Open Water vs Advanced Open Water: Do You Actually Need Both?
Advanced Open Water isn't mandatory, but it opens deeper dive sites and teaches critical skills for safe deep diving. Whether you need it depends on your actual diving plans.
March 4, 20265 min read min readBy WeGoDive Team
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Open Water vs Advanced Open Water: Do You Actually Need Both?
You've got your Open Water cert — so should you go straight for Advanced? Here's what Advanced actually unlocks and whether it's worth it for your diving goals.
The short answer: no, you don't need Advanced Open Water. But whether you should get it depends on what you actually want to do underwater. Advanced Open Water (AOW) isn't a mandatory next step — it's a toolkit. Your OW cert lets you dive to 18 metres with a buddy anywhere in the world. AOW lets you dive deeper, use nitrox, navigate confidently in currents, and feel genuinely capable in challenging conditions. Most divers get it within their first year of diving, but the timing and relevance are personal. If you're planning liveaboards, exploring wrecks, or diving in places with strong current, AOW is worth the investment. If you're content with leisure dives in calm, warm water, you can honestly skip it. The cost runs $200–$400 depending on location, and the course takes 2–3 days. The real question isn't whether you need it — it's whether the skills inside match your actual diving plans.
TL;DR
Advanced Open Water cert doesn't expire or replace your OW — you'll have both, and both are valid forever
AOW costs $200–$400 and takes 2–3 days; the depth increase (18m to 40m) is the smallest benefit
Nitrox specialty (part of most AOW courses) lets you dive longer on the same air, which matters if you dive multiple times per week
Most divers who get AOW do it for deeper dives, wreck diving, or to feel competent in currents — not because it's the "next step"
What Advanced Open Water Actually Gives You
Advanced Open Water is five separate dives spread across 2–3 days. Two of them are mandatory: Deep Diving (to 40 metres) and Navigation. The other three you choose from a menu: Nitrox, Wreck, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Drift, Search & Recovery, and others. Most schools package it as Deep + Navigation + Nitrox, but you can mix it.
Divers performing a safety stop during ascent
The depth increase is what gets the headlines, but it's not the main reason divers get AOW. Going from 18m to 40m sounds dramatic until you actually dive. The colour loss, nitrogen narcosis, and bottom time compression mean a 40m dive feels shorter than an 18m dive. What actually changes your diving life in AOW is learning to use nitrox (enriched air with more oxygen, less nitrogen), which lets you stay down longer and reduces decompression stress. A diver using nitrox can do a 50-minute dive at 30m instead of 35 minutes on regular air. That matters if you're doing multiple dives per day or targeting bottom time for photography or hunting specific marine life.
Navigation is the third skill, and it's often overlooked until you need it. You'll learn to navigate by compass and natural landmarks without a guideline, which sounds niche but becomes essential the moment you're in a current or at a site without fixed mooring.
Who Actually Needs Advanced Open Water
If any of these apply to you, AOW is worth the cost:
Liveaboard divers. If you're doing 4+ dives per day, nitrox becomes essential, not optional. Most liveaboards include nitrox in their AOW course or offer it as a standalone specialty. A 4-dive day on regular air leaves you gassed and tired; nitrox changes that. Cost is usually $200–$300 added to the liveaboard price.
Wreck and technical site divers. Wrecks and caves often require AOW as a bare minimum, and many demand Advanced Wreck or Cavern certification on top. If the dive shop is asking about your cert, it's because the site needs it — not as gatekeeping, but for safety. The deeper sections of most popular wrecks (USS Oriskany, Thistlegorm, etc.) are 35–40m+.
Divers in challenging current locations. Red Sea, Komodo, Similan Islands, Raja Ampat — these places have current dives regularly. Your OW training covers basic current awareness, but AOW's drift navigation teaches you to read current, position yourself, and stay oriented. If you're diving Southeast Asia beyond calm bays, this is valuable.
Frequent divers (2+ times per week). If you're doing multiple dives in a day regularly, nitrox and buoyancy refinement pay dividends. You'll feel less fatigue, stay fresher, and improve your air consumption.
If you're a once-a-month leisure diver in warm, calm water, you can honestly skip AOW forever. Your OW cert never expires, and you'll never hit a depth limit or need the skills.
Red Flags: When AOW Isn't Worth It Yet
You've just certified and haven't done 20 dives yet. AOW assumes you're comfortable with basic buoyancy, mask clearing, and staying calm underwater. If you're still building those fundamentals, wait. Rushing AOW with weak foundational skills means you're paying $300 to practice things you should nail on regular dives first.
Sunlight beams pierce through the clear water, illuminating the reef
**The course is being sold as a "must-do next step." Some dive shops push AOW like it's mandatory certification. It's not. If an instructor says you "need" AOW to dive, ask to see the destination's actual requirements. Most don't have them.
You're doing it in a place with poor dive conditions. Taking Advanced Deep in murky, cold water with unpredictable visibility defeats the purpose. The best place to do AOW is somewhere with calm conditions and good viz — Thailand, Philippines, Egypt, or Belize, not a quarry in winter.
You're not actually planning to use the skills. There's no point spending $350 on Nitrox training if you dive once every six months in shallow, warm water. The skills atrophy, and the cert becomes a trophy rather than a tool.
How AOW Stacks Against Other Certifications
AOW is neither better nor worse than Rescue Diver or specialty courses — they're different.
Advanced Open Water covers depth, navigation, and (usually) nitrox. It's about expanding where and how deep you can dive. Cost: $200–$400. Duration: 2–3 days.
Rescue Diver teaches you to manage emergencies and help other divers. It's the step most pros take before Divemaster. Cost: $400–$600. Duration: 2–3 days. This is worth it if you ever plan to dive with newer divers or want the confidence to handle incidents.
Nitrox specialty alone costs $75–$150 and takes half a day. If you only want the bottom-time benefit without full AOW, you can get just this.
Peak Performance Buoyancy specialty is often part of AOW but can be taken separately. At $100–$200 for a day, it's the single best bang-for-buck improvement to your diving if you struggle with position and air consumption.
Most experienced divers end up with OW + AOW + Rescue + a few specialties, but the order and urgency depend entirely on your plans.
How to Decide: Questions to Ask Yourself
Where do I plan to dive in the next 12 months? If it's specific sites requiring AOW (wrecks, deep reefs), get it. If it's tropical beach dives, you don't need it yet.
Hard coral formations showing the intricate structure of a healthy reef
How often will I dive? Once a month or less? You're fine with OW. Twice a month or more? AOW pays for itself in reduced fatigue and longer bottom time.
What's my actual goal? Taking Instagram photos at 30m? Wreck exploring? Casual reef dives? Match the cert to the goal, not the other way around.
Am I comfortable at 18m right now? If you've only done a handful of dives, wait. Get 15–20 logged dives at your current depth limit first.
Is the course being offered where and when I dive most? Take AOW in a place with excellent conditions — not in your home quarry in winter because it's convenient.
The Bottom Line
Advanced Open Water isn't a must-do next step — it's an optional upgrade that makes sense if your actual diving plans require it. If you're diving deep sites, using nitrox, or exploring wrecks, get it. If you're content with reef dives in warm water once a month, your OW cert is plenty.
The best time to take AOW is when you've logged 15–20 dives, understand your comfort level, and can see a specific reason for the skills it teaches. Don't take it because it's "next," and don't skip it if your diving goals actually need it. A good instructor will ask about your plans first — not assume.
If you're ready to commit and want to find a school that teaches AOW the right way (skill-focused, not rushing), compare certified operators in your destination on WeGoDive. You'll see reviews from divers who've actually taken the course, not just marketing promises.
Tags
Open Water CertificationAdvanced open waterDive CertificationDive TrainingPadi
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you actually need Advanced Open Water certification?▾
No — Open Water is valid forever and sufficient for leisure diving to 18 metres anywhere in the world. Advanced Open Water is optional and worth getting only if you plan to dive deeper, explore wrecks, use nitrox regularly, or want more confidence in challenging conditions.
How much deeper can you dive with Advanced Open Water?▾
Advanced Open Water extends your depth limit from 18 to 40 metres, but the real benefits are learning navigation, mastering buoyancy control, and building the skills to handle deep, challenging dives safely.
How much does Advanced Open Water cost in Koh Tao?▾
Advanced Open Water courses in Koh Tao cost $200–$300 USD and take 2–3 days, including five dives with two mandatory specialties (Deep and Navigation) and three electives like Nitrox, Wreck, or Peak Performance Buoyancy.
Can you dive wrecks with just an Open Water certification?▾
No — most dive operators require Advanced Open Water or advanced training for wreck diving due to additional hazards like entanglement and disorientation. Wreck specialty is typically included in AOW courses or offered as a standalone specialty.
When should you get Advanced Open Water certification?▾
There's no required timeline — your Open Water cert is complete and valid forever, so timing depends on your diving goals and experience level. Most divers get AOW within their first year when they've decided which diving specialties actually matter to them.
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