PADI OPEN WATER COURSE
PADI OPEN WATER COURSE
Overview
The PADI Open Water course consists of a number of theory modules, dives in confined water and open water dives. The course is structured in a logical fashion, so that you gain confidence in the skills you learn in shallow confined water, before you get to practise it in earnest in open water. Dives are interspersed with theory, so your instructor will rarely sit down for hours and drone on about theory. As with any skill requiring physical mastery you actually learn it by doing it!
- 5 theory modules and quizzes
- 1 final exam
- 5 confined-water dives
- 4 open-water dives
The MCP Way
At Marine Conservation Philippines we scuba courses quite a bit differently from a normal dive shop. While the PADI Open Water Course can be completed in as little as three days strictly speaking, we usually spread it out and integrate several experience dives. This gives the student valuable in-water time offering the potential to really master diving and make buoyancy control subconscious and automatic. We know from experience the added buoyancy training is invaluable – especially for conservation and scientific diving work under water, so we enjoy the luxury of using the extra time.
The PADI Open Water course allows you to dive to 18 meters together with a buddy in conditions similar to those under which you were trained. Even though you’ll be a proficient diver and be allowed to dive together with a buddy, you may still prefer diving with someone more experienced acting as dive guide. The typical route most take as PADI divers is to do the PADI Advanced Course soon after their first diver training. All MCP surveyors are trained at least to this level.
OTHER COURSES
I took my PADI Open Water at MCP without any previous scuba experience, but just a sense of that it was something I would like. And of course I loved it! Starting from scratch was a bit intimidating, but with a great instructor and DMT’s and being a small group of three, I felt very safe. The course was quite flexible, so if anybody was struggling with a skill we had time to practice it several times until we were comfortable. All in all I had great start to my scuba adventure here. – Sara