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PADI Open Water Diver (Qualifying Dives)
The PADI Open Water Diver Qualifying Dives are the final step in obtaining your Open Water Diver certification. These dives allow students to apply skills learned during confined water sessions in real open water environments. Upon successful completion, divers are certified to dive independently with a buddy to a maximum depth of 18 meters, with the certification valid for life.
Course Type: Beginner
Fees From:
£250.00
Booking Information: If you are unable to find a date that works for you please contact us and we will be able to tailor a booking to your needs.
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PADI Open Water Diver Qualifying Dives – Complete Your Certification with Confidence
Ready to take your first real plunge into open water? The PADI Open Water Diver Qualifying Dives at The Diving Academy are your gateway to becoming a fully certified scuba diver. After completing your theory and confined water sessions, these dives are the final step to earning your PADI Open Water Diver certification – a lifelong passport to underwater adventures across the globe. Whether you’re based in Reading, Swindon, Oxford, or Bristol, or travelling from abroad, our experienced PADI instructors will guide you through a series of four open water dives at top-rated dive sites across Berkshire, Hampshire, Wiltshire, and Oxfordshire. These dives are not only fun and safe – they’re the official completion of your PADI Open Water Diver course.
Why Choose The Diving Academy for Your Qualifying Dives?
Convenient Local Dive Sites: We conduct qualifying dives at accessible, high-quality dive locations near Reading, Swindon, Oxford, and Bristol.
Globally Recognised Certification: Earn a PADI certification that’s valid for life and accepted worldwide.
Expert Instruction: Our qualified PADI professionals ensure you gain the skills and confidence to dive independently.
Flexible Scheduling: We offer weekend and weekday options to suit your availability, perfect for local students or international visitors.
What You’ll Learn and Do
During your qualifying dives, you’ll demonstrate key scuba skills, explore open water environments, and become confident with underwater navigation and buoyancy control. You’ll gain hands-on experience in real conditions, preparing you to dive anywhere around the world.
Ideal for:
Students who have completed the PADI Open Water Diver theory and pool sessions.
Holidaymakers looking to finish their certification in the UK.
Divers returning from overseas looking to complete their training locally.
Locations We Serve:
Local Dive Centres: Reading, Swindon, Oxford, and Bristol.
Dive Sites: Berkshire, Hampshire, Wiltshire, and Oxfordshire.
We also welcome international students looking for a UK-based dive certification experience.
Begin Your Journey Today
Book your PADI Open Water Diver Qualifying Dives with The Diving Academy and unlock a world of underwater adventure. Whether you’re just down the road or flying in for your course, we’re here to make your dive dreams a reality.
Prerequisites
The PADI Open Water Diver Course prerequisites:
- Must be a minimum of 10 years old.
- Must be able to tread water without aids for 10 minutes
- Must be able to swim 200 meters without aids or 300 meters with mask, fins and snorkel.
Course Medical Requirements
Scuba diving requires a minimum level of health and fitness. Chronic health conditions, certain medications and/or recent surgery may require you to get written approval from a physician before diving.
Avoid disappointment, download and review the Diver Medical form to ensure you won’t need a physician’s approval to dive before enrolling in a scuba course. Instructors, divemasters and dive shop staff are not physicians and should not be asked for medical advice; only medical professionals can give medical clearance to dive.
If you (or your physician) have questions about medical fitness to dive, contact the experts at Divers Alert Network (DAN).
Next Steps
Independent Study
Step 1 – PADI eLearning®
PADI eLearning makes it easy to fit scuba lessons into a busy schedule. Learn about scuba diving principles and terminology whenever, wherever it’s convenient for you.
- eLearning time commitment: 5-10 hours
At The Diving Academy
Step 2 – With Your Instructor
Practice using scuba gear in a pool until you’re comfortable. PADI training includes practice “mini dives” to help you build confidence in your new abilities before making four dives in open water.
What’s Included
What’s Included
- Your course tuition fees for the dates you have booked.
- Your PADI eLearning or Manual
- Equipment hire
- Air Fills for the pool. (If required)
- PADI eCertification Card
Additional Costs
- Dive site entry from £15- £25 per day. (If required)
- Transportation for you to the dive centre, pools & dive sites.
- Subsequent air fills at Open Water sites payable directly to venue.
Youth Academy
Youth Diving At Diving Academy
For children and young adults, mastering the art of scuba diving is an experience like no other. Your child’s first breaths underwater mark the beginning of a life changing journey as a PADI diver. With great benefits for both educational and personal growth, diving provides the opportunity to put classroom knowledge into practice, while learning new skills and building long-lasting friendships.
Diving requires patience, dedication and great sense of humour. While mastering PADI’s specific performance requirements, students will develop positive characteristics such as communication, trust and open-mindedness, all while gaining a great sense of personal achievement.
Encourage them to push the boundaries of what they dream possible.
As an PADI approved Youth Training Centres we adhere to strict health and safety practices and comply with government legislation for working with young people.
This includes implementing our Dive Centre Child Protection Policy with dedicated liaison and carrying out comprehensive DBS (Disclosure Barring Checks) with all PADI professionals before allowing them to work with our young people.
When you choose to work with us as a PADI Approved Youth Training Centre, you can feel confident your young persons are enrolled with the most instructionally sold diver training system available worldwide.
Your child’s introduction to the underwater world with PADI will open the door to a lifetime of discovery and exploration.
Course Locations
Dive Centre
Diving Academy – Dive Centre, Sunfield Business Park, New Mill Road, Wokingham, RG40 4QT
Pool Training Sites
Wokingham – The Forest School, Robin Hood Lane, Winnersh, Wokingham, RG41 5NE
Yateley – Yateley School, School Lane, GU46 6NW
Hagbourne – Hagbourne School Pool, Main Road, East Hagbourne, OX11 9LR
Swindon – Halo Highworth Recreation Centre, The Elms, Highworth, Swindon SN6 7DD
Open Water Training Sites:
London – Wraysbury Diving Lake, Station Road, Wraysbury, Berkshire, TW19 5ND
Radstock – Vobster Quay, Upper Vobster, Radstock, BA3 5SD
Leicester – Stoney Cove, Sapcote Road, Stoney Stanton, Leicester, LE9 4DW
Join the PADI Master Scuba Diver Challenge
Want to reach the pinnacle of scuba diving? Hone your dive skills, build your confidence, and become part of the world’s elite 2% of divers with the PADI Master Scuba Diver™ rating.
