PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course in the Beautiful Philippines

PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course in the beautiful Philippines, is the next step after the Open Water Diver certification and focuses on building confidence, expanding your skills, and introducing you to new types of diving. Here’s an overview:

Who Can Take It?

• You need to be a PADI Open Water Diver (or have an equivalent certification from another agency).
• Minimum age: 12 years old (for Junior Advanced Open Water).

Structure

The course includes five adventure dives, each focusing on a specific skill or type of diving. Two are mandatory:

1. Deep Dive – Learn how to dive safely up to a maximum depth of 30 meters/100 feet (21 meters/70 feet for juniors).
2. Underwater Navigation Dive – Practice compass navigation and natural navigation techniques to find your way underwater.

The remaining three are elective and vary based on your interests or the dive site’s conditions. Common options include:

• Wreck Diver
• Drift Diver
• Night Diver
• Peak Performance Buoyancy
• Fish Identification
• Search and Recovery
• Digital Underwater Photography
• Dive Propulsion Vehicle (DPV)

Duration

• The course typically takes 2-3 days done in Puerto Galera, Philippines. I chose this part of the Philippines so you can easily be trained in the most beautiful reefs with all the basic fundamentals of the ocean. Deep dives, strong drift, and definitely the best nocturnal marine species one hopes to see.

Puerto Galera’s dive sites provide an ideal playground for the required and elective dives in the Advanced Open Water course. Here is a sample dive sites for our advanced open water scuba diver course.

1. Deep Dive
   • Site recommendation: Canyons or The Alma Jane Wreck.
     These spots are great for exploring depths while observing marine life and experiencing slight currents.
2. Underwater Navigation
   • Site recommendation: Sabang Wrecks or a shallow reef like La Laguna reefs.
     These areas have distinct features and moderate visibility, making them ideal for compass and natural navigation practice.

Elective Adventure Dives

1. Drift Dive
   • Site recommendation: The Canyons or Kilima Drift.
     Puerto Galera’s currents make drift diving a must-try! This site offers an exhilarating ride with schools of fish and colorful corals.
2. Wreck Dive
   • Site recommendation: The Alma Jane Wreck.
     The Alma Jane, an artificial wreck, lies at a depth of 30m and is teeming with marine life, making it a favorite for wreck enthusiasts.
3. Night Dive
   • Site recommendation: Sabang Bay or Small La Laguna.
     The reef transforms at night, offering sightings of nocturnal critters like cuttlefish, squid, and sleeping parrotfish.
4. Peak Performance Buoyancy
   • Site recommendation: Coral Garden.
     This calm, shallow site is ideal for practicing buoyancy control while hovering around coral formations.
5. Fish Identification
   • Site recommendation: The Marine Sanctuary or Ernie’s Cave.
     Puerto Galera is part of the Coral Triangle, so it’s perfect for learning about reef ecosystems and identifying species.

What You’ll Learn

• Planning and executing dives to enhance your confidence underwater.
• Techniques for deep diving and understanding the effects of increased pressure.
• Improved navigation skills using a compass and visual landmarks.
• Exposure to specialty areas of diving.

Gear Required

Aside from standard scuba gear, you might use additional equipment depending on the dives you choose, like dive lights for night dives or underwater cameras for photography.

What’s Next After?

• You’ll be certified to dive up to 30 meters (or 21 meters for Junior Advanced Open Water).
• You can start exploring PADI Specialty Diver courses, like Deep Diver or Wreck Diver.
• This course is a stepping stone toward the PADI Rescue Diver certification.