1. Knowledge Development – You start by learning the basic principles and procedures. You learn things like how pressure affects your body (A niche area of physics), how to choose the best gear and what to consider when planning dives.

You complete ‘Knowledge Development’ on your own, reading the PADI Open Water Diver Manual and watching the corresponding section of the PADI Open Water Diver Video. Get this done before you pay for any lessons. If you like learning with a personal computer, you can also get the Open Water Diver Manual and Video together as a CD-ROM.

In lessons, you briefly review what you studied in each section with your instructor and take a short quiz to be sure you’re getting it. At the end of the course, you take an exam to ensure you’ve grasped the subject fully.

2. Confined Water Dives – Swimming pool snorkelling and SCUBA diving. You develop basic scuba skills in a pool or in a body of water with pool-like conditions. Here you’ll learn everything from wrigging your gear to clearing water out of your mask without surfacing. You’ll also practice some emergency skills, such as sharing air.
There are five predefined confined water dives, with each building upon the previous level of confidence. Over the course of these five dives, you develop the skills you need to dive in open water.

3. Open Water Dives – After your confined water dives you will move onto the next stage with a PADI qualified instructor at an ocean dive-site. This is where you put it all together and fully experience the underwater adventure – at the beginner level. You may make these dives near where you live, or, preferably at a more exotic holiday destination.

The more advanced qualification to later reach for is the Divemaster Certification.

There are many other courses available at different worldwide locations, including the ‘Shark Awareness Course’ at Ellesmere Port, Chester, UK:

Other course currently available include:PADI Specialty Courses

• Master Scuba Diver
• Enriched Air Diver
• Drysuit Diver
• Underwater Photographer
• Underwater Navigator
• Peak Performance Buoyancy
• Boat Diver
• Drift Diver
• Wreck Diver
• Oxygen First Aid
• Equipment Specialist
• Project AWARE
• Coral Reef Conservation
• UK Marine Life Diver
• Turtle Conservation
• PADI Professional Courses
• Diving for the Disabled – IAHD
• Andark Courses
• Junior Courses
• Technical Diving International
• Divers Alert Network

For a pathways diagram on which SCUBA course to take next see PADI Courses>>