Recreational training

Advanced Open Water Diver

Five guided specialty dives that extend depth to 30 metres and introduce navigation and other skills.

Advanced Open Water is usually the second certification a diver takes, and its name is somewhat misleading — it is an introduction to a range of diving types rather than an advanced qualification.

The course typically consists of five dives: a deep dive, a navigation dive and three elective adventure dives chosen from specialties such as night, wreck, drysuit, photography or peak performance buoyancy.

Its practical value is that it extends the recreational depth limit to around 30 metres, which opens up a large proportion of Australia's better dive sites — including most of the wrecks and offshore sites.

Open-water training, represented by an AI-generated editorial image.

Track	Recreational
Prerequisites	Open Water Diver certification; Minimum age (typically 12–15 depending on agency)
Agency equivalents	PADI: Advanced Open Water Diver · SSI: Advanced Adventurer · SDI: Advanced Adventure Diver · RAID: Explorer 30

What it teaches

diving to around 30 metres with appropriate planning
underwater navigation with compass and natural references
gas management at greater depth
narcosis awareness
an introduction to several specialty disciplines

Why it matters in Australia specifically

A great many of Australia's signature dives sit between 18 and 30 metres: the SS Yongala, HMAS Canberra, the ex-HMAS Brisbane, Wolf Rock, Flat Rock and the deeper Solitary Islands sites among them.

Without this certification, a substantial part of Australian diving is simply unavailable, which is why it is the most commonly taken second course in the country.

Choose the electives deliberately

The three elective dives are frequently chosen by whatever the centre is running that weekend. Choosing them around the diving you actually intend to do is more useful.

A Victorian or Tasmanian diver benefits enormously from the drysuit dive. A diver heading to Queensland wrecks benefits from the wreck dive. A photographer benefits from buoyancy far more than from a photography module.

Where this qualification matters in Australia

Sites where holding this certification genuinely changes what you can do — not a list of everywhere it is accepted.

SS YongalaA 100-metre passenger steamer lost in 1911, now carrying possibly the densest marine life in Australia.HMAS CanberraVictoria's signature artificial wreck — a former guided missile frigate at around 28 metres.Fish RockGrey nurse shark aggregation and one of Australia's few genuine ocean through-caves.Wolf RockAn offshore volcanic pinnacle and one of the few known aggregation sites for pregnant grey nurse sharks.Flat RockSoutheast Queensland's premier big-animal site — grey nurse sharks, mantas and turtles.ex-HMAS BrisbaneA former guided missile destroyer scuttled off Mooloolaba and prepared specifically for divers.Ball's PyramidThe world's tallest sea stack, 26 km offshore, surrounded by pelagic fish in open ocean.

Natural next steps

Courses that build directly on this one.

Rescue DiverThe course most divers describe as the hardest and the most genuinely useful they have taken.Deep DiverExtending recreational limits to 40 metres, with the gas planning and narcosis awareness that requires.Enriched Air NitroxDiving with elevated oxygen to extend no-decompression limits — the most commonly taken specialty.Wreck DiverDiving wrecks safely, and understanding where external touring ends and penetration begins.Drysuit DiverUsing a drysuit as a second buoyancy system — essential for serious cold-water diving in southern Australia.

Courses that lead here

Learning to DiveWhat entry-level scuba training actually involves, and how to judge a course before you book it.Open Water DiverThe entry-level certification that allows independent recreational diving to around 18 metres.Drysuit DiverUsing a drysuit as a second buoyancy system — essential for serious cold-water diving in southern Australia.Night DiverDiving after dark, where familiar sites become completely different and nocturnal life emerges.Peak Performance BuoyancyThe short course with the biggest effect on how good a diver you actually are.Underwater NavigationFinding your way with a compass and natural references — essential for Australian shore diving.Drift DiverDiving with current rather than against it — a necessary skill for many of Australia's best sites.

Agency versions of this course

The same qualification under different names. All are mutually recognised by operators.

PADITaught as “Advanced Open Water Diver”.SSITaught as “Advanced Adventurer”.SDITaught as “Advanced Adventure Diver”.RAIDTaught as “Explorer 30”.

Centres documented as offering this level of training

Businesses where the relevant capability is verified or advertised. Always confirm the specific course directly.

Blue Dive Port DouglasA Port Douglas operation focused on small-group training and guided diving on the northern Great Barrier Reef.Adrenalin Snorkel & DiveA Townsville operation running SS Yongala trips alongside reef diving and training.Pleasure Divers Magnetic IslandA Magnetic Island training and guided-diving operation serving island-based visitors.Airlie Beach Dive CentreAn Airlie Beach operation providing training and certified diving in the Whitsundays.Whitsunday Diving AcademyA Whitsundays training-focused operation. Course range and agency affiliation require verification.Bundaberg Aqua ScubaA Bundaberg-based training and equipment business serving the local diving community and southern reef access.Sunreef MooloolabaA Mooloolaba operation closely associated with the ex-HMAS Brisbane wreck alongside local reef diving and training.Scuba World MooloolabaA Sunshine Coast business combining training, retail and local boat diving including the ex-HMAS Brisbane.Wolf Rock Dive CentreA Rainbow Beach operation specialising in Wolf Rock, an advanced offshore pinnacle site known for grey nurse sharks.Brisbane ScubaA Brisbane training and service business supporting the local resident diving population.Brisbane Dive AcademyA Brisbane training operation focused on recreational certification and continuing education.Go Dive BrisbaneA Brisbane business combining training, equipment retail and service support for local divers.

Frequently asked questions

Is Advanced Open Water actually advanced?

Not in the technical sense. It is a supervised introduction to several diving types, and it extends your depth limit. It does not make you an experienced diver.

How many dives do I need first?

Most agencies allow it immediately after Open Water. Many instructors suggest logging some dives first, so the course builds on comfort rather than substituting for it.

Do I need it for the SS Yongala?

Operator requirements vary, but the depth makes it strongly advisable, and some operators require it along with a minimum number of logged dives.