PADI Specialty Courses

• Entries Accepted: 1 March to 31 March 2025
• Contest Period: 1 March to 30 April 2025
  • Participants may fill in the initial entry form on this webpage between 1 March and 31 March 2025. Entrants have until 30 April 2025 to earn additional entries by completing an Advanced Open Water Diver course or joining PADI Club.
• The Grand Prize Winner will be awarded a PADI Specialty Diver course of their choice and a Fourth Element prize pack with a:
  • Wetsuit
  • Fins
  • Mask
  • Snorkel
  • Gear bag
• The Second and Third Place Prize Winners will receive one recreational PADI eLearning course of their choice.
• Participants are entered into the contest by:
  • Signing up using the form on this page and submitting a short story about “Why do you want to be a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver” for one entry to win.
  • Participants will received additional contest entries upon completion of the following:
    • PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certification – 10 entries
    • PADI Club member enrollment – 5 entries

For the full contest terms and conditions, click on one of the options below:

• Advanced Open Water Diver Challenge Terms & Conditions – English
• Advanced Open Water Diver Challenge Terms & Conditions – Other Languages

You can start any of the PADI courses below online and complete your in-water training (if applicable) with a PADI Dive Shop or Instructor anywhere in the world.

Boat Diver
Deep Diver
Digital Underwater Photographer
Diver Propulsion Vehicle (DPV)
Drift Diver
Dry Suit Diver
Enriched Air Diver
Equipment Specialist
Night Diver
Peak Performance Buoyancy
Search and Recovery
Underwater Navigator
Wreck Diver

Yes! You can combine the dry suit or enriched air nitrox specialty with just about any other course. Read this article for more information and ideas.

It depends. For courses like dry suit diver and underwater photography, your local dive shop may offer rentals, but it’s a good idea to contact them in advance. There’s also a big advantage to owning the equipment you’ll use during your training. For example, if you use a Brand X rental camera and then buy a Brand Y camera later on, you may have to teach yourself how to operate the Brand Y camera controls (white balance, f-stops) on your own.

Whether you’re landlocked, homebound, or just need to take a break from being in the water, there are ways to improve your diving knowledge and skills without getting wet. The Coral Reef Conservation, Emergency Oxygen Provider, Equipment Specialist, Enriched Air Nitrox, and Project AWARE specialties all have course options that don't require training dives.

PADI’s scuba refresher program (ReActivate) is a great way to brush up on scuba diving fundamentals. It’s recommended if you haven’t been diving in awhile, but not mandatory. 

The online program is completely personalized. You’ll move quickly through familiar concepts you understand well, and dive deeper into things you may have forgotten. 

After reviewing scuba fundamentals online, schedule an in-water session with a PADI Professional who will help you brush up your underwater skills and answer any questions you have. Divers who complete both the online knowledge review and in-water skill refresher receive a replacement certification card with a ReActivated date on it.