Open Water Diver

Purpose

The PADI Open Water Diver course equips student divers the foundational knowledge and skills they need to dive with a buddy, independent of supervision, to a maximum depth of 18 metres. The Scuba Diver course is a subcourse within the Open Water Diver course that teaches student divers the foundational knowledge and skills they need to dive under the supervision of a certified divemaster, assistant instructor or instructor.

Prerequisites

• Anyone who is in good health, reasonably fit, and comfortable in the water
• Age 16 and above (10 for Junior Open Water)
• Must be able to swim at least 200 metres followed by a 10 minute float / water tread.

Duration

The Open Water Diver's Course is normally conducted over a staggered 2 week period. It involves approximately a minimum of 31 hours of instruction, encompassing both classroom and in-water work. Open water training requires a minimum of 4 open water scuba dives.

Course Limits

Student to Instructor Ratio ( Living Seas ) not to exceed 4 to 1 during any in-water training and should be adjusted downward to account for bad conditions.

Required Training Materials

• PADI Open Water Diver Manual* or Multimedia
• RDP - Wheel, table or eRDP including associated Instructions for Use booklets
• * Note: For those using the manual, the PADI Open Water Diver Video must also be viewed.

Academic Topics

• Buoyancy
• Comfortable Descents
• Comfortable Ascents
• Breathing Underwater
• Staying Warm
• Streamlining
• Diving in a team
• What's it like where we'll be diving?
• Care for Yourself
• Care for Others
• Solution Thinking Underwater
• Offshore Adventures
• Nitrogen Narcosis
• Decompression Sickness
• Dive Tables Introduction
• Using the Recreational Dive Planner
• Emergency Decompression
• Altitude Considerations for Divers
• Finding a Minimum Surface Interval
• Electronic Dive Planning

Land Drills & Topics

• Equipment Preparation, Assembly, Disassembly
• Predive Safety Check
• Entry
• Buddy breathing

Required Dive Skills & Drills

• Buoyancy Check
• Controlled Descent
• Controlled Ascent
• Cramp Removal, self and Buddy
• Tired water tow
• Snorkel / Regulator Exchange
• Buoyancy Control
• Partial and complete mask flood and clear
• Regulator recovery and clearing
• Alternate air source use stationary
• Alternate air source assisted ascent
• Weight removal and replacement on surface
• Compass swim
• Free descent with reference
• Controlled Emergency Swimming Ascent
• Buddy breathing
• Removal / replacement of SCUBA on surface
• Free Descent without reference
• Mask Removal / Replacement
• Underwater navigation with compass

Equipment Requirements

• Buoyancy Control Device
• Regulator with 1 main and 1 backup 2 nd Stage, 1 1 st Stage
• Exposure suit suitable for local open water conditions
• Mask
• Fins
• Snorkel
• Weight belt
• Amphibious Notebook

Note: Prior to the commencement of class, students should consult with a Living Seas representative to verify equipment requirements. Whether or not a piece of equipment fulfills PADI's equipment requirement remains at the discretion of Living Seas and its instructor representatives. Participants are responsible for providing all equipment or for making provisions to secure the use of necessary equipment before the start of the course. In general, it is better for the student to learn while using his or her own equipment. However, students should exercise caution before purchasing new equipment to avoid acquiring substandard equipment. Please contact a Living Seas representative prior to making any purchases.