PADI Course
Open Water Diver
Internationally recognized PADI certification. About 4 days from zero to certified diver.
- ✓Diving mask
⏰Offer ends June 30, 2026
💡Healthcare workers / students / returning students get discounts. WhatsApp for details.
Duration
About 4 days (can split across weekends)
Max Depth
Max 18 metres
Prerequisite
Age 10+, swim 200m, tread water 10 min
Certification
PADI Open Water Diver (worldwide lifetime cert)
Course Overview
The Open Water Diver (OW) is the entry-level full certification in the PADI system. Once certified, you'll hold a globally recognized diving licence that lets you rent gear, join boats, and participate in Fun Dives or advanced courses anywhere in the world.
The Open Water Diver course requires:
• 8-10 hours of online learning
• 3 hours of in-person theory
• 5-6 hours of confined water (pool) skills training
• 2 days of Sai Kung open-water sessions
Online learning is completed at home via PADI eLearning. The in-person theory session covers diving safety, hand signals, equipment assembly, and a practical quiz. Pool skills can be done in one full day or split into two half-days. Finally, 2 days of real ocean dives in Sai Kung (typically weekends). Schedule flexibly around your availability.
After OW, you'll have the diving knowledge and skills to dive to 18 metres deep — with a buddy, you can freely plan diving trips anywhere in the world. The certification is lifetime — no renewal fees, ever.
Who is this course for?
An honest look at who this course is — and isn't — for.
This course is for you if…
- Serious about learning diving, not just trying once
- Plan to dive abroad (Philippines, Indonesia, Maldives etc.)
- Want an internationally recognized certification
- Willing to invest about 4 days of learning
- Curious and patient with underwater environments
Maybe not for you if…
- Just want to try once (consider DSD experience instead)
- No time within 6 months to schedule about 4 days
- Uncontrolled cardiopulmonary conditions, recent surgery, severe ENT issues
- Can't swim 200m or tread water 10 min (water skills lessons can come first)
An Honest Comparison
Should you learn in Hong Kong, or go overseas?
Both have real trade-offs. Here are the six factors I walk every student through.
| Factor | 🇭🇰 Learning in Hong Kong | ✈️ Learning overseas |
|---|---|---|
| ⏰Time | Finish in two weekends. No annual leave needed. When you travel overseas later, you can dive straight in — no more spending 3 days of your trip in a classroom. | Requires 3-4 consecutive days off. |
| 💵Cost | No flights, no hotel, no overseas meals. Total spend is predictable and contained. | Flights, accommodation, and four days of meals all add up — total cost is typically double. |
| 🗣️Language | Taught in Cantonese. Safety-critical details (ear equalisation, emergency procedures, hand signals) land more clearly, reducing the risk of misunderstanding. | Usually taught in English. Beginners absorbing safety instructions under stress in a second language sometimes miss critical details. |
| 🌊Visibility | Lower. Summer visibility runs 8–15 m, with soft corals, anemones, wrasses, and starfish. | ★Better — generally clearer water. This is the one factor where overseas genuinely wins. |
| 🌧️Reschedule & retraining | Weather-related reschedule: fully free, usually the next available weekend. If you need extra training to pass a skill: charged at actual cost only (boat, air, gear, pool) — no instructor fee. | The 4-day course must run start-to-finish. Bad weather, ear pressure issues, or illness leave no buffer — rescheduling means buying another flight. |
| 👥Your dive community after you're certified | You meet local classmates during the course, can plan dives together afterwards, and join my Fun Dive group to keep building experience. | Once the course ends, everyone flies home. Many learners become "diving orphans" — certified, but with no one to dive with. |
🇭🇰 Learning in Hong Kong
Finish in two weekends. No annual leave needed. When you travel overseas later, you can dive straight in — no more spending 3 days of your trip in a classroom.
✈️ Learning overseas
Requires 3-4 consecutive days off.
🇭🇰 Learning in Hong Kong
No flights, no hotel, no overseas meals. Total spend is predictable and contained.
✈️ Learning overseas
Flights, accommodation, and four days of meals all add up — total cost is typically double.
🇭🇰 Learning in Hong Kong
Taught in Cantonese. Safety-critical details (ear equalisation, emergency procedures, hand signals) land more clearly, reducing the risk of misunderstanding.
✈️ Learning overseas
Usually taught in English. Beginners absorbing safety instructions under stress in a second language sometimes miss critical details.
🇭🇰 Learning in Hong Kong
Lower. Summer visibility runs 8–15 m, with soft corals, anemones, wrasses, and starfish.
✈️ Learning overseas
★Better — generally clearer water. This is the one factor where overseas genuinely wins.
🇭🇰 Learning in Hong Kong
Weather-related reschedule: fully free, usually the next available weekend. If you need extra training to pass a skill: charged at actual cost only (boat, air, gear, pool) — no instructor fee.
✈️ Learning overseas
The 4-day course must run start-to-finish. Bad weather, ear pressure issues, or illness leave no buffer — rescheduling means buying another flight.
🇭🇰 Learning in Hong Kong
You meet local classmates during the course, can plan dives together afterwards, and join my Fun Dive group to keep building experience.
✈️ Learning overseas
Once the course ends, everyone flies home. Many learners become "diving orphans" — certified, but with no one to dive with.
The honest summary
If your priority is experiencing the clearest possible water on your very first dive, overseas has an appeal that's hard to match. But if you weigh total cost, language safety, and the likelihood of actually continuing to dive after certification — learning in Hong Kong pays you back long after you receive your card.
Reply within 24 hours · No hard selling
Course Schedule
Actual scheduling adapts to weather and your progress.
Phase 1 — Pre-course
PADI eLearning (online theory)
After enrollment, you'll get a PADI eLearning account. Study from home on your phone or laptop, covering dive physics, physiology, equipment, planning, and safety. Complete 5 modules and a final exam.
Phase 2 — In-person Theory
Theory Session
We'll go over diving safety rules, underwater hand signals, and how to assemble all your gear step by step. At the end, there's a practical quiz to confirm you've got the key points — if anything's unclear, I'll walk you through it again. This phase is also your best chance to ask questions — no shyness needed, every question my past students have asked, I'm happy to explain.
In addition to the online PADI eLearning, theory includes in-person discussion and Q&A. Conducted in Tsim Sha Tsui by default. If you can't attend in person, sessions can be moved to Zoom or arranged at a designated café.
Phase 3 — Confined water
Pool skills training
4-5 training units in a pool. Master all foundational skills: regulator use, mask clearing, neutral buoyancy, emergency ascent, buddy procedures. Each skill is practiced until you've got it.
Phase 4 — Open water
Sai Kung dives (4 dives)
4 real ocean dives in Sai Kung. Apply pool skills to the open water: descents, buoyancy control, navigation, buddy communication, emergency drills. Maximum 18 metres.
Phase 5 — Certification
Receive PADI certification
After completing all training, PADI issues the global Open Water Diver certification (digital cert immediately, physical card delivered in 2-3 weeks). You're officially a certified diver — dive anywhere in the world.
What's included?
All costs transparent — no hidden fees.
Included
- PADI eLearning account
- Complete PADI study materials (digital)
- Full PADI-certified instructor guidance
- All equipment rental
- Confined water training venue fees
- Boat fees (4 open water dives)
- Insurance
- PADI certification fee (PIC)
Not included
- Lunch on dive days (BYO or buy on boat)
- Personal dive gear purchase (consult separately if needed)
- Express shipping for physical PADI card
Healthcare workers and students get an additional HK$200 off with valid ID
Safety is non-negotiable
The Open Water course is the most important foundation in the PADI system, and I follow PADI international standards strictly. After enrollment, you'll complete a full health declaration. If anything is uncertain, I'll ask you to consult a doctor before continuing.
During training, the student-to-instructor ratio never exceeds 1:4. For open-water sessions, I typically run 1:2 or 1:3, so I can see every student simultaneously. Every skill is practiced in confined water until you've truly got it — only then do we take it to the ocean.
If conditions are unsuitable (typhoon signals, heavy rain, very poor visibility), I cancel the day and reschedule. I never push to "stay on schedule" at the expense of safety. If you progress more slowly than expected, I'll schedule additional training sessions. These are charged at actual cost only (boat seat, air tank, equipment, pool rental) — I don't charge for my own instructor time. I believe that if you need extra practice to master a skill, that's an extension of the teaching, not an opportunity to charge twice.
Frequently Asked Questions
The most common questions students ask about this course.
Related Courses
What you might want to explore next.
Discover Scuba Diving
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Advanced Open Water Diver
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Reactivate
Been out of the water? One day to rebuild your confidence and skills.
Want to learn more about Open Water Diver?
Message me on WhatsApp first. I'll reply within 24 hours.
Ask about the Open Water Diver courseNot sure what to ask? Try:
- ·「Should I learn diving in Hong Kong or overseas?」
- ·「How much does the OW course typically cost?」
- ·「I want to start next month — is it possible to arrange?」
Ask anything on WhatsApp first · No high-pressure sales · I respond within 24 hours