PADI Open Water Courses | Learn to Scuba Dive

You may be wondering why you should choose Oyster Diving for your PADI open water diver course. We are a multi-award winning PADI scuba diving school offering affordable and professional open water dive training throughout the UK. From private lessons to group holidays, you can learn the principles of scuba diving at affordable prices. Book your PADI open water dive training with Oyster Diving today and enjoy the highest quality dive trainer service, equipment and facilities.

If you are coming to the pool in Soho where there are 3 sessions required then the theory only needs to be completed for the 2nd week. For all other venues it ideally needs to be done before you arrive at the pool.

We have had people do it in a single session and done it in as little as 6 hours, however typically when people break it up over several days/evenings it takes 10-12 hours.

Yep, you should usually receive the online theory directly from PADI within a few hours of signing up to the course. However occasionally it can take up to 24 hours.

It is preferable to do them consecutively but we do appreciate that this isn’t always possible. If you need to miss a session then just let us know by e-mail at least a week in advance and we can move your dates around for you.

You have 12 months in which to complete the course, however we recommend doing it within 2-3 months so the theory and pool skills are still fresh in your memory.

The open water certification is a lifelong qualification so you never need to take it again. Most decent dive centres will insist on a refresher though if you haven’t dived in a while.

Yes, almost anyone can do the PADI Open Water Course, but there are a few requirements and considerations:<br><br><strong>Minimum Age<br></strong>- Standard Open Water Course: The minimum age is 10 years old. For participants between 10-14 years, they receive the Junior Open Water Diver certification, which can be upgraded to a full Open Water Diver certification at age 15.<br>- Junior Divers: Have depth and supervision restrictions (e.g., must dive with a parent, guardian, or PADI professional).<br><br><strong>Swimming Skills<br></strong>Students must be comfortable in the water and have basic swimming abilities. This includes:<br>- Swimming 200 meters (or 300 meters with mask, fins, and snorkel) without stopping.<br>- Treading water or floating for 10 minutes.<br><br><strong>Health and Fitness</strong><br>Participants must be in reasonably good health. They are required to complete a medical questionnaire to ensure they don’t have any conditions that might make diving unsafe.<br>Some conditions, such as heart conditions, asthma, or epilepsy, may require a doctor’s approval before starting the course.<br><br><strong>Comfort in Water</strong><br>While prior diving experience isn’t necessary, participants should feel comfortable in water environments and be willing to learn skills like breathing through a regulator and equalizing pressure.<br><br><strong>Commitment to Learning</strong><br>The PADI Open Water course includes theory sessions (which can be done online through eLearning), confined water dives to practice skills, and open water dives to demonstrate those skills. A willingness to engage in these is essential.<br><br>If someone meets these criteria, they are generally eligible to take the PADI Open Water Diver course and start their journey to becoming a certified diver!