PADI Open Water Course or PADI Scuba Diver course on Bali?

07 Oct PADI Open Water Course or PADI Scuba Diver course on Bali?

The PADI Open Water Course is by far the most popular PADI course. But there are more dive courses to choose from when you just start with diving, such as the PADI Scuba Diver course. At Joe’s Gone Diving we offer both dive courses on Bali. So what are the differences between the PADI Open Water course and the PADI Scuba Diver course?

Duration of the Dive Course

You need 3 days to complete the PADI Open Water Diver course on Bali. Next to this, you will need to prepare theory. You can do this on Bali by picking up a manual a day or so before the start of your course, or already from home using PADI eLearning.  It is possible to complete all theory during your course with us, however you course will be more intensive. The PADI Scuba Diver course on the other hand, takes only 2 days. The amount of theory you will need to cover is much less, so it can all easily be completed during your dive course with Joe’s Gone Diving.

Contents of your PADI Course

The PADI Scuba Diver course is the first part of the PADI Open Water Diver course.  The Open Water course consists of 5 modules. For the PADI Scuba Diver course, you will only need to complete the first 3 modules. You will learn less diving skills. The last 2 modules of the Open Water course cover how you can dive independently as a buddy team without the help of a dive professional. After completing the PADI Scuba Diver course on the other hand, you will always need to dive with a dive professional.

Depth

Once you have completed the PADI Open Water course, you are allowed to dive to a maximum of 18 metres. After completing the PADI Scuba Diver course, you are allowed to go to a depth of 12 metres. A child of 10 or 11 years old, can only dive to a maximum of 12 metres, regardless of their dive certification levels. For children in this age group, it is often worthwhile to initially join the PADI Scuba Diver course as it does not really matter so much. They will always need to dive with a dive professional/guardian till the age of 15.

Number of Dives

During the PADI Scuba Diver course, you make 2 dives. The first day of the course, you will have theory and swimming pool lessons and the second day, you will do 2 dives. During the PADI Open Water course, you will make 4 dives. The first day of your course is similar to the PADI Scuba Diver course; you will follow theory and swimming pool lessons (unless you did eLearning). The second and third day, you will make 2 dives each day. You will go to two different dive locations and will get to see more of Bali’s great dive spots.

Cost

The PADI Scuba Diver course is obviously cheaper than the PADI Open Water Diver course. You can always upgrade your PADI Scuba Diver certification at a later stage at any PADI Dive Center worldwide. You will have to pay a certification fee again though.

Finally

If you have the time, it is almost always worthwhile to opt for the PADI Open Water Diver course on Bali. But there are also good reasons to choose for the PADI Scuba Diver course initially. For example because it is cheaper than the PADI Open Water course. The Scuba Diver course is also the right choice if you are not entirely sure diving is for you. First of all, you learn more skills than by doing a day of discover scuba diving which often makes people feel more comfortable. Second of all, you will get a dive certification which is valid for life. If you discover you really enjoy diving, you can always upgrade to PADI Open Water Diver in the future.

Still doubts which PADI course is best for you? Please contact Joe’s Gone Diving for more information.