PADI Advanced Open Water Course in Singapore: $838, 5 Dives
The PADI Advanced Open Water course is the certification you take after Open Water: five Adventure Dives that raise your maximum depth from 18 to 30 metres, with Deep and Underwater Navigation as the two compulsory dives. In Singapore, ours costs $838 all-in, runs with classes of just 4-5 students, offers flexible dates with no minimum sign-up numbers, and puts your training dives at Pulau Hantu or Lazarus Island.
The format is deliberately simple: theory online, then straight into open water. There is no pool day this time. If the Open Water course taught you the skills, Advanced Open Water is where you use them on real dives with an instructor alongside, one new type of diving per dive.
What’s included for $838
- PADI International Advanced Open Water Diver certification (recognised worldwide)
- PADI online eLearning material, self-paced, roughly 6 to 8 hours of theory
- Use of all scuba equipment throughout the course
- Five Adventure Dives, including the mandatory Deep and Underwater Navigation dives
- All instructor fees
Not included, so there are no surprises: meals and personal insurance cover.
How does the PADI Advanced Open Water course run in Singapore?
| Day 1 | Online eLearning at your own pace: PADI puts the theory at roughly 6 to 8 hours, done from home |
|---|---|
| Days 2-3 | Five Adventure Dives at Pulau Hantu or Lazarus Island, right here in Singapore waters |
PADI itself notes the in-water portion of Advanced Open Water is often wrapped up over a single weekend, and that is exactly how ours is built: theory at home during the week, then two days of diving. Because the dives run locally at Hantu or Lazarus, there is no ferry to Malaysia and no leave form to file; the schedule flexes around you rather than around a boat departure.
What are the five Adventure Dives?
Two are set by PADI; three are yours to choose.
- Deep Adventure Dive (mandatory): your instructor takes you below the 18 metre Open Water limit for the first time, into the 18 to 30 metre range, under direct supervision. This is the dive that earns the new depth rating.
- Underwater Navigation Adventure Dive (mandatory): the other compulsory dive, and the one that matters later, because completing it is part of the pathway requirement toward Rescue Diver.
- Three electives: PADI’s options include Digital Underwater Photography, Dive Against Debris, Dry Suit, Enriched Air Nitrox, Fish Identification, Night, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Search & Recovery, Underwater Naturalist, and Wreck.
The electives are not throwaways: each Adventure Dive you complete can count as the first dive of the corresponding PADI Specialty certification. Pick Peak Performance Buoyancy and Wreck now, and you are already one dive into each of those specialty cards later.
How deep can you dive with an Advanced Open Water certification?
30 metres. Open Water certifies you to 18 metres; the Advanced Open Water certification raises that to 30 metres (100 feet). Junior divers aged 12 to 14 carry a 21 metre limit until they turn 15. In practice, that extra 12 metres is the difference between reading about a site and diving it: plenty of reef, wall and wreck sites sit beyond 18 metres and ask for advanced certification before you can join the boat.
Depth is also the point where a dive computer stops being optional kit. Once your profile regularly passes 18 metres, you want your no-decompression time on your own wrist, not on somebody else’s. Our dive computer buying guide covers honest options at every budget, and buying where you train means the person recommending it has watched you dive.
Am I eligible for Advanced Open Water?
- Open Water Diver certification, or an equivalent-level certification from another agency
- Minimum 10 years of age
- In good health, reasonably fit, and comfortable in the water
The age fine print, per PADI standards: divers 15 and up earn the full Advanced Open Water Diver card with the 30 metre rating; ages 12 to 14 earn Junior Advanced Open Water with a 21 metre limit; and 10 to 11 year olds earn Junior Adventure Diver instead. And no, there is no minimum number of logged dives: the only certification prerequisite is Open Water, so you can start the week after you certify.
Why take your PADI Advanced Open Water with us?
We’re a PADI training centre inside Singapore’s dive gear shop, and for this course in particular that matters. Advanced Open Water is when most divers stop renting and start buying: a computer for the deep dive, a compass habit from the navigation dive, a wishlist from whichever electives hooked them. Learning from instructors who fit and sell gear for a living means your questions get answers grounded in what is actually on the shelf, not a brochure.
The course logistics are the same as our Open Water course: 4-5 students per class so nobody gets lost at the back, flexible dates that fit working adults, and no minimum sign-up numbers, so you are never waiting on strangers to commit before you can start.
What comes after Advanced Open Water?
Two directions, and they are not mutually exclusive. The first is more training: the PADI Rescue Diver course ($838) is the one countless divers call their favourite, and your Advanced Open Water card, navigation dive included, is precisely what qualifies you to start it. The full ladder is laid out in our diving courses in Singapore hub.
The second direction is simply diving. A 30 metre rating opens the deeper sites on regional trips, and our Tioman diving guide is the natural first read for a newly minted advanced diver planning a weekend across the border.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the PADI Advanced Open Water course take?
The eLearning takes roughly 6 to 8 hours at your own pace; the five Adventure Dives are typically completed over two days. Ours runs as one eLearning day plus two dive days at Pulau Hantu or Lazarus Island, and because dates are flexible you can split it across weekends.
How deep can a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver go?
30 metres (100 feet). Divers certified at ages 12 to 14 hold Junior Advanced Open Water with a 21 metre limit until they turn 15. Open Water divers, by comparison, are certified to 18 metres.
Can I take Advanced Open Water straight after Open Water?
Yes. The only certification prerequisite is PADI Open Water Diver, Junior Open Water Diver, or a qualifying entry-level certification from another agency. There is no minimum dive count in between, so you can book both courses back to back.
Which Adventure Dives should I choose?
Deep and Underwater Navigation are fixed; the other three are yours. Each one can count as the first dive of the matching PADI Specialty, so pick the ones you actually want to pursue: Peak Performance Buoyancy and Enriched Air Nitrox are practical, Wreck and Night are the crowd favourites. Talk to us on WhatsApp at 9800 0539 and we’ll match electives to your plans.
Do I need my own gear for the course?
No: use of all scuba equipment is included. That said, this is the course where a dive computer starts to matter, since you’ll be diving beyond 18 metres; our dive computer guide explains what to look for before you spend anything.
Where do the training dives happen?
Pulau Hantu or Lazarus Island, both in Singapore waters. A boat ride from the mainland, not an overseas trip, which is what keeps the schedule flexible.
How do I book the course?
Book the PADI Advanced Open Water course online ($838), or WhatsApp us at 9800 0539 to sort dates and electives first. No minimum group size, so your start date is your call.
Ready to go past 18 metres? Book the PADI Advanced Open Water course ($838) or WhatsApp 9800 0539 with your preferred dates and elective picks. Not yet certified? Start with the PADI Open Water course. And if you’d rather talk it through over the gear wall, visit the store at 178 Paya Lebar Road.