| The PADI Open Water Diver course teaches you all | | | | section of your PADI course locally or online prior to |
| the basics of scuba diving. You will be taught all about | | | | flying out to your red sea diving holiday. It's perfectly |
| your diving kit, and how to correctly assemble it, | | | | acceptable to do this, but ideally it's better when |
| along with all of the basic dos and don'ts of scuba | | | | students carry out the knowledge and practical |
| diving. On successful completion of the PADI Open | | | | aspects of the course concurrently. After all, you |
| Water Diver course, you will be given an open water | | | | wouldn't usually take the driving theory test without |
| diver card featuring your dive your own unique | | | | ever having sat behind a steering wheel. |
| number: the key to your exciting new world of scuba | | | | The PADI Open Water Diver course consists of five |
| diving. With this under your belt you can hire | | | | confined water dives, followed by four open water |
| equipment and continue with your red sea diving | | | | dives. This is where the fun really starts. Some of |
| holiday and needn't sit a single test more if you don't | | | | the practical skills you will learn are: |
| want to. Most divers find themselves hooked by this | | | | · buoyancy control |
| stage, however. | | | | · scuba mask clearing and removal |
| The PADI Open Water Diver course has the duration | | | | · kit removal and refit |
| of between three and five days. You will learn all of | | | | · scuba regulator free flow |
| the necessary skills to enable you to plan and dive up | | | | · controlled emergency swimming ascents |
| to a maximum of 18 meters. It may seem all a bit | | | | · diving compass use |
| daunting at first, but it's surprising how quickly you | | | | · failed BCD inflator |
| learn, and soon you'll be gearing up like a pro. | | | | · tired diver tow |
| The PADI Open Water Diver course consists of two | | | | · alternate air source use |
| parts: knowledge and practical. You will need a PADI | | | | You must be aged at least 10 years to take the |
| Open Water Diver crew pack, which is available for | | | | PADI Open Water Diver course. There is no upper |
| approximately £75 (and includes the certification fee | | | | age limit. The fitness tests requires you to be able to |
| otherwise payable of roughly £30). Your crew pack | | | | swim 300 m with flippers and snorkel or 200 m |
| contains your PADI manual, which tells you all you | | | | without and tread water to 10 minutes. You will also |
| need to know about scuba diving and the equipment. | | | | be asked to complete a medical questionnaire prior to |
| You will also receive a diving logbook to record all of | | | | diving, and should ensure that you are covered scuba |
| your dives, together with a dives table, which you will | | | | diving under the terms of your travel insurance as |
| use when planning your dives. | | | | some policies exclude the sport. |
| You might choose to undertake the knowledge | | | | |