Open Water Course

Open Water Course

Prices Terms and Conditions

Our DSD program is designed to offer your first diving experience, under the supervision of a qualified PADI/SSI instructor. Let the team at Galapagos Dive Academy introduce you to the equipment and techniques you will use while exploring the underwater world – with our focus on safety always at the forefront.

To join us for a DSD experience, you must:

  • Be at least 10 years old.

Open Water Course Details

If you would like to progress your SCUBA training after your DSD experience, you can take an Open Water course – a lifelong qualification. This is the most popular course worldwide, designed so that the student can either start at home and finish on vacation or complete the entire course while on holiday.

  • The Open Water course consists of two parts:
  • The first part is academic and theoretical, and conducted with easy-to-access online materials. You can undertake this section slowly at home or in just a few days while on vacation.
  • The second part is a mix of confined (pool-based) and open water practical training, during which you learn how to handle scuba equipment and become an independent diver. This section usually takes 3 days to complete and provides for a total of 4 dives in the sea. Following certification, you are qualified to a maximum depth of 18m.

To join us for an Open Water course, you must:

  • Be at least 10 years old.
  • Know how to swim.
  • Be free of heart disease, advanced respiratory disease, and any temporary congestion, such as influenza (flu).

Please note: If you are 60 or older, or if you are suffering from any type of significant illness, a medical certificate is recommended to confirm your fitness for diving.

We Teach Our Open Water Course in Academy Bay

We teach our Open Water course in Academy Bay, using several sites, including Punta Estrada, Loberia, El Bajo, and El Barranco.

Acquire an Internationally Recognized Certificate!

Our Open Water Course is taught in two parts: the academic/theoretical component undertaken online, and the practical, hands-on component provided by us. To become a PADI Open Water Diver, you must successfully complete all of the training exercises. Upon this, you will receive your certification, which permits you to dive to a maximum depth of 18m.

Information about how we generally stage the course:

Note: Some timings may vary depending on whether you select our AM or PM schedule.

  • Preparation Day: Students first complete the theory component of the course online (at home or in their hotel) using, for example, PADI’s E-learning tools.
  • Between 15:00 and 18:00 hrs: On the day of your arrival, we meet at our dive center so that you can check in with us, sign the required medical statement and release form, try on the dive gear you will use, and meet your PADI instructor.

Course Days:

  • Day 1: Swimming pool class/confined water training, Dive session No. 1.
  • Day 2:
    • Depart the dive center with dive gear.
    • Board our boat, NINA, at the town’s main pier.
    • Arrive at the dive site.
    • Dive sessions No. 2 and 3.
    • Surface interval/snack/drink.
    • Return to the dive center/log dives.
  • Day 3:
    • Depart the dive center with dive gear.
    • Board our boat, NINA, at the town’s main pier.
    • Arrive at the dive site.
    • Dive sessions No. 4 and 5.
    • Surface interval/snack/drink.
    • Return to the dive center/log dives and process certification.

Equipment and Services

  • Dive Gear Provided per Client: 5-7mm wetsuit, SCUBA Regulator with yoke, BCD, mask, fins, booties, hood (if required), weight belt, and 12-liter tanks filled with compressed air.
  • Bilingual PADI Instructor/Guide
  • 1 Swimming Pool Class
  • 4 Open Water Dives in Academy Bay
  • Digital PADI E-lite Material, when required (no videos)
  • Digital PADI Log Book
  • Digital Certification

Notes: A minimum of 2 students is required to confirm the course. A maximum of 5 students are taught simultaneously.

Prices Terms and Conditions