About the course
The PADI Open Water Diver course is where your diving life begins. You learn the theory online before you arrive, master the core skills in the pool on day one, then spend two days on the boat diving some of the best reefs in the world.
It is competency-based, so you never fail: you practise each skill until you are comfortable, and extra pool sessions are free if you need them. Once certified you can dive to 18 m with a buddy anywhere in the world, and your certification never expires.
What you will learn
- Assembling your kit and doing a buddy check
- Clearing your mask and regulator, and sharing air
- Controlling your buoyancy and hovering
- Using a surface marker buoy
- Planning and leading a dive with your buddy
Day by day
- Day 1
Pool skills in Labuan Bajo
- 10:30 Welcome, paperwork, gear fitting and an eLearning check
- 11:00 Pool sessions 1 to 3: kit set-up, buddy check, regulator and mask clearing, your first descent
- After a break, sessions 4 and 5: mask removal, air sharing, kit off and on, and a mini-dive you plan yourself
- 15:00 Skills signed off in your logbook
- Day 2
Ocean training dives
- 06:00 to 06:30 Hotel pickup, and the boat leaves at 06:45
- Dive 1 to 12 m: descending, regulator and mask clearing, alternate air source
- Dive 2: neutral buoyancy, clearing a fully flooded mask, sharing air
- Hot lunch on board
- Dive 3 to 18 m: hovering, mask removal at depth, sending up a surface marker buoy
- Around 16:30 back at the harbour, then hotel drop-off
- Day 3
Lead your own dive, then fun dive
- Dive 4: you plan and lead the dive with your buddy while your instructor watches
- Final debrief over fruit and snacks
- Two fun dives at Komodo sites, with lunch in between
- Your certification arrives by email, usually before dinner
What is included
- PADI eLearning code
- DAN dive accident insurance for the course
- All dive equipment
- An instructor with 1 to 4 students
- 5 pool sessions, 4 training dives and 2 fun dives
- Boat, hotel pickup and drop-off on days 2 and 3
- Light breakfast, a cooked lunch and snacks on days 2 and 3
- PADI certification card
- Bathrobes and good vibes between dives
Your eLearning code is emailed as soon as your deposit clears. It takes about 8 hours on a phone or laptop, and we recommend finishing it before you arrive.