The PADI Advanced Open Water Course is designed to take your diving to the next level — and it’s easier than you might think. There are no quizzes, exams, or pool sessions involved. Instead, you'll complete five exciting adventure dives, each focusing on a new diving skill or specialty area.

For each dive, you'll review a short knowledge section either before or after the dive, giving you both the theory and hands-on experience in a relaxed and enjoyable way.

Course Schedule

Day 1 – Shore Dives
The course begins with a short in-person assessment followed by two adventure dives, including the Navigation Dive and one elective dive. If conditions are favourable, we may also include a third elective dive, allowing you to complete the course over just two days.

Day 2 – Boat Dives at Nine Mile Reef (or Alternate Sites)
We’ll head out by boat to one of our favourite local advanced dive sites – Nine Mile Reef. If weather or sea conditions make Nine Mile unsuitable, we may dive at Marys Rock, Fido Reef, or other nearby locations.
The first dive will be the Deep Dive, a course favourite that allows you to safely explore greater depths. The second will be an elective dive, which could include Drift Diving, Boat Diving, Fish Identification, or Search and Recovery.

Day 3 – Optional Third Day (Elective Dive)
This day may be used to complete a final elective dive, such as the Night Dive, depending on availability and student preference.

Course Completion & Certification

Once you’ve completed your five adventure dives, you’ll be certified as a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver. This certification allows you to dive to 30 metres and is recognised worldwide, giving you greater access to dive sites and advanced-level activities.

What Makes This Course Different?

The Advanced Open Water Course is a natural progression from the PADI Open Water Diver certification. While the Open Water Course focuses on mastering core skills, the Advanced course is about exploration, experience, and confidence-building.

Each dive in this course has a specific focus — such as improving your buoyancy, learning underwater navigation, or exploring deeper depths. You'll become a more versatile and capable diver, ready to take on more challenging and exciting dive sites.

Choosing Your Adventure Dives

The Deep Dive and Underwater Navigation Dive are required components of the course. You’ll then choose three elective dives based on your interests and goals.

Elective options may include:

• Night Dive

• Peak Performance Buoyancy

• Digital Underwater Imaging

• Drift Dive

• Fish Identification

• Boat Diving

• Search and Recovery

If you're unsure which to choose, our instructors will be happy to help guide you based on your experience level and future dive plans.

Scuba Gear and Equipment Advice

As an Advanced diver-in-training, you might be thinking about upgrading your own dive gear. Enrolling in this course shows that you’re serious about diving — and now is a great time to invest in equipment suited to your needs.

Kirra Dive is an official supplier of trusted scuba brands like Mares, Aqualung, Oceanic, and Hollis. If you're not sure what gear is right for you, speak to one of our instructors or visit our showroom for personalised advice.

Medical Requirements

While a medical clearance is not always required, it is strongly recommended, especially if you’re unsure about your fitness to dive.

You will be asked to complete a PADI Medical Questionnaire. If you answer “Yes” to any question, you must obtain a diving medical certificate from a qualified physician before starting the course.

This is for your safety, as undiagnosed conditions — particularly related to the ears, lungs, or heart — could put you at risk while diving. Australian standards (AS 4005.1) and SPUMS (South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society) also recommend divers undergo a full medical assessment.

Please read the form carefully in advance. A downloadable version of the medical form is available on our website or can be sent to you upon request.

Flexible Scheduling

If the scheduled course dates don’t suit you, we’re happy to help. Please contact us by phone on 07 5536 6622 or email us to discuss alternate dates or custom course arrangements.