Advanced Open Water Diver

This mid-level Continuing Education Program is designed to enable IANTD Open Water (Nitrox) Divers to extend their proficiency in the water and to gain more supervised practical experience.
This Program qualifies a diver to dive to a maximum depth of 100 fsw (30 msw).

Must be a qualified IANTD Open Water (Nitrox) Diver or any CMAS One Star or RSTC Entry Level Diver equivalent.
Must be a minimum of 15 years of age with a parent or guardian authorization, or a minimum of 12 years of age for Junior Diver qualification, or a minimum or 18 years of age without guardian approval.

IANTD Advanced Open Water Diver Student Manual and Workbook or equivalent text(s) approved in writing by the Board of Directors (written approval will be issued by IAND, Inc./IANTD World Headquarters).

The Program must include a minimum of 120 minutes of OW bottom time completed within 4 to 7 dives. If the skill and bottom time requirements are completed earlier, the Program may be completed within 4 SCUBA dives.

Fulfill all Equipment Requirements as specified in the general Sport Diver Programs overview.

There may be no more than 8 students per Instructor. This ratio may be increased by 2 students for each assisting IANTD Divemaster, up to a maximum of 10 students with 2 IANTD Divemasters per class session.
No dives may be conducted to depths greater than 100 fsw (30 msw).
Appropriate safety decompression stops must be performed.

Develop and demonstrate buoyancy control by performing precise hovering and ascent rates.
Perform a bailout.
Perform at least 5 skill dives from the following core group: Altitude; Search & Rescue, Salvage, Drift, Night, Deep, Wreck (non-penetration), River, Survey, Simulated Decompression Stops with use of a pony cylinder, Triangle / Complex Navigation, Boat, or Shore Entry.
Perform at least one alternate second stage gas sharing ascent dive. Both divers must swim a distance of at least 25 feet (8 meters) towards each other (without breathing, and exhaling slowly) and commence simulated gas sharing using the alternate second stage of the gas-donor diver. If a rebreather is used by the student, he or she must perform the appropriate gas management drill on the specific rebreather.

This page was last updated 02/17/07