Advanced Open Water Dive Theory: The Next Step on Your Ocean Journey
Congratulations on being a certified Open Water Diver! You have your ticket to explore the underwater world, but you’ve realized it’s just the beginning. There are deeper reefs, mysterious shipwrecks, and a magical nocturnal world waiting. How do you explore them safely and confidently?
Welcome to the PADI Advanced Open Water (AOW) course.
Contrary to what many believe, “Advanced” does not mean “difficult” or “technical.” It means “advancing your experience.” This course is designed to build confidence and expand your skillset through real-world diving experiences.
This Amadive article will be your comprehensive information hub, explaining the philosophy, structure, and immense benefits the AOW course offers. From here, you can dive deeper into each adventure dive that interests you most.
The Core Philosophy: Learning Through Experience
Unlike the Open Water course, which focuses heavily on foundational theory and basic safety skills in a controlled environment, the AOW course shifts the focus to practical, in-water application.
There’s less classroom time and more diving time. Each dive is called an “Adventure Dive,” focusing on a specific skill or area of diving. You’ll complete a bit of reading (eLearning) before each dive and then get straight to hands-on practice under the guidance of your instructor.
Course Structure: The 5 Adventure Dives
To earn your AOW certification, you must complete five Adventure Dives. This includes two core, mandatory dives and three elective dives of your choice.
A. The Core Dives (Mandatory)
These are two foundational skills that every advanced diver needs to master.
- Deep Adventure Dive:
- This course certifies you to safely dive to a maximum depth of 30 meters (100 feet). You’ll learn how to plan for deep dives, recognize and manage nitrogen narcosis, and observe the fascinating color changes as light fades at depth.
➡️ Read the detailed article: Everything You Need to Know About Deep Diving
- Underwater Navigation Adventure Dive:
- How do you find your way back to the boat? This dive teaches you how to effectively use a compass and how to read natural clues (like reef formation and sand slopes) to navigate. This skill will boost your confidence to a whole new level.
➡️ Read the detailed article: Mastering Underwater Navigation
B. The Elective Dives
This is your chance to customize the course to your own interests. Here are some of the most popular choices:
- Peak Performance Buoyancy (PPB) Adventure Dive:
- Take your buoyancy control to an art form. You’ll learn how to hover effortlessly, move gracefully, reduce your air consumption, and protect the marine environment to the fullest.
➡️ Read the detailed article: The Art of Peak Performance Buoyancy (PPB)
- Night Adventure Dive:
- Discover a completely different world after the sun goes down. You’ll learn how to use dive lights, night diving safety protocols, and get the chance to see nocturnal marine creatures.
➡️ Read the detailed article: A Safe and Thrilling Guide to Night Diving
- Wreck Adventure Dive:
- Learn the techniques to safely explore the outside of shipwrecks, including how to map a wreck, assess potential hazards, and use lines and reels.
➡️ Read the detailed article: Wreck Diving: A Beginner’s Guide to Exploration
- Other options include: Drift Diving, Fish Identification, Search and Recovery, and many more.
Benefits of the Advanced Open Water Certification
- Increased Confidence: Experiencing five different diving scenarios makes you a much more comfortable and self-assured diver.
- Unlock New Dive Sites: The certification allows you to dive to 30 meters/100 feet, opening up countless new dive sites around the world.
- Skill Refinement: You will become a better diver with superior buoyancy control and navigation skills.
- Pathway to Further Education: AOW is a prerequisite for the Rescue Diver course and many other specialty courses.
Conclusion: Ready to Level Up Your Adventure?
The Advanced Open Water course is the most natural and rewarding next step after your Open Water certification. It’s not just about learning more skills; it’s about finding the joy in the diversity of scuba diving.
Explore our detailed articles on each Adventure Dive to decide what your next adventure will be, or contact Amadive today to begin your journey!