When Should You Take the PADI Advanced Open Water Course?
The PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Course is often considered the next step after becoming an Open Water diver. But how do you know if you’re ready?
The truth is: it’s not about how many dives you’ve logged—it’s about how comfortable, confident, and in control you are underwater. In this article, we’ll guide you through who the course is for, when it makes sense to do it, and what you’ll gain from it.
What Is the PADI Advanced Open Water Course?
The Advanced Open Water Course helps you grow your skills and confidence as a diver. You complete five adventure dives, including:
- Deep Diving (up to 30 meters)
- Underwater Navigation
The other three adventure dives vary depending on your interests and location. Options often include:
- Rescue Adventure
- Peak Performance Buoyancy
- Delayed Surface Marker Buoy Deployment
- Boat Dive
- Sidemount
- Underwater Photography
- Enriched Air Dive
- Drift Dive
- Night Dive
- Wreck Dive
- Drift Dive
- Underwater Photography
- etc.
It’s a hands-on, experience-based course, not an exam. It gives you the freedom to explore new types of diving under professional supervision. Whilst some adventure dives require more practical skill training underwater, others involve more theoretical knowledge and understanding.
Who Should Take the Advanced Open Water Course?
This course is ideal for divers who:
- Have recent diving experience
- Understand basic skills like buoyancy, air control, descents/ascents, and equipment setup
- Want to improve their skills and confidence
- Are curious about different types of dives
Can I Do the Advanced Course Right After Open Water?
Absolutely! If your Open Water Course was thorough and you feel confident with the basics, moving straight into the Advanced course can be a great choice. However, whilst some Open Water students are extremely comfortable from the first moment underwater, others need more time and feel less secure. That said, we recommend doing a few fun dives in between to enjoy the experience, solidify your skills, and build comfort in the water.
Benefits of doing it right away:
- You’re still in “learning mode”
- Your skills are fresh
- You can immediately dive deeper (up to 30m)
- You unlock access to more dive sites
- You keep progressing without long breaks
When You Shouldn’t Take the Course Yet
If you haven’t dived for a while, or didn’t feel fully confident in your Open Water skills, it’s better to wait and gain further experience through fun dives first.
💡 You should postpone the Advanced course if:
- You haven’t dived in 12+ months
- You didn’t feel confident after your Open Water course
What to do instead:
- Book a refresher session
- Do a couple of fun dives
Pros and Cons of the Advanced Course
✔️ Pros:
- Learn to dive up to 30 meters in a safe manner
- Improve navigation and buoyancy
- Then finetune breathing, trim and buoyancy control
- Explore new dive styles (sidemount, wreck, night, etc.)
- Boost your confidence and skill set
- Start working toward Rescue or specialties
⚠️ Cons:
- Can feel overwhelming or not useful if done too early
- May expose skill gaps if you haven’t dived recently
- Not a replacement for real-world dive experience
Final Thoughts: It’s About Readiness
Starting the Advanced Open Water Course isn’t just about how many logged dives you have—it’s about how ready you are to take your skills to the next level.
If you’ve recently completed a high-quality Open Water course and feel confident, go for it. However, if you sturggle to control the basics, how should the instructor teach you about advanced skills. Therefor, if you haven’t dived in a while or felt unsure, take the time to refresh first. The better prepared you are, the more you’ll enjoy and benefit from the course.
Ready to Take Your Diving Further?
If you’re thinking about doing your Advanced Open Water Course in Lanzarote, reach out to us at Scuba Legends Dive Center. We’ll help you assess your readiness and create a personalized, confidence-building training plan.
Let’s dive into the next chapter—at your pace.
