You're not the only one wondering about how long it takes for a scuba certification. There are a variety of options depending on how experienced you are. PADI offers a beginner course which teaches you the basics of diving. PADI Open Water Divers allows you to become certified.
PADI's entry-level diver course
PADI's entry-level diving course includes five chapters, four Knowledge Reviews, a final examination, and one final exam. The course is usually completed in three to four days. However, you may be able to complete it faster if you take the online course. This course covers the fundamentals of diving and includes several open-water dives.
PADI Open Water Diver Manual provides a guide to diving basics. It includes information on proper equipment, terminology, safety procedures, and more. Five videos are included to explain each topic and answer your questions.
Open water certification dives
There are a few steps to getting open water certification. Your training is the first step. Before you go open water diving, there will be several sessions in the swimming pool. These sessions will help you improve your water skills. The orientation dive focuses on the water, while the second dive focuses on scuba skills. Relaxation is the goal of the third dive, while the final dive is intended to consolidate all that you have learned.
You can get your certification done in a weekend if you are a member of a local dive club. However, if you choose a different location, you may need to work around the schedule of the dive center or instructor to get your training completed. It takes approximately three to four working days to become open water certified.
Next-level certification dives
For beginners, you can start by trying out a few dives at the pool. Then, you can move on to the next level. Most try-dives are done in shallow water (6 feet or less). Open water diving is a way to improve your confidence in the underwater environment. Open water diving can be done in any body of water, including the ocean, lakes and even flooded quarry pits.
It takes approximately four days to get certified. However, the process can vary. If you take an online course, you can complete the entire process within a week or two. There are no pre-set deadlines for entry-level courses, though waiting periods can be required for some professional ranks.
Prerequisites to next-level certification
Before you get your next-level scuba certification, you should first get some experience in the water. Try-dives in a pool are a good way to get acquainted with the sport. Also, you can dive in lakes and flooded quarry pits. Open water diving requires more experience than a try-dive.
The SDI open-water training course is designed for those who want to continue their scuba training. It will teach basic scuba skills and problem solving skills. This course will teach you how rescue divers use self-rescue. Open water training will be required to access many dive sites, including those with more difficult dives.