HOW THE PADI OPEN WATER REFERRAL WORKS

Start by locating a PADI dive store or instructor that’s convenient for your location and tell them you need to complete a PADI Open Water Referral

They’ll provide you with log-in information to the PADI website which allows you to learn at your own pace and complete all of the Academic Knowledge Development (Phase 1) as an online home study course. Your work will be supported and reviewed by your instructor who’ll explain any concepts you need help with in more detail.

The next step to getting your PADI referral is the Confined Water Dives (Phase 2)! Your instructor will work with you to a time and place that works with your schedule to complete these in a local public or private swimming pool. Typically this can be achieved over a series of evenings or a more intensive weekend.

Your instructor will verify completion of each section as you go, then provide you with a document that shows you’ve completed the PADI Open Water Referral. Send us a copy of this document, and you are good to go! We’ll be waiting for you on the dock when you arrive to finish the certification by completing the four Open Water Dives (Phase 3) over the first couple of days of the trip.