SSI Advanced Open Water Diver Course

Overview

Advanced Open Water Diver is the natural next step after your entry-level certification. Over two days you make five dives, each drawn from a different SSI specialty program, and extend your certified depth limit to 30 meters. Two dives are fixed: a deep dive, and a navigation dive where you learn to use a compass and find your way underwater without relying on a guide. You choose the remaining three from the specialties the center offers, or your instructor recommends options based on the sites and your interests. Each dive is preceded by a short knowledge review rather than a full theory course, so the program is focused on diving rather than classroom time. There is no exam. Dahab's varied topography, good visibility and range of depth profiles make it well suited to this level. You need an SSI Open Water Diver certification or equivalent, and you must be at least 12 years old. All equipment, learning materials and certification are included. Each adventure dive also counts as the first dive toward the full specialty, if you decide to continue.

Description

Open Water Diver taught you to dive. Advanced Open Water Diver teaches you to dive in more situations, deeper, and with more independence. It is the most common next step, and for most divers it is the point where diving stops feeling like an exercise and starts feeling natural. How the program works You complete five open water dives, each one taken from a different SSI specialty program. Before each dive you work through a short knowledge review covering the relevant theory, then your instructor gives a full briefing, conducts the dive with you, and debriefs afterward. There is no final exam. Two of the five dives are mandatory. Deep. You dive to a maximum of 30 meters and learn how depth changes things: how much faster you use air, how colors disappear, how narcosis can feel, and how to plan and monitor a dive where your margins are smaller. This dive is what raises your certified depth limit. Navigation. You learn to use a compass properly, to estimate distance underwater by kick cycles and time, and to use natural features to find your way. This is the skill that separates divers who can follow a guide from divers who can plan and lead their own dive. The remaining three dives are chosen from the specialties available at the center, either by you or on your instructor's recommendation based on the sites and conditions. What it qualifies you for On completion you are certified to dive to 30 meters with a buddy of equal or greater qualification, in conditions similar to those you trained in. This covers the large majority of recreational dive sites worldwide. Credit toward specialties Each adventure dive counts as the first training dive of that full specialty program. If you later decide to complete the Deep Diving specialty, for example, you have already done dive one and only need the academic work and remaining dives. Nothing is wasted. Why Dahab suits this course The topography here is genuinely varied within a short distance, which matters more at this level than it does for entry-level training. There are walls, canyons, and sites with real depth profiles, alongside sheltered areas where navigation exercises actually make sense. Visibility is good year round. You get realistic conditions for a deep dive without a long boat trip to reach them. Requirements You need an SSI Open Water Diver certification or a recognized equivalent from another agency. The minimum age is 12, because the deep dive is a mandatory component and SSI sets 12 as the floor for that dive. Divers aged 12 to 14 are limited to 21 meters on the deep dive rather than 30, and certify as Junior Advanced Open Water Divers, diving with a dive professional or a certified adult rather than independently. You will complete a medical statement and a liability release. If you answer yes to any question on the medical statement, written physician approval is needed beforehand. A note on recent diving experience If it has been more than six months since your last dive, consider a refresher before starting. This course moves quickly, goes deep on the first day, and assumes your basic skills are current. Ask the center about a Scuba Skills Update if you are unsure. What is included Full scuba equipment, SSI digital learning materials, all five dives with instruction, and your SSI Advanced Open Water Diver digital certification card.