Should You Do Open Water + Advanced Open Water Together? Pros vs Cons Explained
Let’s discuss whether you really should be pairing your Open Water Diver course with the Advanced Open Water Diver.
The PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certification is the second level of scuba diving, and it officially qualifies you to dive up to 30 meters anywhere in the world.
The course typically takes 2–3 days and includes a mix of mandatory and elective dives.
You must complete:
- Two mandatory dives:
- Deep Dive
- Underwater Navigation
- Deep Dive
- Three elective dives: Choose from options like:
- Peak Performance Buoyancy
- Night Dive
- Drift Dive
- Wreck Dive
- Nitrox Dive
- Underwater Photography
- Fish Identification
- Search & Recovery
- Peak Performance Buoyancy
Pro Tip: Always go for the Night Dive — it’s one of the most magical and memorable experiences in scuba diving. You can check out my own AOW night dive experience here
You must complete the mandatory deep dive to 30 meters. Without this, you simply do not qualify for certification.
Additionally, you must pass all the assessments. During any of your elective dives, if your instructor feels you’re not ready or safe enough, they may withhold certification — this is standard procedure and ensures diver safety worldwide.
How It Builds on the Open Water Certification
The AOW course expands on your Open Water foundation by:
- Giving you more dives, more exposure, and more underwater confidence
- Introducing you to specialty dives that challenge your skills
- Allowing you to safely explore deeper depths
- Teaching you to navigate, manage buoyancy, and handle complex underwater conditions
Simply put:
Open Water teaches you how to dive.
Advanced Open Water teaches you how to become a diver.
Reasons to Take Advanced Open Water Immediately
If you’ve just completed your Open Water and are considering whether to continue, here’s why doing AOW back-to-back can be a great choice:
- You gain more in-water experience quickly.
You dive more in the same trip, get comfortable in the ocean, and sharpen your skills before you forget the basics. - You can participate in dedicated dive trips sooner.
Many iconic dive sites around the world require AOW certification because of depth or currents. - Your skills grow faster.
Navigation, buoyancy mastery, and deep-water confidence come much more naturally when learned without long breaks in between.
If diving excites you and you know you want to continue — doing Open Water + AOW together is one of the smartest choices.
Reasons to Wait Before Advanced Open Water
However, waiting makes sense in certain situations:
- You need more basic practice.
Just like any sport, some divers benefit from doing 5–10 fun dives before jumping into the next level. - You’re not sure if diving is “your thing” yet.
Around 10% of people realize underwater isn’t where they feel most comfortable — and that’s okay. - You’d like to build confidence gradually.
If you’re still adjusting to breathing underwater, equalizing, or buoyancy control, gaining more experience first can help.
If you aren’t fully sure whether you want to continue long-term, waiting is perfectly normal.
conclusion
You should absolutely go for Advanced Open Water right after Open Water if:
- You love the ocean and marine life
- You want to save cost and time by doing both together
- You want deeper access and better dive experiences
- You already feel comfortable during your Open Water course
You should wait if:
- You’re unsure whether diving is right for you (some people simply prefer mountains!)
- You want to become really good at fundamentals before leveling up
- You need more practice dives before taking on deeper challenges
At GoCareless, we facilitate all levels of PADI and SSI courses, from Open Water to Advanced, Rescue Diver, and even Deep Diver Specialty (which qualifies you to 40 meters).
Not sure what to choose? We’ll guide you based on your comfort, goals, and experience — and arrange everything for you. Visit here for more Information
Christopher Noland
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