Underwater wide photo of three scuba divers swimming over a coral reef, with the closest diver in the right foreground and two divers behind on the left/center-left.

Your next step after Open Water

Advanced Open Water Certification

Build confidence, expand your range, and keep the fun factor high on every dive.

Confidence you can feel

You’re already certified—now it’s time to get comfortable in more conditions and start diving with intention. Advanced Open Water is where you sharpen the skills you’ve learned, add new tools to your toolbox, and discover the kinds of dives you’ve been curious about (deeper water, navigation, and more).

At Out of the Blue Scuba, we love this level because it’s practical. You’re not just “checking boxes”—you’re becoming the diver who can plan better, communicate better, and handle the little surprises that happen underwater with calm confidence.

Why Advanced Open Water is worth it

Advanced Open Water is about range—range in environments, range in problem-solving, and range in how you enjoy the underwater world.

Here’s what most divers are really looking for at this stage, and what this certification helps you build:

Better underwater decision-making. You’ll practice thinking ahead, staying aware, and adjusting your plan based on what’s actually happening.
Stronger navigation and orientation. Fewer “Where are we?” moments means more relaxed dives and better teamwork with your buddy.
More comfort at depth and in new conditions. It’s not about bravado—it’s about learning how to stay composed and in control.
A pathway into specialties. Advanced Open Water often helps you decide what you want to pursue next, whether that’s wreck, night, buoyancy-focused training, or something else entirely.

If you want to feel more capable—not just more certified—this is the course that gets you there.

Wide coastal landscape photo showing an ocean shoreline with rocky cliffs and green hills on the right, open water to the left, and a cloudy band across a blue sky.

Practical, goal-driven training

What to expect during your course

Advanced training should feel like diving with purpose. We’ll focus on building real skills you can use immediately, not just repeating what you already know.

We’ll talk through your goals up front so your training feels relevant: what kinds of dives you want to do, what you want to feel more confident about, and what you’d like to improve (navigation, buoyancy control, communication, situational awareness, or overall calm).

Because specifics like prerequisites, exact dive requirements, and course structure can vary by training pathway and location, we’ll confirm the details when you reach out. If you tell us where you’re starting from and what you want to do next, we’ll help you figure out the best fit.

Who this course is for

This is a great next step if you:

have a basic certification and want more confidence beyond “easy” conditions
want to dive more often and feel more prepared for different environments
prefer learning by doing—guided practice with clear goals
want a structured push to improve your skills while keeping things fun

If you’re not sure whether you’re ready yet, that’s normal. Send us a message and tell us about your recent dives and what you’re hoping to do. We’ll help you decide whether Advanced Open Water is the right next move—or whether another path makes more sense first.

Ready to level up? Let’s plan your next steps

The easiest way to get started is to reach out with a few quick details:

your current certification level
where and when you last dove
what you want to feel more confident doing
your general timing (soon vs. planning ahead)

We’ll reply with the right next step and help you get scheduled or answer questions.