything under “one roof” (logbook, materials and e-card). 

Finally you are qualified diver ready to explore the underwater world! As the certified PADI Open Water Diver you’re able to dive just with your buddy, who is also a certified PADI Open Water diver or above up to 18m.

PADI eLearning

If you are short on time, complete the PADI Open Water Diver eLearning which shortens the total course duration. Like this the course takes only 3 days and you complete the theoretical part in advance at home. The advantage is that you can study the theory at your own pace and safe one day on your holidays in paradise! The price for the eLearning materials depends on your home country and you can check it out on PADI website.

We hope this helps you in selecting the best possible dive centre for your scuba diving courses. Happy bubbles!

In a current world with social distancing and travel restrictions you probably don’t think much about seeking your new adventure soon. Except for studying the theory with PADI eLearning, there are a few more things you can do to prepare on becoming a PADI Open Water Diver. If you are one of the people who has some difficulties with in water exercises, you should prepare as early as you can.

With the PAD eLearning you will get all the knowledge you need to know to become an independent diver, but for most students who failed or had to break up their courses it was the practical part for what they weren’t prepared for or aware about. Sometimes it is just not enough time on a holiday to overcome a difficulty, fear or improve your swimming skills.

Before buying your digital dive course you can start by do some practical tests and question yourself how comfortable you are in the water. For the majority of diver students it has been the waterskills assessments and the mask skills which brought their adventure to an end.

To become a diver you need to be able to swim! At least you have to be able to maintain yourself comfortable at the surface for ten minutes in water too deep in which to stand.

You also have to do a 200 m swim (any style) or 300 m snorkel swim (with mask, snorkel and fins) without a time limit.

For most of us it is not possible to practice this at home since most people don’t have a swimming pool in the basement or garden, but you should remember from your swimming classes when you were younger, if you were comfortable enough to master these skills. If you think you’ve been always too exhausted you can start with some body weight exercises to improve your core muscles and gain some stamina at home.

If you are not able to swim/maintain yourself comfortable in the water then you should take a swimming course prior to a diving course to get you comfortable in the water!

For the mask skills you can already prepare at home in your bath tub, the shower or a big bucket and if you already have a mask and snorkel, even better. But you can also practice with a hose (should not be longer than 30-40 cm, and at least a diameter of 1,5 cm).

There are two basic skills which can create some difficulties for diving students:

1. Exhaling through the nose while you have the mouth open (regulator or snorkel in the mouth). The skill is used to clear your mask if it gets water inside.
2. Breathing through the mouth while the nose is underwater. Used for breathing underwater without a mask.

To prepare for these skills you don’t even need a mask, it is better to start without anyway, but if you planning to do your Open Water course and becoming a diver it is crucial to buy your own mask which is comfortable and fits. The dive centers rental equipment is always limited to basic average fitting equipment and usually can’t provide you with the high end gear that fits you perfectly.

For the first skill you can already start practicing without water by simply inhale through your mouth and exhale through the nose while keeping your mouth open. Somewhere back in your throat with your tongue you can seal the airway that you only exhale through your nose. For some people it is a big issue to manage the mouth-nose breathing, so give it a try and practice. To bring it further you can start putting your whole face in the water after your inhalation and then exhale in the water, but remember to keep your mouth open.

If you have a snorkel or a hose you can move on to the second skill and start breathing through your mouth and become comfortable to have water on your nose without inhaling from it. Next you can start combining the skills and only exhale sometimes through your nose for practice.

To master these skills for some people it takes time and you should try it at home first to make sure you are prepared for your diving adventure and can spend more time with fun dives or other activities after your Open Water Diver Course.