You have just surfaced from your final PADI Open Water training dive. You have successfully cleared your mask, hovered effortlessly over the sand, and earned your license to explore the underwater world. You are officially a scuba diver.
Now comes the inevitable question: Should I stop here and just do fun dives, or should I roll straight into my Advanced Open Water course?
Many new divers hesitate. They think they need to rack up 20 or 30 logged dives before they are “worthy” of taking the Advanced course. This is a massive misconception. The Advanced Open Water course is not designed for experts; it is designed to make you an expert by introducing you to new environments under the safe supervision of an instructor.
At Sierra Madre Divers, we consistently see that students who book their Open Water and Advanced courses as a back-to-back package end up becoming vastly superior divers. Here is exactly why taking the plunge and doing both consecutively is the smartest move for your skills, your vacation time, and your wallet.
The Momentum of Muscle Memory
Scuba diving is a highly mechanical skill. When you finish your Open Water course, your muscle memory is at its absolute peak. You know exactly how much weight you need on your belt. You remember the assembly steps for your BCD and regulator without thinking. You finally figured out the exact breathing rhythm needed to maintain neutral buoyancy.
If you wait a year to take your Advanced course, that muscle memory fades. You will likely spend the first two dives of your next trip just trying to remember how to assemble your gear and struggling with your buoyancy. By rolling straight into the Advanced course, you capitalize on that fresh knowledge. You don’t waste time re-learning the basics; instead, you immediately start fine-tuning your trim, lowering your air consumption, and building real underwater confidence.
Unlocking the Best of Bohol Immediately
The Open Water certification limits you to a maximum depth of 18 meters (60 feet). While there is plenty to see in the shallows, the reality is that many of the world’s most spectacular dive sites lie just below that limit.
Here in Bohol, the sprawling, pelagic-rich reefs of Pamilacan Island and the dramatic, plunging walls of Balicasag Island are best experienced when you have the freedom to drop down to 30 meters (100 feet). If you only hold an Open Water card, dive operators are legally bound to restrict your depth, meaning you might not be allowed on certain boats, or you might have to stay above the rest of your dive group while they explore a deeper shipwreck or coral formation.
Doing your Advanced course immediately removes these training wheels. It unlocks the entire ocean for the rest of your vacation.
Time is Your Most Valuable Vacation Asset
When you are traveling to the Philippines, your vacation days are precious.
The Open Water course takes roughly three days. The Advanced Open Water course takes two days (comprising five adventure dives, with zero classroom exams!). If you split these courses up over two different vacations, you burn a total of five dedicated training days across two trips.
If you consolidate them, you spend five days with the same instructor, using the same gear, on the same boat. Once those five days are up, you are a fully certified Advanced diver, completely free to spend the remainder of your trip joining our daily fun dives to the best sites in the Visayas without any training constraints.
The Real Financial Savings
Let’s talk about the budget. Booking a combo package is significantly cheaper than buying the courses à la carte.
- Package Discounts: Most dive centers, including Sierra Madre Divers, offer a discounted rate when you book the Open Water and Advanced courses together.
- Avoiding Refresher Fees: If you take your Open Water course and then don’t dive for a year, safety standards dictate that you must pay for a Scuba Refresher course before you can safely begin your Advanced training. Doing them back-to-back completely eliminates this hidden cost.
- Gear Rental Consolidation: Since you are already fitted for gear and diving continuously, you often save on daily equipment rental fees that would normally apply if you broke your diving up over separate trips.
Take the Plunge
The transition from Open Water to Advanced is the most impactful leap you will make in your diving career. It transforms you from a beginner focusing on survival skills into a confident explorer focusing on the environment around you.
Don’t let your momentum fade. If you are planning your trip to the Philippines, maximize your time and budget. Contact the team at Sierra Madre Divers today to ask about our Open Water and Advanced combo packages, and let’s get you fully certified to explore the very best of Bohol!
