The PADI open water certification course is divided into five instructional “modules” and four open water check out dives. Each of the five modules has academic/classroom session and a confined water or pool session. The classroom session is completed first, and provides students with an overview of the skills they will learn during their next pool session.

After successful completion of all five academic and confined water sessions students are ready to make their open water certification dives. These four dives in the open water environment are usually conducted in one weekend, two dives per day. Successful completion of all four dives completes the course, and students become certified open water SCUBA divers.

Minimum age for certification is 12 years old.