Open Water Diver Referral
Finished your classroom and pool work at home? Complete your four PADI checkout dives with IDC in the Florida Keys. Certification card, all rental gear, and two PADI specialty courses included.
About this Course
PADI Open Water Diver
If you've already completed your classroom and pool sessions through a PADI dive shop back home, you don't need to start over. The Open Water Referral program lets you finish your certification right here — four checkout dives in the Florida Keys, spread across two half days on the water.
How the Course Works
Before arriving at IDC, you'll need to have completed both the knowledge development (classroom or eLearning) and confined water (pool) portions of the PADI Open Water course with a certified PADI instructor. Bring your referral card or eLearning completion certificate when you come in — that's your proof of completion and what allows us to pick up right where you left off.
Once you're checked in, our instructors will review your progress, get you geared up, and take you out on the water for your four open water checkout dives.
Course Schedule
The referral course runs over two half days — two boat dives per session. Morning or afternoon scheduling is arranged after purchase. Once your payment is confirmed, we'll send a follow-up email with instructions for booking your dive dates.
What's Included
All rental gear is provided, so there's no need to travel with equipment. Your PADI Open Water certification card is issued upon successful completion of all four dives.
IDC includes two PADI specialty courses with every Open Water certification: PADI AWARE and PADI Shark Conservation. Both reflect IDC's focus on reef conservation in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary — and both add real credentials to your diver profile from day one.
What's Covered
What's Next
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is an Open Water referral dive?
A: It’s how you finish a certification you started somewhere else. If you’ve completed the classroom and pool sessions with a PADI shop back home, the referral program lets you do just the four open water checkout dives here in the Keys. No starting over. You pick up exactly where you left off.
Q: How much does the Open Water referral cost at IDC?
A: It starts at $400, which covers all four checkout dives, full rental gear, and your PADI Open Water certification card. Two PADI specialty courses come with it too — PADI AWARE and PADI Shark Conservation — both tied to reef protection in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
Q: What do I need to bring for a referral dive?
A: Bring your referral paperwork or eLearning completion certificate. That’s your proof that you finished the knowledge and pool work with a certified PADI instructor, and it’s what lets us take you straight to the water. All rental gear is provided, so you don’t need to travel with equipment.
Q: How long does the Open Water referral program take?
A: Two half days. You do two boat dives per session — four checkout dives total — with morning or afternoon scheduling arranged after you book. Once payment clears, we email instructions for locking in your dates.
Q: How long is my referral paperwork valid?
A: A PADI referral is generally accepted for 12 months from the date you finished your classroom and pool work. If you’re close to that window, bring your paperwork and we’ll confirm it before you get in the water. Don’t let it lapse — redoing the pool portion is the one thing this program exists to avoid. Not started yet? Begin with our full Open Water certification.
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.