PADI Advanced Open Water course

PADI Advanced Open Water Course – Koh Tao (2025)

The PADI Advanced Open Water (AOW) is a fun, skills-building course that you can complete at an easy pace over two days, or—if you’re tight on time—in about 24 hours (start ~10:00, do two dives in the afternoon, add a night dive, then finish with two morning dives next day).

How the course works

AOW is five Adventure Dives. Two are required: Deep and Underwater Navigation. The other three are your choice from the list below. After certification, you’ll be qualified to dive to 30 m (70 ft limit for 12–14 yr Junior AOWs).

Popular electives on Koh Tao

  • Wreck — The HTMS Sattakut sits just off Sairee; great training site. (Non-penetration unless you hold a Wreck Specialty.)
  • Night — Completely different marine life and atmosphere after dark.
  • Peak Performance Buoyancy — Dial in trim and air consumption (highly recommended).
  • Fish Identification
  • Boat Diver
  • Search & Recovery
  • Underwater Digital Photography
  • Enriched Air (Nitrox)
  • Equipment
  • Multi-Level Diver
  • Underwater Naturalist
  • Diver Propulsion Vehicle (DPV)

Why divers love AOW here

  • Mostly diving: Light reading/knowledge reviews; the focus is in-water skills.
  • Site variety: Reefs by day, wreck, and optional night dive.
  • Small groups: Many centers keep ratios low, often 4:1 or better.

Sample schedules

Fast-track (~24h)

  • Day 1 (10:00): Knowledge reviews & planning → 2 afternoon dives → Night (elective).
  • Day 2 (early): Deep + Navigation (or swap sequencing by conditions) → finish by late morning.

Standard (2 days)

  • Day 1: Knowledge reviews → two dives (e.g., PPB + Wreck).
  • Day 2: Deep + Navigation (and a third elective if preferred).

What to expect

Advanced Open Water wreck training dive on HTMS Sattakut You’ll practice compass work and natural navigation, refine buoyancy, and experience deeper diving with proper gas planning and safety stops. Electives like Wreck and Night add variety and confidence.

Price & booking

Course price: ฿10,000 (guide) including equipment hire and certification. Please confirm the current rate when you book.

Deposit: Typically 10% to secure your place.

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Good to know

  • Prerequisites: PADI Open Water (or equivalent). Minimum age 12 for Junior AOW (depth limits apply).
  • Nitrox option: You can often combine the Nitrox Adventure Dive with a Nitrox certification upgrade—ask at check-in.
  • Wreck safety: AOW Wreck dives are no-penetration unless you hold/upgrade to the full Wreck Specialty.
  • Weather & sites: Final site choices depend on conditions for safety and visibility.
  • Flying after diving: Leave at least 18–24 hours after your last dive before flying.

What to bring

  • Swimwear, towel, reef-safe sunscreen, and water bottle.
  • Certification card (or digital proof) and any dive log you already keep.
  • Contact lenses? Bring a spare set; prescription masks may be available to rent.

If you’re unsure which electives to pick, a great all-round combo is Buoyancy + Wreck + Night alongside the required Deep and Navigation — it covers skills you’ll use on almost every future dive.

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