Everything You Need to Know About Getting Your PADI License

PADI’s entry-level course is the Open Water Diver, which licenses you to dive to depths of 60 feet (18 meters) with a buddy, but—theoretically!—no instructor or guide. In this course, you’ll cover the technical theory of diving, including some basic physics, through classroom-based or online learning. And, yes, there’s an exam at the end.

You’ll also learn essential dive skills, from assembling your equipment to clearing water from your mask while underwater, before practicing them in shallow, safe waters. Then you’ll put it all together with four dives in open water. All told, this takes most people three or four days, although some take more time to master the skills than others.

The PADI training system can take you all the way through to diving professionally, and the next step up from Open Water Diver is Advanced Open Water Diver. This allows you to dive to depths of up to 100 feet (30 meters) and adds some additional skills and specialties. As such, some travelers opt to do the two courses back to back as a package deal. However, most people find that it’s worth banking a few dives outside the training context to get the most out of more advanced courses.

Insider tip: Be sure to try before you buy. Three or four days out of your vacation is a big commitment—not to mention a potentially sizable expense. So, if you haven’t already tried scuba diving, it’s worth finding out whether you enjoy it first. Most diving schools offer short experiences where you can learn the basics then dive to shallow depths under close supervision and in very small groups. Try one of those before you splurge on a full course.

Disability need not be a barrier to scuba diving. In fact, some centers offer adaptive diving and there are even divemasters with disabilities. Generally speaking, however, you’ll need a basic level of fitness to enjoy the PADI course, including carrying tanks that can weigh around 40 pounds (20 kilograms), and you’ll obviously need to be a confident swimmer.

A range of medical issues can affect your ability to dive, too, and your dive school will have you fill out a medical questionnaire before you start your course. Get hold of this well before you leave and see a doctor to check on any issues it highlights—conditions from sinus issues to claustrophobia and epilepsy can all cause problems.

A good rule of thumb is to learn to dive in the most challenging conditions that you plan to experience. Divers trained in calm, clear tropical waters may struggle in cool, cloudy waters with heavy surge, currents, and kelp forests. Cold water diving also requires very different equipment to warm water diving, such as drysuits, which require specialist training to use.

PADI’s 5-star rating can be a little misleading. There are no ratings below five stars, and—while high standards have to be met—the primary criterion is that schools commit to selling exclusively PADI courses.

Safety is the most important consideration when choosing a dive school. Look for small class sizes and modern, well-maintained equipment. If you’re particularly petite, plus-size, or tall, it’s key to check the school has wetsuits and jackets that will fit you comfortably. The wrong size kit can make diving difficult and even dangerous, and many curvy people struggle to find well-fitting wetsuits.

PADI is the world’s biggest diver training organization, but more than 30 organizations offer qualifications to at least the same standard as a PADI Open Water Diver. NAUI (National Association of Underwater Instructors), CMAS (Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques) and SSI (Scuba Schools International) are probably the best known, with the latter proving quite popular with travelers. An SSI course also generally works out slightly cheaper than PADI, and is—like NAUI and CMAS—recognized around the world.