Nico Dives Cool Bali

Open Water Diver Course

Become a Certified Open Water Diver in Bali

The Open Water Diver course is your first step into the incredible underwater world. It is the most popular scuba diving certification globally, allowing you to dive autonomously with a buddy to a maximum depth of 18 meters.

At Nico Dives Cool Bali, we recommend the 3-day program to ensure you become a confident, safe, and happy diver. For those who have already tried diving and are comfortable with the skills, we can complete the course in 2 days; however, it is more intense and not suitable for everyone.

Our wish is your smile! We recommend our guests stay in Sanur for the duration of their open water course to avoid spending too much time on transport. However, we can always tailor all the arrangements based on our guests’ preferences and requests. For example, if you are keen to spend the night in Tulamben or in Amed, we can adapt the dive sites accordingly.

What You Will Learn with the Open Water Course

The course is designed to take you from a beginner to a certified diver through three main phases:

- ● Knowledge Development: Complete your digital e-learning at your own pace before starting the practical training. You will learn the physics of diving, safety procedures, and how to use your equipment.
- ● Confined Water Training (Pool sessions): In our Sanur pool, you will get comfortable with the gear and practice essential scuba skills with your diving instructor in a controlled environment.
- ● Open Water Dives: You will complete 4 Open Water Dives over two days. This is where you apply what you have learned while exploring Bali’s beautiful coral reefs. Our typical schedule includes 2 boat dives on Blue Lagoon dive sites in Padang Bai and 2 dives on the famous USAT Liberty Shipwreck in Tulamben.

The Open Water Diver course teaches the essential scuba diving skills needed to dive safely and autonomously. The SSI Open Water Diver course focuses on building “Comfort Through Repetition” to ensure you become a confident diver. During the training, you will learn essential skills such as mask clearing, regulator recovery, regulator exchange, neutral buoyancy control, proper diving position, air-sharing, underwater diving signals, ascending and descending procedures, safety stops, and scuba equipment setup using the Total Diving System. You will first practice these skills in confined water with your instructor, then apply them during open water training dives under the supervision of your instructor.

Open Water Diver Course in Padang Bai

Who the Open Water Course Is Suitable For?

The Open Water Course is the first autonomous certification level. To enroll, you should meet the following:

- ● Swimming Ability: You must be a good swimmer, able to perform a 200-meter continuous surface swim, and also be able to float for 10 minutes.
- ● Age: Minimum 10 years old.
- ● Comfort Level: You should be comfortable in the water and in good physical health.
- ● Commitment: You must be ready to complete the e-learning and attend 3 (or 2) days of practical training.

Here Are the Key Benefits of the Open Water Course:

- ● Personalized Training: Our experienced instructors teach in small groups, allowing you to receive the attention and care you need to become a safe and capable diver.
- ● Surpass yourself: During your course, you will learn to overcome any fears and anxiety linked to the underwater world. You will build trust and confidence in your own capabilities.
- ● Mindfulness and presence: It teaches you to stay calm and control your breathing, stay focused, and be aware of your surroundings. In this calm and quiet environment, you will find peace underwater. For some people, diving provides a real therapeutic escape.
- ● Explore Bali’s Best Sites: You will experience the crystal-clear waters of Padang Bai and the world-renowned USAT Liberty Shipwreck in Tulamben.
- ● Lifelong Certification: Your SSI Open Water Certification is recognized worldwide and never expires. Certification from another popular diving agency is available on request.
- ● Unlock the underwater world: You will get the “key” to the underwater world, allowing you to dive with a certified buddy anywhere on the planet.

Typical Course Schedule

Our 3-day program is designed to ensure you have enough time to master every skill comfortably:

- ● Day 1: Theory Review & Pool Sessions (Sanur) : We go over the theory again with you and spend the day in the pool to practice all the Open Water skills.
- ● Day 2: Open Water Dives 1 & 2 (Padang Bai): A 60-minute drive followed by a short traditional boat ride to Blue Lagoon and Jepun Reef. You will see turtles, rays, and vibrant coral gardens.
- ● Day 3: Open Water Dives 3 & 4 (Tulamben) A scenic drive to the North-East for shore diving. You will complete your certification with the Open Water dives 3 and 4 on the famous USAT Liberty Shipwreck.

Our 2-day program is designed for divers who have tried diving one or a few times recently and are comfortable with the practical skills. Typically in this case, we do :

- ● Day 1: Theory Review & Pool Sessions + Open Water dives 1 and 2 (Sanur) : We review the theory with you and spend the morning in the pool to practice all the Open Water skills. After lunch, we take a local boat in Sanur beach to reach the local dive sites in less than 10 minutes: Penjor Reef, Jeladi Wilis, and Sanur Channel. Depending on the conditions on the day, we’ll choose the best dive sites for the training.
- ● Day 2: Open Water Dives 3 & 4 (in Padang Bai or Tulamben): Depending on our schedule for the day, we will bring you to Padang Bai or Tulamben for the second day of your Open Water course. In Padang Bai, we do the Open Water dives 3 and 4 on Blue Lagoon dive sites, while in Tulamben, we do Open Water Dives 3 & 4 on the USAT Liberty wreck.

Open Water Diver in Tulamben

What Differentiates Us from Other Dive Centres

Nico Dives Cool Bali differentiates itself through a highly personalized approach and maintains some of the lowest instructor-to-student ratios in Bali. This focus on individual attention and premium quality makes us the ideal choice for people interested in learning scuba diving and getting certified.

We provide high-quality, personalized training across Bali’s best dive sites, including Padang Bai, Tulamben, Amed or Sanur. This variety of locations exposes you to different conditions and environments, building your confidence as a versatile diver.

Nico Dives Cool Bali exclusively uses high-end premium scuba diving equipment, including Apeks regulators, Suunto dive computers, and Aqualung BCDs, ensuring maximum comfort, reliability, and safety on every dive. Seac and Scubapro BCDs and regulators are also part of our equipment selection. Our diving equipment and gear are maintained to the highest professional standards for an exceptional diving experience in Bali.

Beyond providing incredible recreational diving across Bali, we offer dedicated pathways to help you master advanced skills and earn specialty certifications, guiding you from your first diving adventure through professional levels and extended-range training. Safety and quality always come first. Our goal is to make you smile, and we really mean it!