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Scuba Diver vs Open Water Diver: What’s the Difference?

Scuba Diver vs Open Water Diver: What’s the Difference?

Written by Rianne Poesse
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Published on December 27, 2022
scuba diver underwater

When you start looking into becoming a diver, you’ll find that there are a lot of different types of dive courses. For example, you can sign up to become a “Scuba Diver” through the PADI Scuba Diver course or you can become an “Open Water Diver” by completing the PADI Open Water dive course. But when it comes to scuba diver vs open water diver, which one is the best pick for you?

There’s a real distinction between the two courses and it’s important you know what is different for each dive course. Once you know this, it will be easy to decide which scuba diving course is the right pick for you.

What is a Scuba Diver?

A scuba diver is a diver that has had very minimal training and is allowed to go no deeper than 40 feet (12 meters). To become a PADI Scuba Diver, you need to learn some diving theory, practice basic diving skills in a pool and make two dives in open water. Once certified, scuba divers can only go diving when accompanied by an instructor.  You can say the “Scuba Diver” certification is the entry level scuba certification. You can complete the PADI Scuba Diver course in two days. The next step up from Scuba Diver is Open Water Diver.

What is an Open Water Diver?

If you are PADI Open Water certified, it means that you’ve completed the PADI Open Water course. This course takes usually 4 to 7 days. Once certified, you’ll be allowed to dive as deep as 60 feet (18 meters). As a PADI Open Water diver you can also go diving with another Open Water diver, and supervision by an instructor is no longer required. This means you can go dive with dive buddies, as long as they’re also Open Water Divers or even higher certified. Open Water Diver is the minimal certification required to dive in regular guided groups when on a scuba diving holiday.

scuba diver underwater
Photo by Marvin Meyer on Unsplash

Scuba Diver vs Open Water Diver: The Major Differences

As you might have noticed, Scuba Diver is a lower and more limited certification than Open Water Diver. The trade off for that is that you can become a Scuba Diver in as little as 2 days, while Open Water Diver usually takes 4 up to 7 days to achieve. The reason that Open Water Diver takes longer is because during the Open Water Course you learn more dive theory, practice more skills, and make twice as many dives in open water. Open water is the term for a body of water that isn’t confined like a swimming pool. For example, diving in the ocean or in a lake is considered open water diving.

The Scuba Diver course is really the first half of a full Open Water Diver course. If you complete the Open Water Course, you’ll have the freedom to dive as deep as 60 feet, while Scuba Diver is limited to 40 feet. Also, a Scuba Diver will always need to be with an instructor and an Open Water Diver does not.

 Scuba DiverOpen Water Diver
Maximum depth40 feet / 12 meters60 feet / 18 meters
Instructor required on fun dives?YesNo
Duration of the course2 – 3 days4 – 7 days
Confined Water Dives (pool)35
Open Water Dives (ocean)24
Dive theoryFundamentalsFundamentals + quiz and exam

Which certification is right for you?

If you want to get a taste of scuba diving, the Scuba Diver certification might be sufficient. It’s a cheaper and quicker dive certification that allows you to explore the underwater world within reasonable limits. However, if you get hooked and want to get the most out of scuba diving, then the PADI Open Water is an absolute must. Yes, it will be more expensive, and it will take a few more days to complete, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s not a major time investment.

It’s worth noting that you can start with the Scuba Diver certification and later continue to Open Water Diver. If you take that road, you only need to meet the additional requirements of Open Water to get certified. Meaning, you’ll need to complete two more pool dives and two more open water dives, as well as take an extra knowledge review and pass a final theory exam.

Conclusion

Simply, Scuba Diver is a lower dive certification than Open Water Diver. Scuba Diver takes less time to achieve but comes with limits. For this reason, many people decide to skip the Scuba Diver certification and complete Open Water Diver straight away. It’s up to you to decide which certification works for you. If you’re still unsure, we highly recommend you speak to a PADI dive shop to talk about your options. They can give you the best personal advice.

Rianne Poesse

Rianne Poesse

Rianne Poesse is a passionate scuba diver and writer. She is the founder of the scuba blog Dutch Mermaid and travels around the globe, exploring the underwater world. She writes articles for travel agencies and dive magazines. When diving, she always has a camera with her and you can follow her on YouTube to get […]