What does it cover?
The PADI Open Water Diver course is, by far, the world's most popular scuba certification course. Millions of people have started diving as certified PADI Open Water Divers. Learning to scuba dive requires both knowledge development (facts, principles, concepts) and dive skills (techniques, methods). The PADI Open Water Diver Course online provides the knowledge development portion you need. You develop the remaining skills by actually diving with a PADI Instructor at your local PADI Dive Center or Resort.

What are the PADI Open Water Diver course prerequisites?
To be certified as a PADI Open Water Diver, you need to be at least 10 years old*, fit for diving, and able to swim. To be able to participate in the PADI eLearning Open Water online program, you simply need to be at least 10 years old.

*In some regions the minimum age is higher.

How does it work?
After enrolling, PADI's eLearning® system presents you with interactive presentations that include videos, audio, graphics and reading. Short quizzes let you gauge your progress, and review and correct anything you might happen to miss. This lets you move through the program efficiently and at your own pace.

What else is required to complete the course?
Prior to certification as a PADI Open Water Diver, you'll visit your PADI Dive Center or Resort to complete your training. You'll take a short eLearning Quick Review to confirm your understanding of safety-related material from the course, and you must successfully complete five confined water dives and four open water training dives with your PADI Instructor. You learn and master each of the required skills in confined water (swimming pool-like conditions) first before moving on and showing your instructor that you can comfortably repeat those skills in open water. As a PADI Open Water Diver, you will be a certified entry-level diver able to rent dive gear, get air fills and dive anywhere in the world in better or similar conditions to those you've trained in.

What does it cost?
The PADI Open Water Diver Course online is the course amount nonrefundable. The fee covers your knowledge development training and gives you unlimited access to an electronic version of the PADI Open Water Diver Manual (course textbook). Your PADI Dive Center or Resort will charge an additional fee for the inwater portion of your certification. You may also need to purchase a mask, snorkel, pair of fins and other personal dive equipment. Your PADI Dive Center or Resort will help you choose equipment suited to your needs. You'll also need a Recreational Dive Planner (Table or eRDP version) or the How to Use and Choose Dive Computers manual and a log book. Contact your dive center for all of these things and to find out the total course cost.

How long do you have to complete the eLearning course?
The eLearning course will be available for one year from the time of course registration. Though you must finish the online portion of the course within that time frame, you will have perpetual access to an online version of the PADI Open Water Diver manual.

What is the minimum amount of time it will take to complete this eLearning program?
The PADI Open Water Diver Course online will take approximately 12-15 hours to complete.

How do you document that you've completed the eLearning segment?
Once you finish the eLearning portion of the course, your dive center is notified that you have completed it and that you are ready for the practical phase of the program. At the end of the eLearning program, you can print out your eRecord and bring a copy of it with you to your selected PADI Dive Center or Resort.