Whatever your reasons for wanting to dive, this is where your adventure begins for real – Become a PADI Open Water Diver qualified to dive independently with your buddy and begin to live your dreams!

The PADI Open Water Diver Course is aimed at anyone who is fit and able to swim 200 metres in water too deep to stand up in. They must be aged 10 years or older on the first day of the course.

The World’s most popular diving course | PADI Open Water Diver

Upon successful completion of the PADI Open Water Diver Course, you will be certified to dive with an equally or higher qualified buddy to a maximum depth of 18 metres.

For Junior Open Water divers -those who are younger than 15 years of age – some restrictions apply. Young divers age 10-11 can only dive with a parent, guardian, or PADI professional to a max depth of 12 m. Junior Open Water Divers age 12-14 years old can dive with a certified adult or PADI professional to a max of 18 metres.

However as soon as a Junior Open Water Diver reaches his or hers 15th birthday, they are upgraded immediately, no need for a new qualification card.

The Course | 3 Key areas of the PADI Open Water Diver Course

The Academics

The first part is the mental learning or the academics. This involves reading 5 chapters from the PADI Go-Dive Manual, which we will supply to you. It may sound like a lot, and it is – kind of – but this book is packed with pictures and fairly large print, plus the course is designed for 10-year-olds 🙂

At the end of each chapter, there is a Knowledge Review, five in total to complete. Then you will be asked to answer 4 multiple choice 10 questions quizzes. At the end, there is a 50 question multiple choice final exam.

If this is just too much and you wish to spread the academic learning over a longer period then consider the eLearning Open Water Course option.

The Confined Water Training

During this session, you are definitely going to get wet. You will be spending the day submerged in the swimming pool right next to our dive centre. Here you will learn all the skills necessary to keep you safe and allow you to explore the underwater world. All in all, there are about 22 skills you will learn and master.

If time is a bit short, consider doing a PADI Referral Open Water Diver Course, where you complete the academics and confined water training in your hometown with a local dive centre. Then you finish the course in the beautiful warm waters of Menorca, doing your 4 open water training dives with Salgar Diving.

Open Water Dives

As part of the course, we need to get you out there with all the fish and wonderful marine life. So the next part of your adventure are the Open Water dives where you will get to put some of those neat skills you learned in the swimming pool into practice.

How’s my day looking?

A typical day starts at 09:00 and finishes around 17:00 with one hour break for lunch, usually between 13:00 till 14:00. You can bring your own lunch or enjoy your lunch break at one of the restaurants in S’Algar. Please understand that all time is approximate, as each course has its own dynamics.

So, Can I do it?

• No diving experience necessary
• You can start this course as young as 10 years of age.
• You do not need to be an Olympic swimmer but you will need to demonstrate you can swim 200 metres and float for 10 minutes.
• In Spain, a medical certificate is required for certified divers wishing to dive or for students embarking on any scuba diving course that leads to a certification. You will need to have a letter or certificate endorsed by a doctor saying you are fit to dive. Information and a typical blank form can be downloaded here – Medical Certificate | Good to know

What do I get for my buck?

• PADI Open Water Diver Manual ‘Go-Dive’
• All equipment hire for the duration of your course
• Insurance during the course
• Air fills
• Logbook
• Professional Team
• And once you successfully master all the skills etc. final certification.

What is not included?

• Cost of medical certificate
• Anything not mentioned above
• Dive computer

What do I need to bring with me?

• Swimwear and if you have one of those swim caps with flowers that would be nice.
• Towel
• Sweets or an apple for your instructor
• Manual, bring your PADI Academic material every day
• The medical certificate or letter from your doctor
• Packed lunch or funds to enjoy lunch at our preferred restaurant in S’Algar, the Pirata

Like all training courses, courses are paid for but certification is earned.

OK, so I have done that what’s next?

Your next step to learning more and making you an even better diver is the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Course. Here you will learn how to dive deep plus experience the first part of 5 exciting PADI Specialities.