Open Water Certification
Your PADI Open Water certification, completed in the Florida Keys. eLearning on your schedule, pool skills with our instructors, and four open water checkout dives in Islamorada.
About this Course
PADI Open Water Diver (or Junior Open Water Diver)
If you’ve always wanted to take scuba diving lessons, experience unparalleled adventure and see the world beneath the waves, this is where it starts. When you learn to dive with Islamorada Dive Center, you not only learn from experienced and dedicated instructors, you learn to scuba dive in one of the most beautiful locations in the United States! Getting your PADI scuba certification in the Florida Keys is an experience like none other!
To enroll in a PADI Open Water Diver course (or Junior Open Water Diver course):
- You must be 10 years old or older.
- You need adequate swimming skills and need to be in good physical health.
- No prior experience with scuba diving is required.
Redemption
Once you complete your purchase, we will send out a confirmation email on how you can schedule your class / dives.
Set Dates
Our “Set Dates” are Tues-Weds and Fri-Sat. If you need to start your class on days other than Tuesday or Friday, you’ll choose the “Custom Date” option
How the Course Works
Complete your knowledge development portion online using PADI’s interactive presentations, videos and readings. Learn the material and complete the knowledge review quizzes at your own pace for up to a year prior to your vacation. Once you arrive at Islamorada Dive Center, you will learn and practice skills with us in the pool before completing your four open water check-out dives. Our course also includes the PADI Club Membership.
Course Schedule
What's Covered
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you need to take the Advanced Open Water course?
A PADI Open Water certification and a minimum age of 12. From there, the Advanced course builds on what you already know through five guided dives with an instructor. It’s the natural next step — and a practical one, since AOW opens up deeper sites and the wreck charters.
How many dives are in the Advanced Open Water course?
Five specialty dives for Levels 1 through 3: Underwater Navigation, Deep, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Dive Against Debris, and either Wreck or Drift. Level 4 adds two more dives and a fourth specialty card. Every dive happens on Islamorada’s reefs and wrecks — never a pool.
How much does Advanced Open Water cost?
It starts at $500, which covers instruction and all your course dives. Gear rental isn’t included. You’ll also need a cutting tool, a timing device or dive computer, and a compass — rent the computer and compass from us if you don’t own them.
Do I need Advanced certification to dive the Eagle wreck?
You do. IDC’s Thursday and Sunday charters to the Eagle — a 269-foot freighter resting in more than 100 feet of water — require Advanced certification. The Deep and Wreck dives in this course are exactly the training that makes those sites safe and worth it.
What are the four course levels in the Advanced program?
Each level completes the same five core dives but differs in which specialties count and how many certification cards you walk away with. Level 1 earns your Advanced Open Water card. Level 4 adds two dives and a fourth specialty cert. Tell us your goal, and we’ll point you to the right level.
Book Your Course Online
Morning and afternoon charters run year-round from Three Waters Marina. Whether you're booking a charter, a course, or just have questions — we're here.