PADI Advanced Open Water Course

Take the next step after Open Water with the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course at DXDivers in Deerfield Beach, FL. You'll make your adventure dives off our dive boat, build real skills like deep diving and underwater navigation, and earn a certification that lets you dive as deep as 100 feet. We're a PADI 5-Star Dive Center and PADI 5-Star Instructor Development Center, and your Advanced Open Water certification is for life.

Who it's for

• You need to be certified first: PADI Open Water Diver, Junior Open Water Diver, or a qualifying entry-level certification from another agency.
• Minimum age is 12. Divers 12–14 earn the Junior Advanced Open Water Diver certification, which upgrades automatically when they turn 15.
• Great for newer divers who want more confidence, and for experienced divers who want to go deeper and dive wrecks.

How it works

1. eLearning (online, at your own pace): PADI's Advanced Open Water eLearning covers the knowledge for each adventure dive. Finish it before your first boat day.
2. 2 boat days off our dive boat, the Lady Go Diver: a Saturday afternoon boat trip and a Sunday morning boat trip, where you complete your 5 PADI adventure dives. Plan on about 6 hours each day, from arrival to departure. Ocean dives depend on the weather.

There's no classroom or pool time. After your eLearning, the whole course happens on the water, in one weekend.

You have 12 months from the date of purchase to complete the course.

Step 1: Choose your course

Step 2: Choose your schedule

Upgrades are add-ons to your Advanced Open Water course. Add the one you want to your cart along with your course; the upgrade price is on top of the course price.

What you'll do: 5 adventure dives

Required by PADI:

• Deep: Go below the Open Water limit of 60 feet, to a maximum of 100 feet (70 feet for Junior divers ages 12–14). You'll learn how depth affects you, your gas supply and your choices underwater.
• Underwater Navigation: Learn to use a compass on the surface and underwater, estimate distance, use natural clues and find your way back to the boat.

Choose 3 more:

• Search and Recovery: search patterns and how to bring up a lost object, skills that serve you on every dive.
• Peak Performance Buoyancy: dial in your weighting and trim for that nearly effortless hover.
• Wreck: scout a wreck's outer structure, spot hazards, plan entry and exit points and learn its history.
• Drift: the way we dive in South Florida. Learn to use a flag and reel and a delayed surface marker buoy (DSMB) while the current carries you along.

Every adventure dive can count toward the matching PADI specialty certification, like Wreck Diver or Deep Diver.

What we provide

• Rental scuba gear: BCD, regulator with octopus, dive computer, wetsuit and tanks
• 2 boat days off our dive boat, the Lady Go Diver, a Newton 46-ft Dive Special with a Coast Guard-approved bow railing
• Air or nitrox fills for your boat dives (nitrox if you're Nitrox certified)
• Professional instruction with experienced PADI instructors
• Certification processing with a digital PADI eCard

What you provide

• Completed PADI Advanced Open Water eLearning (purchased separately, $195)
• Completed PADI medical questionnaire in your PADI eLearning profile, with a physician's sign-off if needed
• Safety gear: surface marker buoy (SMB) with finger spool and whistle
• Personal gear: mask, snorkel, fins (boots if using open heel fins), weights and logbook, plus:
  • Compass
  • Underwater slate
  • PADI Adventures in Diving slate
  Some adventure dives may need extra gear.
• Everything is available in our store, and students get 10% off gear.

Frequently asked questions

What do I need before I start?
You need to be a certified diver (PADI Open Water Diver, Junior Open Water Diver, or a qualifying entry-level certification from another agency) and at least 12 years old. That's it. You don't need lots of experience, just be fit to dive.

How long does the course take?
Start with the PADI eLearning at home. Then the course takes one weekend: a Saturday afternoon boat trip and a Sunday morning boat trip off our dive boat, the Lady Go Diver. Plan on about 6 hours each day, from the time you arrive until you head home. There's no classroom or pool time. Ocean dives always depend on the weather.

How often do you run the Advanced Open Water course?
Offered every weekend, weather permitting. Once you've finished your eLearning, call us at 954-420-0009 to reserve your weekend. Need a different schedule? Add the Flexible Schedule Upgrade (+$180) or the Private 1-on-1 Upgrade (+$250).

How long do I have to finish the course after I buy it?
You have 12 months from the date of purchase to complete the course.

What happens if bad weather cancels a boat day?
Sometimes the ocean has other plans! If weather or sea conditions cancel the boat, we can use alternative dive sites such as Tigertail Lake and Blue Heron Bridge to complete your course.

How old do you have to be?
The minimum age is 12. Divers 12–14 earn the Junior Advanced Open Water Diver certification, which automatically becomes Advanced Open Water Diver at 15.

How deep can I dive after I'm certified?
Advanced Open Water Divers 15 and older can dive to 100 feet (30 meters). Junior Advanced Open Water Divers ages 12–14 can dive to 70 feet (21 meters). Want to go to the recreational limit of 130 feet? Take the PADI Deep Diver specialty.

Is rental gear included?
Yes. Rental BCD, regulator, dive computer, wetsuit and tanks are included in the course. You bring your own personal and safety gear (see "What you provide" above).

I'm buying a scuba gear package. Is my course free?
It can be! It depends on the combined price of 4 items in your gear package: BCD, regulator, octo and computer. $2,000+ gets your Advanced Open Water course fee free; $3,000+ gets Advanced Open Water + Nitrox course fees free; $4,000+ adds 2 free dives on our dive boat, the Lady Go Diver; and $5,000+ adds 5 free dives on the Lady Go Diver. Free courses cover the course fee only. PADI eLearning and course materials aren't included with the gear package, but we sell them for less than PADI does. See the gear packages that qualify or call us at 954-420-0009.

Do I need to be Nitrox certified?
No, but we highly recommend it. Enriched air nitrox has more oxygen than regular air, which means longer bottom times, shorter surface intervals and, as many divers report, less fatigue. Take it together with Advanced Open Water in our Advanced Open Water + Nitrox Combo ($520).

Will my adventure dives count toward a specialty?
Yes! For example, the Wreck Diver specialty takes four dives. If you do the wreck dive during Advanced Open Water, you only need 3 more dives plus the wreck self-study to earn the Wreck Diver certification.

Why do I need to purchase PADI eLearning?
DXDivers is a dive shop, not a certification agency. PADI creates the courses and training materials that dive shops like ours teach, and we sell all of PADI's materials and eLearning, for less than PADI charges. Add PADI Advanced Open Water eLearning ($195) to get started.

When can I start the eLearning?
Right away! After you buy the PADI Advanced Open Water eLearning, we email you a link to redeem your code, so you can start learning from home.

Where do we dive?
We dive both reefs and wrecks off Deerfield Beach. Your instructor picks the dive site for each adventure dive based on the dive and the conditions that day. See our local wrecks and reefs.

Are fills included?
Yes. Air or nitrox fills (if you're Nitrox certified) are included for your boat dives.

Are there any medical issues that could prevent me from diving?
That's ultimately up to your doctor. You'll fill out the PADI medical questionnaire in your PADI eLearning profile. If you answer "yes" to anything on it, you'll need a release signed by your doctor before diving.

Should I bring my own food, snacks or drinks on the boat?
We provide complimentary light snacks, cold water and soda on the Lady Go Diver. You're welcome to bring your own snacks and drinks, too.

Do students get a discount on gear?
Yes! Students get 10% off gear in our store.

Can I get a refund if I decide not to finish?
We don't offer refunds on courses or course materials.

Ready to go deeper?

Pick your course above, add your eLearning, and give us a call at 954-420-0009 to reserve your weekend. Not certified yet? Start with PADI Open Water.