Open Water Diver Course

As a PADI Open Water Diver, you’ll be trained to a maximum depth of 18 metres/60 feet, and are qualified to dive in conditions as good as, or better than, those in which you trained. It’s just the beginning of a lifetime filled with dive adventures.

The path to becoming a PADI Open Water Diver consists of three steps:

1. Academic eLearning study at home, approx. 8 hours.
2. Pool/shallow water skill development.
3. Four Open Water Certification Dives at Stoney Cove.

PADI eLearning® on your own, from the comfort of your home, read, watch videos, and take quizzes at your own pace to develop knowledge of scuba diving fundamentals before you work with one of our PADI Instructors in the pool. 

A minimum of five confined water dives (pool sessions) are required to complete the course. During these sessions, held at Moorways sports village Derby, your instructor will explain and demonstrate to you the skills necessary for you to dive safely. You will then demonstrate your mastery of these skills. Skills you will learn in confined water include how to clear a flooded mask and how to hover motionless in mid-water, plus including a 10-minute float and a 200m swim.

Although a minimum of five confined water dives are required, we understand that people learn at different paces. Therefore, if you or your instructor think that you would benefit from additional sessions then these are included in the price of your course.

Four open water dives are required to complete the PADI Open Water Diver course, with Go Dive training, these take place at the National Diving Centre at Stoney Cove in Leicestershire.

These dives usually take place over a single weekend, with two dives on the Saturday and two on the Sunday.

As well as these dives being an opportunity for you to show your instructor your mastery of the skills and procedures learnt in the pool, you will also experience diving in the real world with fish and wrecks. 

On successful completion of these dives, you will be a PADI Open Water Diver.

We will provide all the equipment you need for the training.

To enrol in a PADI Open Water course (or Junior Scuba Diver course), you must be at least 10 years old (for referral) or at least 12 years old for the complete option. You need adequate swimming skills and need to be in good physical health. No prior experience with scuba diving is required, but you can try it first through the Discover Scuba Diving program

 eLearning Course - See Price List.

This is the standard Open Water Course offered by Go Dive Training. It typically takes place over a period of 5 weeks (usually on a Thursday evening) held at Moorways sports village Derby pool for the confined water dives. At the end of the fifth week the open water dives are held over the weekend, at Stoney Cove. 

Referral Course – See Price List.

For those people who would rather complete the Open Water Dives elsewhere (often warm tropical waters). All five Knowledge Development sessions (eLearning and Confined Water dives are completed with Go Dive Training. On completion of these sections you can then complete your 4 open water dives at any PADI dive centre in the world. The Referral  option is often favoured by people who have a holiday booked or are planning a holiday overseas. 

Flexi Course – See Price List.

The flexi option is great if you work on a shift pattern and cannot commit to consecutive Thursday evenings. You ‘give us’ 5 Thursday dates ( ie 2 consecutive Thursdays, miss 2 weeks, 1 more Thursday, miss 1 etc ) and we work around you. The extra cost is for the flexibility it allows. The Stoney Cove sessions will still be on the scheduled dates in our calendar.