- Playa del Carmen, Mexico
- dive@tankha.com
- 08:00-19:00 7 days
PADI Open Water Diver
The way the world learns to dive
Becoming a certified diver can change you life.
The PADI Open Water certification is the world’s most popular diver training program and our experienced team will train you so you are ready to dive worldwide for life.
We believe that our approach to teaching and the quality of the equipment we provide will give you the best experience possible.
Dives
5 Pool training dives
4 Ocean dives
Small group sizes (max. 4 students)
Schedule
The course can start any day
Typically 3 consecutive days
(although you can pick your own schedule if you prefer)
Requirements
No previous experience necessary
Comfortable in the water
10+ years old
Able to swim 200m/200yards without stopping
Float/tread water for 10 minutes
Fulfill the medical requirements
Includes
Full dive equipment rental
Dive computer
Pool entry fees
Learning materials
Dive certification
Extras
GoPro Rental: $50
(includes memory card for you to keep)
Dive info
12m-18m / 40ft-60ft
Water temperature: 27-30°C / 80-87°F
Dive times: typically 4060min
We always try to give you the best experience and long dives whenever possible. Of course, we need to respect air consumption and no-decompression limits
Book now…
Start your booking by selecting the date you would like to dive
There are a few options available for you to complete the PADI Open Water Diver course. The choice you make will depend on how you would like to learn and in particular how much time you want to dedicate to the course whilst on vacation.
The course is broken down in to three main areas…
- Theory – 5 chapters of knowledge development and dive theory
- Pool – 5 Confined water training sessions
- Ocean – 4 Open water training dives
You have three course options for how you might complete these areas…
- Traditional – Complete all three areas of the course using a book and DVD with us here in Mexico (This will take 3 full days in Mexico)
- eLearning – Complete the theory online using your computer, laptop or mobile device from home. Then complete the pool and ocean sessions with us here in Mexico (This will take 1 full day and 2 half-days in Mexico)
- Referral – Complete the theory and pool sessions with a local dive club/center back home and then head to us in Mexico to complete your ocean training sessions (This will take 1 full day and 1 half-day in Mexico)
No matter which option you chose, completing your ocean diving with us here in Playa del Carmen is a great decision because our reefs are healthy with many schools of fish. We often see turtles, moray eels, stingrays, nurse sharks and occasionally eagle rays and manta rays.
The visibility on average tends to be between 10m/30ft and 25m/80ft. There are currents here, but they are not as strong as the ones in Cozumel and there are usually places for the fish to hide, so you can turn a corner and see a wall of fish in front of you. Our boat has two 150hp engines, and the captain has been working on our boat for over 15 years so he knows the waters very well and this can really help when it comes to selecting the most suitable dive site in changeable conditions.
Why learn with Tank-Ha
Learning with us here at Tank-Ha is a great option since we are a PADI 5-Star Dive Center and we constantly aim to provide the highest level of service possible.
We provide you with a dive computer to use during the PADI Open Water Diver course because we feel this is a much better way of learning as opposed to the Recreational Dive Planner which is a system that has changed little since the 1960’s and many people find difficult to understand as well as being very restrictive when it comes to planning dives. Dive computers are the future of diving, so we believe it’s important to provide our students with the current best practices. Computers are fully supported by the PADI Open Water Diver course which includes a lot of information on how dive computers enhance your enjoyment of a dive as well as simplifying the learning process.
Below, you can see how each type of course would work…
Traditional course 3 full days in Meixco
Day 1 – Arrive at 08:00 with your completed medical questionnaire (if necessary, signed by a physician if you have had to answer YES to any of the questions). We will issue you with the PADI Open Water Diver manual and you will watch the first chapter of the DVD in our classroom before completing a short knowledge review and test.
After that, we will get your equipment prepared and head to a purpose-built diver training pool. There you will spend the day going through all five confined water sessions, You will learn many of the skills you will need to dive safely as a certified diver. We will also need to check your general abilities in the water by having you float for 10 minutes on the surface of the water and complete a 200m swim (300m if you choose to complete the swim with a mask and snorkel).
Day 2 – Arrive at 09:00 and complete sections 2 and 3 of the theory (this includes the DVD, knowledge review and quiz).
In the afternoon you will complete two dives in the ocean where you will be diving to no deeper than 12m / 40ft. On these dives you will be repeating some, but not all of the skills that you completed in the pool. Your instructor will go through a thorough briefing of everything you will do on the dives and help you prepare your equipment. You will depart from the shop on our golf cart at around 12:45 for a 13:00 departure. You generally get back at around 16:00.
Day 3 – This runs in a similar fashion to day 2… Arrive at 09:00 and complete sections 4 and 5 of the theory (this includes the DVD, knowledge review and quiz).
Since this is your last day, you will also need to complete a final exam. In the afternoon you will be going for another two dives. This time you will be diving to no deeper than 18m / 60ft. On these dives you will again be repeating some, but not all of the skills that you completed in the pool. Your instructor will go through a thorough briefing of everything you will do on the dives and help you prepare your equipment. You will depart from the shop on our golf cart at around 12:45 for a 13:00 departure. You generally get back between 16:00.
The “learn it in the hotel and on the beach” modification…
Many of our students choose to arrive and take the book and copy of the DVD away with them on the first day and complete the theory sections in their hotels or on the beach rather than spending each morning in our classroom. If you choose to do this then you can consider the day you arrive to collect the materials as “Day 0”. By completing the theory sections at your hotel we can take you straight to the pool on Day 1 after a quick theory check and you can arrive at 11:00 on days 2 and 3 since you won’t need to complete as much theory on these mornings.
Price
The traditional course costs $430 and includes the PADI Open Water Diver manual, your PADI certification fees, pool entrance and transfers, scuba equipment and dive computer rental. Essentially… there are no extra charges to pay!
eLearning course Theory at home, then three shorter days in Mexico
Using this option you get all your theory done at home in advance on your computer, laptop or mobile device. Many people find it a lot more enjoyable when they can avoid completing the academic portion of the course whilst on vacation in a beautiful tropical destination like Playa Del Carmen.
Day 1 – Arrive at 08:00 with your completed medical questionnaire (if necessary, signed by a physician if you have had to answer YES to any of the questions). Then complete a quick review when you to make sure you understood everything before you hit the water. After that, we will get your equipment prepared and head to a purpose-built diver training pool. There you will spend the day going through all five confined water sessions, You will learn many of the skills you will need to dive safely as a certified diver. We will also need to check your general abilities in the water by having you float for 10 minutes on the surface of the water and complete a 200m swim (300m if you choose to complete the swim with a mask and snorkel).
Day 2 – Arrive at 11:30 to complete two dives in the ocean where you will be diving to no deeper than 12m / 40ft. On these dives you will be repeating some, but not all of the skills that you completed in the pool. Your instructor will go through a thorough briefing of everything you will do on the dives and help you prepare your equipment. You will depart from the shop on our golf cart at around 12:45 for a 13:00 departure. You generally get back at around 16:00.
Day 3 – This runs in a similar fashion to day 2… Arrive at 11:30 and complete another two dives. This time you will be diving to no deeper than 18m / 60ft. On these dives you will again be repeating some, but not all of the skills that you completed in the pool. Your instructor will go through a thorough briefing of everything you will do on the dives and help you prepare your equipment. You will depart from the shop on our golf cart at around 12:45 for a 13:00 departure. You generally get back between 16:00.
Price
The eLearning course with us costs $450 and includes PADI Open Water eLearning, your PADI certification fees, pool entrance and transfers, scuba equipment and dive computer rental. Essentially… there are no extra charges to pay!
Referral course Theory & pool sessions at home. Two days here in Mexico
Using this option you will pay your local dive center or dive club to take you through the theory and pool training sessions prior to your arrival in Playa del Carmen. This option reduces the amount of time you need to spend on your course whilst on vacation, but it does often end up being the most expensive option.
Through your local dive center or dive club your would…
- Watch all 5 chapters of the PADI Open Water Diver DVD
- Complete all 5 knowledge reviews in your PADI Open Water Diver manual (which they will issue to you)
- Complete 4 quizzes and a final exam
- Complete all 5 pool training sessions
When speaking to your local dive center or dive club, you should explain to them that when you complete your ocean dives you will be learning with a dive computer. If they are able to train you with a computer during your pool sessions then this will remove the requirement for you to fully comprehend and be tested on the use of the Recreational Dive Planner tables, instead you can focus on learning core diving skills.
Once you arrive in Playa del Carmen the remainder of your course will proceed like this…
Day 1 – Arrive at 09:00 to check through your referral paperwork and then head to the pool to assess your skills. It is a requirement for all Padi courses for you to be assessed by your instructor prior to diving in the open water and this is never more important than during the Open Water course. Your instructor can verify the skills you learned with your dive center back home and get you comfortable and ready to dive in the ocean with us. At 13:00 you will complete two dives in the ocean where you will be diving to no deeper than 12m / 40ft. On these dives you will be repeating some, but not all of the skills that you completed in the pool. Your instructor will go through a thorough briefing of everything you will do on the dives and help you prepare your equipment. You will depart from the shop on our golf cart at around 12:45 for a 13:00 departure. You generally get back at around 16:00.
Day 2 – This runs in a similar fashion to the afternoon of day 1… Arrive at 11:30 and complete another two dives. This time you will be diving to no deeper than 18m / 60ft. On these dives you will again be repeating some, but not all of the skills that you completed in the pool. Your instructor will go through a thorough briefing of everything you will do on the dives and help you prepare your equipment. You will depart from the shop on our golf cart at around 12:45 for a 13:00 departure. You generally get back between 16:00.
Price
The referral course with us costs $290 and includes the your PADI certification, scuba equipment and dive computer rental.
You will also need to pay your local dive center or dive club directly for the theory and pool elements of your course.
Once you come back from your last day of ocean diving we will take your photo and certify you as a PADI Open Water Diver, which is a certification you will have for life. You will be certified online so you will go into the PADI system instantly. We will email you a temporary card that you can show when you go diving elsewhere until you receive your plastic certification card in the mail. Also, once you are a certified Open Water diver you will be able to start to enjoy the full range of opportunities we have here in Playa del Carmen including diving in the freshwater Cenote caverns and on the stunning reefs out in Cozumel.
Comfort and safety
Our boats each have two engines, and the captains have been working on the dive boats here for many years. Their experience really helps when it comes to selecting the most suitable dive site in changeable conditions.
One of our captains is also a PADI Rescue Diver so he really knows what divers need.
Our boats also have all appropriate safety equipment:
- Emergency oxygen
- First-aid kit
- VHF radio
- Life jackets
Our boats have plenty of space for you to prepare yourself prior to diving and have shaded areas to escape the Caribbean sun. We provide purified drinking water onboard aswell as a freshly baked muffin.
