A diver swimming over a reef with a buddy behind

Open Water Diver

Name: Open Water Diver
Brand: PADI
SKU: OWD001
Price: 5650.00 ZAR
Availability: InStock

SKU OWD001

R 5,650.00 ZAR R 7,550.00 ZAR

Product variants

The course at a glance

Qualifies you to dive to 18 metres with a buddy, for life
Five pool sessions in a heated indoor pool in Fourways, four students per instructor
Four open water dives at Bass Lake Adventures or Miracle Waters, or in the ocean on request
PADI eLearning and all scuba equipment included
No diving experience needed. Swim 200 m (or snorkel 300 m) and float for 10 minutes

Learn it in the pool. Prove it in open water.

Most new divers remember their first breath underwater: slow, loud in the regulator and stranger than expected. Within a few minutes it feels normal, and that change from nervous to comfortable is what the pool sessions are for. The PADI Open Water Diver course takes you from that first breath to diving independently with a buddy.

It's the most widely recognised scuba certification in the world, and the card dive operators ask to see before they take you diving. The card is the start, though. The logged dives after it are what make you a diver.

You'll learn to move through the water without fighting it, control your own buoyancy, and handle your gear with the ease that only comes from proper training. All scuba equipment is included for the duration of the course, so there's nothing to source or hire beforehand. No prior experience is needed. Turning up ready to train is.

What You Can Do With This Certification

Once certified, you're qualified to dive independently with a buddy to a maximum depth of 18 metres, anywhere in the world. That covers guided reef dives on holiday, wreck dives within your depth limit, and the speciality and advanced courses when you're ready for more.

The certification carries no expiry date and is recognised by dive operators internationally, from tropical reefs to cold-water kelp forests to the inland sites closer to home. For some divers it's the goal. For others it's the first step towards a speciality, a Divemaster rating, or simply more time underwater.

Ready to get certified? Book your course below, or get in touch with our team if you'd like to talk it through first.

What This Course Entails

Your course starts online through PADI eLearning, worked through in your own time, wherever suits you. Across five interactive modules, you'll cover the core theory: buoyancy control, equipment use, underwater communication, safety procedures, and how to dive responsibly around marine life.

Once the theory's done, your in-water training begins in a heated indoor pool in Fourways. Over five confined water sessions with a certified instructor, you'll build the practical skills that carry you through every dive that follows: mask clearing, buoyancy control, and emergency procedures, all in a controlled, low-pressure environment.

From there, you'll head to Bass Lake Adventures or Miracle Waters, two of South Africa's most established inland dive sites, to complete four open water qualification dives. This is where the theory and pool work come together and where your certification is earned. Ocean-based qualification dives can also be arranged on request, for those who'd rather do it in salt water.

Prerequisites

Minimum age is 10 for Junior Open Water and 15 for the standard Open Water certification.
Able to swim 200 metres, or snorkel 300 metres.
Able to float unassisted for 10 minutes.
Complete a basic health screening questionnaire to confirm you're fit to dive.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need any prior diving experience to do the PADI Open Water course?

No. The course is built for complete beginners. You do need to meet the swimming and fitness prerequisites (swim 200 metres or snorkel 300 metres, and float unassisted for 10 minutes), but no previous diving experience is required.

How long does it take to complete the PADI Open Water Diver certification?

It depends on your pace through the eLearning, but most divers complete the course, including pool sessions and open water qualification dives, within a few days. The theory is self-paced, so you can move faster or slower depending on your schedule.

Where do I complete my open water qualification dives?

Qualification dives are typically completed at Bass Lake Adventures or Miracle Waters, both popular inland dive sites in South Africa. Ocean-based qualification is also available on request if you'd prefer to certify in the sea.

What depth am I qualified to dive to once I'm PADI Open Water certified?

A PADI Open Water Diver certification qualifies you to dive independently with a buddy to a maximum depth of 18 metres, anywhere in the world, for life. There's no expiry date on the certification.

What's included in the PADI Open Water course price?

The course fee covers your PADI eLearning materials, five confined water (pool) training sessions with a certified instructor, four open water qualification dives, and all scuba equipment for the duration of the course. Site entry fees for qualification dives may be quoted separately.

Are air fills included in the course price?

No, and that is deliberate. Air is charged as you use it, per fill, and invoiced to you after your session. Every diver breathes differently, and a nervous first-timer will get through considerably more air than someone on their fourth qualification dive. Building a worst-case air allowance into every course fee would mean the lightest breathers subsidising the heaviest, so instead you pay for the air you actually use and the course price stays lower for everyone. We confirm the current fill rate with you when we book your dates, and you are welcome to ask us for it at any point before that. Dive site entrance fees are also paid separately, at the site on the day. Everything else, including your PADI eLearning, your instruction and the use of all scuba equipment, is covered by your course fee.