PADI Open Water Diver
No experience neededInternationally recognised · PADIVerified providerHavelock Dive Collective4 daysNo reviews yet
The entry-level certification that lets you dive to 18 m anywhere in the world, taught over four days on Havelock.
Course syllabus & schedule ↓Certified instruction (1 instructor to 4 students in open water)
Full gear & equipment rental included
Assessment & official certificate
What the course actually is
The standard PADI Open Water course: knowledge development, five confined-water sessions and four open-water dives. Pass and you are certified for life to dive to 18 metres with a buddy, anywhere PADI is recognised — which is essentially everywhere.
The entry-level certification that lets you dive to 18 m anywhere in the world, taught over four days on Havelock.
Key course details
Essential specifications, instruction format, and eligibility at a glance.
- Gold Verified School · Havelock Dive Collective
- 15 years operating · Havelock
- PADI INTERNATIONAL
- 18 m ocean depth rating · Lifetime international qualification
- Group Academy Batch
- 4 days · Join a cohort and learn alongside dedicated dive buddies
- Fully Instructed
- 1 instructor to 4 students in open water in open water
- Beginner / Moderate Intensity
- 200 m swim unaided & 10 min continuous water float required
- Guided in English & Hindi
- Theory & eLearning materials available on request in French, German, Spanish, and Russian
- Group Size 1 – 8
- Small cohorts ensure focused attention, direct supervision, and safe buddy pairing
- Ages 10 & Over
- Junior qualification for ages 10–14; adult certification from 15+
Beginner-friendlyNo prior experience needed10+ yearsGear rental includedOfficial lifetime qualification
What is not included
Personal and travel arrangements to plan ahead of your batch.
- —Accommodation on Havelock
- —Meals
- —Ferry to and from Port Blair
- —Medical examination if your questionnaire requires one
- —Underwater photographs
Day by day syllabus
Structured training progression from foundational mechanics to assessed technique.
- Day 1Theory and the poolTraining09:00–17:00Knowledge sections 1–3, then first confined-water session in the shallows.
- Day 2Confined water, completedTraining09:00–16:00Remaining skill circuits: mask flood and clear, regulator recovery, controlled ascent.
- Day 3Open water dives 1 and 2Training07:30–14:00Two boat dives to 12 m on Nemo Reef, repeating the skills at depth.
- Day 4Open water dives 3 and 4Training07:30–16:00Two dives to 18 m, then the written exam and certification.
Best season for PADI Open Water Diver
Optimal training windows for safety, environmental conditions, and skill progression.
26 to 32 °C
Tropical water window
Year-round published batches
School operates structured batches across the active seasonal window with calm currents and favorable visibility.
SKILL LEVEL
Beginner (No experience needed)
COURSE DURATION
4 days (09:00–16:00)
INSTRUCTOR RATIO
1 instructor to 4 students in open water
CERTIFICATION
PADI
EQUIPMENT INCLUDED
BCD, regulator and octopus, Mask, snorkel and fins, Wetsuit
PASSES & ACCESS
Boat transfers & dive permits
BASECITY & VENUE
Havelock Island, Andamans
MINIMUM AGE
10 years and over
FITNESS CRITERIA
Moderate fitness (1 hr continuous activity)
SAFETY PROTOCOL
Every dive is led by a PADI professional and follows the PADI standards for ratios and depth
WHAT TO BRING
Swimwear, Towel, Reef-safe sunscreen
WEATHER POLICY
Rescheduled or refunded pro rata
What you will learn
- Assemble, check and use scuba equipment safely
- Clear a flooded mask and recover a lost regulator at depth
- Control buoyancy with breath and BCD
- Plan a dive within no-decompression limits
- Handle common problems: cramp, low air, buddy separation
What you get at the end
Internationally recognised · PADI
- No certificationYou learn the skill; no document is issued.
- Certificate of participationConfirms you attended. Not a qualification and not recognised by any body.
- Nationally recognisedIssued under an Indian federation or authority, and recognised within India.
- Internationally recognised — PADI · this courseIssued under an international body and recognised by operators abroad.
Requirements & eligibility
Age: 10 and over
- Swim 200 m unaided (any stroke, no time limit) and float for 10 minutes
- Complete the PADI medical questionnaire; some answers require a doctor's sign-off
- No flying for 18 hours after the final dive — book onward travel accordingly
You will be asked to confirm at booking
- Can you swim 200 m unaided and float for 10 minutes? — this course requires “Yes”
- Have you answered NO to every question on the PADI medical questionnaire? — this course requires “Yes”
- When do you fly out of the Andamans?
Equipment breakdown
Provided by the school
- BCD, regulator and octopus
- Mask, snorkel and fins
- Wetsuit
- Tanks and weights
- Dive computer
Bring your own
- Swimwear
- Towel
- Reef-safe sunscreen
- Any personal medication
Who teaches it
Instructor to learner ratio: 1 instructor to 4 students in open water
A
Ananya Iyer
13 years teaching
PADI Course Director, diving the Andamans for over a decade.
PADI Course DirectorEFR Instructor Trainer
T
Tashi Norbu
7 years teaching
Instructor and the centre's safety officer.
PADI Master Scuba Diver TrainerOxygen provider
Safety & Field Protocol
- Every dive is led by a PADI professional and follows the PADI standards for ratios and depth
- An emergency first-response provider is on every boat with oxygen
- The nearest recompression chamber is at Port Blair; we brief the evacuation route on day one
- Nitrogen loading is tracked with computers on every dive, and the 18-hour no-fly rule is not negotiable
If plans change
Cancellation
Full refund up to 14 days before the start. 50% between 14 and 5 days. No refund inside 5 days, because course materials are registered to you and the boat seats are held.
Weather
Diving is called off for sea state, not rain. A dive lost to weather is rescheduled within your course window; if the course cannot be completed we certify what you have passed and you finish at any PADI centre worldwide at no extra cost to us.
WHAT'S INCLUDED WITH THIS COURSE
All PADI course materials and eLearning access
Full equipment hire for the duration
Five confined-water and four open-water dives
Boat transfers to the dive sites
PADI certification and lifetime registration
Drinking water and fruit on the boat
Who runs it
Certified adventure schools and verified instructors leading structured syllabuses.
Havelock Dive Collective
Verified School
Havelock · 4 days course
₹34,500per participant
Next batch starts 4 Oct