The Advanced Open Water (AOW) Diver course is all about advancing your skills. You'll practice navigation and buoyancy, try deep diving and make three specialty dives of your choosing (it's like a specialty sampler platter). This higher certification level allows you to dive down to 100 feet, and opens up many new Florida dive sites (including drift dives off Jupiter, deep wrecks in the Keys, and more advanced caverns like Paradise). To get the most out of your course, we recommend students have completed 20-25+ dives before taking their AOW.

You can choose to do your AOW in the Florida springs, in the ocean, or both (one day of each):

Freshwater option: We take students to more advanced open water sites in the Florida springs, such as Paradise or Buford, which offer access to depths of 100’+. If choosing this option, we recommend selecting “Cavern” as one of your three specialty dives.

Saltwater option: We take students out of the sheltered Florida springs for AOW to experience saltwater diving and new conditions either on the Gulf Coast or Atlantic. Please note, there is an additional fee for this option, to cover the cost of boat charters.

Choice of specialties: For your AOW course, you will do a total of five dives. This includes a Deep dive, an Underwater Navigation dive, plus three specialty dives of your choice. You pick the specialties! Here are a few of the many options: Boat, Cavern, DPV (Diver Propulsion Vehicle), Dry Suit, Enriched Air Nitrox, Fish Identification, Full Face Mask, Night, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Search & Recovery, Self-Reliant, Underwater Photography, Underwater Naturalist, and Wreck Diver.

For more details see: https://www.padi.com/courses/advanced-open-water

Tip: Consider pairing your Advanced Open Water course with Enriched Air (or Nitrox), to allow for longer bottom times and shorter surface intervals! Or add a Deep specialty to take your maximum bottom depth down to 130’.

Prerequisites: Open Water Diver/Junior Open Water Diver (or qualifying certification); 20-25+ dives recommended (but not required)

Estimated time commitment: 2-3 days

Minimum age: 12 years or older

Depth: The maximum depth depends on your age, but maximum depth is up to 30 metres/100 feet

Maximum Course Size: 4 Students (exceptions available for large groups upon request)

Course Cost: $400 USD* - Rental gear is available upon request, at no additional cost. Additional fees may be required for air fills, transportation, and dive site entrance cost. Contact us for more information. Extra fee required for ocean option, to cover cost of boat charters.

*This cost includes PADI eLearning material and instructor fees. If in-person classroom training is preferred in lieu of eLearning additional fees may apply.