Advanced Open Water Diver

Agencies offering this level of training under this title include Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), and Scuba Schools International (SSI).

[3][4] The equivalent course offered by National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) is the Advanced Scuba Diver.

[4] The AOWD is described by PADI as refining these skills, allowing the diver to explore a broader variety of diving to a maximum depth of 30 metres (100 ft).

It was dropped at the request of the Scandinavian countries, for whom there is almost no night during the summer months when most of the diving is done, as it created an unreasonable restriction on certifying advanced divers (which is a prerequisite for further training).

In addition to logging more dives, the student can improve skills learned during their open water diver course, such as navigation and buoyancy.

The opposing school of thought is that the use of the word 'Advanced' is essentially deceptive marketing, as graduates of the class very commonly then refer to themselves as "Advanced Divers".

As such, while it is agreed that the training is indeed more than the minimum basic requirement, it is insufficient to develop an objectively advanced (i.e., expert[13]) diver.

[citation needed] Specifically with regard to the PADI 'Advanced' certification standard, a 2006 coroner's court in the United Kingdom heard expert evidence to the effect that "I do not believe that someone with eight dives should be classified as an advanced diver.

[citation needed] Publicly, NAUI claimed that this change was intended to address customer confusion as to the comparative rigors of training required to earn specific certifications.