Next Steps for Advanced Open Water Divers

While the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certification is the only formal diving prerequisite to start the PADI Rescue Diver course, it is highly beneficial to log 10 to 20 additional dives before enrolling. Gaining this experience helps you feel comfortable managing basic equipment and buoyancy, allowing you to focus entirely on the complex emergency management and problem-solving skills taught in the Rescue course.

The PADI Rescue Diver course is highly recommended as your next major certification after Advanced Open Water because it elevates your safety skills. However, you can take most PADI Specialty Courses—like Enriched Air Diver (Nitrox) or Peak Performance Buoyancy—at any time after Open Water. Prioritize the course that addresses your most immediate diving goal, but make Rescue Diver your next core focus for safety and progression.

No, the PADI Enriched Air Diver (Nitrox) certification does not increase your depth limits. Its primary benefit is to extend your no-decompression limits (NDLs), allowing you to stay underwater longer, especially on repetitive dives. To extend your depth limit to 40 meters (130 feet), you must complete the PADI Deep Diver Specialty course.

The most effective step is to take the PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy (PPB) Specialty course. This two-dive course focuses entirely on proper weighting, trim, and hydrodynamics. Improving your buoyancy drastically reduces wasted energy (and air consumption), leading to longer, more relaxed dives and better control for underwater photography or wreck penetration.

You do not need to repeat a full certification course. You should complete the PADI ReActivate® program (a refresher course). ReActivate allows you to quickly review dive safety concepts online and then practice essential skills with a PADI Professional in a pool or confined water, ensuring you are comfortable and current before starting new training.