DEEP BLUE AZORES DIVING CENTER
Diving Center
Advance Open Water Diver for Beginners
The SSI Advanced Open Water Diver course allows certified divers to expand their skills, gain experience in different dive environments, and prepare for more specialized diving adventures
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The SSI Advanced Open Water Diver program is designed for certified Open Water Divers who want to enhance their diving skills and explore new underwater environments. It emphasizes practical experience and introduces divers to more challenging scenarios.
​​​Course Structure
The course consists of five specialty dives, two of which are mandatory and three electives:
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Mandatory dives:
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Deep Dive
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Underwater Navigation Dive
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Elective Specialty Dives: Students choose three from options such as: Night Diving, Fish Identification, Digital Underwater Photography, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Wreck Diving, Nitrox, or Search and Recovery, among others.
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Minimum age: typically 15 years
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Open Water Diver certification from SSI or another recognized scuba agency
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Minimum 24 dives logged in the end.
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​Courses typically require 2–3 days to complete, combining theory (which can be online through SSI) and practical dives.
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Notice
At the end of this course, divers do not meet the minimum qualifications to obtain certification in the specialties.
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​​Local Options
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In Portugal, including the Azores islands like Terceira, many SSI-certified dive centers offer the Advanced Open Water Diver course, often combining stunning underwater landscapes such as volcanic reefs, wrecks, and varied marine life. It is recommended to contact local SSI dive centers for schedules, availability, and elective specialty choices.
In summary, the SSI Advanced Open Water Diver course is a practical, skill-building program that broadens a diver’s experience, introduces new challenges, and prepares them for more advanced and specialized diving adventures.​​​​
