The Scuba Guru became a certified diver during a more youthful and carefree time (translation: fresh out of university with plenty of free time but not much money). These days, the fin is on the other foot. The Scuba Guru works full time with greater responsibilities and free time is a highly valued commodity.
With PADI eLearning®, you don't have to worry about squeezing a scuba class in on your one free night a week, or racing to the dive center after work. Complete knowledge development at your convenience - up to one year from the registration date. Though the classroom experience has its benefits (for example - the instructor's colorful alternative to BWRAF) it also has its drawbacks. Driving time, reviewing everyone's homework, answering the questions of student divers who didn't do their homework - it all adds up.
For divers who want to improve or expand their dive skills, the knowledge development portions of the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course and Enriched Air Diver course are both available online. Knowledge development for either can be completed in (on average) a few hours and both are transferable to any PADI Dive Center or Resort in the world.
Traveling divers especially benefit from completing their knowledge development work at home. With PADI eLearning, you can walk into the dive center at your destination and be gearing up ready to dive in no time. Did you travel for hours to see the inside of a classroom? No! You came to dive!
With the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Course Online, there are seven sections available online. The format is as easy to use as PowerPoint or Facebook. You can read each section or listen to the narration. Click to play videos or advance to the next screen. Once you're done, present the certificate to your instructor - you're ready to start a new dive adventure. If you have questions along the way, your dive center or resort is only a click or phone call away. The cost for the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Course Online is $120 US.
The Enriched Air Diver Course Online follows the same easy-to-use format as other PADI eLearning programs, but with one significant difference. Divers enrolling in the Enriched Air Diver Course Online are not required to use dive tables. Since the vast majority of divers use computers when diving with enriched air, the online course teaches enriched air diving with computers. Those who prefer to learn tables can do so through their PADI Instructor. Those who prefer the computer-only option can enroll in the online course for $195 US.
For more information contact your local PADI Dive Center or Resort or visit padi.com/elearning.
Plus, check out the Scuba Guru's previous article - Mythbusting the Advanced Open Water Course