Your certification card got you underwater. Now it’s time to expand what’s possible.
The SSI Advanced Open Water Diver program is designed to build confidence, sharpen real-world diving skills, and introduce you to new underwater experiences that deepen your comfort, awareness, and sense of adventure beneath the surface.
Unlike traditional classroom-heavy courses, this updated program is centered around practical diving and hands-on experience. Through a series of specialty-based training dives and workshops, you’ll explore different styles of diving while developing the skills that make diving feel more natural, relaxed, and rewarding.
Whether you’re exploring deeper underwater environments, learning to navigate with confidence, refining your buoyancy control, experiencing the excitement of wreck diving, or discovering the unique challenges of night and low visibility diving, the Advanced Open Water Diver program is designed to expand both your skills and your sense of adventure — helping you become a more capable, comfortable, and confident diver in a wide variety of diving conditions.
At Dolphin Dive Center, our Advanced Open Water program is designed to challenge you in the best ways while keeping the experience supportive, fun, and adventure-focused from start to finish.
Course Requirements & What’s Included
Minimum Requirements
To enroll in the SSI Advanced Open Water Diver program, students must:
- Hold an Open Water Diver certification (SSI or equivalent)
- Be at least 15 years old
- Be in generally good physical health and fit for diving activities
- Have their own personal Mask, Fins, Snorkel, and Wetsuit
Completion Requirements
To earn the SSI Advanced Open Water Diver certification, students will complete:
- Five open water training dives with a Dolphin Dive Center instructor:
- Deep Diving
- Navigation
- Wreck Diving
- Night / Low Visibility Diving
- Perfect Buoyancy
- A total of 18 verified logged dives
- NOTE: The five training dives, plus the verified dives already in your logbook, all count toward the 18 verified, logged dives.
- Students are welcome to build their logged dives through recreational diving outside of class and are not required to complete all 18 dives with Dolphin Dive Center instructors.
Course Cost
The cost for the Advanced Open Water Diver program is $595 and includes:
✔ SSI digital coursework
✔ One classroom session
✔ One pool training session
✔ Pool session rental gear: BC, Regulator, Tank and Weights
Open water training dives are priced separately and vary based on:
- Training location
- Travel requirements
- Rental gear needs
Training Locations
DDC conducts Advanced Open Water training dives at two incredible locations:
Lake Jocassee, South Carolina
Our primary local training site during the warmer months (July–October). Known for its mountain-fed water, submerged structures, and excellent conditions for navigation, buoyancy, and deep diving training.
Vortex Spring, Florida
Our year-round training option featuring crystal-clear spring water and ideal conditions for continuing dive education throughout the year.
Students are also welcome to continue building their logged dives independently outside of formal training dives.
Whether you’re looking to build confidence, expand your skills, or simply spend more time underwater, the Advanced Open Water Diver program is designed to help you grow through real diving experiences. Fill out the form to start the registration process, or read on for more class info.
How the Advanced Open Water Course Works
Our Advanced Open Water Diver program is designed to be flexible, experience-focused, and built around real diving. Here’s what the certification process looks like from start to finish:
Step 1 – Register for Class & Begin Your Digital Learning
Dolphin Dive Center offers Advanced Open Water courses every month, making it easy to continue your dive education whenever you’re ready to take the next step.
Once you’re registered, you’ll receive immediate access to your SSI digital learning materials through the MySSI app and online portal. The self-paced coursework is designed to prepare you for the skills and experiences you’ll encounter during training.
Students complete the digital coursework before attending their classroom and pool sessions so they arrive feeling confident, prepared, and ready to dive.
Step 2 – Classroom & Pool Sessions
Next, you’ll participate in:
- One classroom session
- One pool training session
These sessions are designed to reinforce the concepts from your digital learning while helping you refine buoyancy, comfort, awareness, and overall diving skills before moving into open water training.
Step 3 – Open Water Training Dives
You’ll then complete five instructor-led open water training dives, including:
- Deep Diving
- Navigation
- Wreck Diving
- Night / Low Visibility Diving
- Perfect Buoyancy
These dives are the heart of the Advanced Open Water experience — giving you the opportunity to apply your skills in real diving environments while expanding your confidence, comfort, and capabilities underwater.
Step 4 – Build Experience & Earn Your Certification
Once you have completed your training dives and logged a total of 18 verified dives, Dolphin Dive Center will issue your SSI Advanced Open Water Diver certification.
As you work toward your 18 logged dives, you are welcome to continue diving with DDC through local dives, trips, and other training opportunities — but you are not required to complete those dives with our instructors. Many students continue building experience while traveling, vacation diving, or exploring new dive environments with buddies and other dive professionals.
Ready for Your Next Adventure?
The Advanced Open Water Diver program is where many divers truly fall in love with diving.
From deeper dives and underwater navigation to wrecks, night diving, and buoyancy mastery, this course is designed to expand your confidence, sharpen your skills, and open the door to entirely new underwater experiences.
Whether your goal is to become a more capable recreational diver, prepare for future specialty courses, or simply spend more time exploring beneath the surface, we’d love to help you take the next step.
Dolphin Dive Center offers Advanced Open Water courses every month, and we’d be excited to have you join us for the next one. Give us a call to register or to talk through any questions you may have. Our team is happy to answer any questions and help you decide if Advanced Open Water certification with Dolphin Dive Center is the right fit for you.
📞 Dolphin Dive Center (706) 548-3483