During the PADI Open Water Diver course, you’ll learn what you need to know to explore the underwater world using scuba. Most people find it a rewarding challenge.

The PADI Open Water Diver course includes three parts: Knowledge Development, Confined Water Dives, and Open Water Dives. Knowledge Development covers the principles, concepts and terms you need to know for dive safety and enjoyment. During the Confined Water Dives, you learn and practice scuba skills in a pool or water with pool-like conditions. You’ll enjoy making one or more minidives, which take you through the same steps you follow when you make open water dives. To complete training you practice, apply and demonstrate what you learn during four Open Water Dives at a local dive site.

Earning a PADI Open Water Diver certification shows that you met the course requirements. Dive centers and resorts require proof of certification before they will rent scuba equipment, fill scuba cylinders or book dive excursions. 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 adventure.

The PADI Open Water Diver course consists of three main phases:

• Knowledge Development (Online with PADI eLearning) to understand basic principles of scuba diving coupled with an in-person orientation at MIDWEST SCUBA.
• Confined Water Dives to learn basic scuba skills (indoor swimming-pool)
• Open Water Dives to use your skills and explore!

You may be able to get college credit for the Open Water Diver course.

Short on time? The Open Water Referral might be right for you.  The referral process is easy.  You complete your knowledge development and pool portion of class with us and finish your four open water dives with a different PADI dive center.  Ask Midwest Scuba staff for more details.

In the PADI Open Water Diver course, you learn to use basic scuba gear, including a mask, snorkel, fins, regulator, buoyancy control device and a tank.

The equipment you wear varies, depending upon whether you’re diving in tropical, temperate or cold water.

Check with Midwest Scuba about the gear you’ll use during this course and get advice about everything you need from your PADI Instructor.

We provide high quality masks, fins and snorkels for your PADI Open Water Diver Certification Course.

You can start your learning now with PADI’s home-study materials – Open Water Diver eLearning. Select referral or full SCUBA certification below and you will receive access to the academic materials via email.  You should stop by or contact us at Midwest Scuba to speak to a PADI Instructor about scheduling time for in-water training. Your instructor will also answer any questions you have along the way and check your progress to make sure you understand important scuba diving information.