PADI Open Water Course

Learn to dive like a professional in the Machalilla marine reserve in this PADI Open Water course in Puerto López. You can choose from two different levels, depending on your previous experience.

Options

The marine reserve of Machalilla National Park is ideal for scuba diving enthusiasts. Its coral reefs host a variety of species including fish, turtles, crustaceans, and cetaceans. The PADI Open Water course in Puerto López is designed to teach you how to navigate underwater and explore its wonders.

PADI Open Water Course

The PADI Open Water course consists of three parts, which you can complete in 2 or 3 days, depending on whether you select classroom or distance learning.

Day 1

The first part includes a theoretical lesson on the fundamentals of diving. This can be done in-person or via self-study; if you choose the latter, study materials will be provided for home learning, but you must attend the second day for the practical session.

Day 2

On this day, you will start with diving in confined waters to practice the previous day's lessons. After a lunch break, you will proceed to the open sea for two dives of up to 12 meters (40 feet), building your confidence to dive independently.

Day 3

The final day includes two additional open water dives to explore the underwater environment of Puerto López. Upon completion, you will receive your PADI Open Water certificate.

PADI Advanced Open Water Course

The PADI Advanced Open Water course allows you to extend your dive depth limit to 30 meters (98 feet) and refine the skills learned in your previous PADI course.

You will complete five dives: one Deep Adventure Dive, one Underwater Navigator Adventure Dive, plus three dives chosen from the following options:

Aware Fish IDDrift DiverPeak Performance BuoyancySearch and Recovery DiverUnderwater NaturalistUnderwater PhotographerUnderwater Videographer

Upon finishing, you will receive a temporary PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certification card, valid globally, with the permanent card sent by mail a few weeks later.