Buoyancy
Refine weighting, trim, breathing and hovering so you can move with less effort and protect the reef.
PADI Advanced Open Water Sydney – Five Supported Dives for More Confident Local Diving
PADI 5-Star
training
Five coached
experiences
Magic Point
where possible
Student insurance
cover*
⭐ 4.9 ★ average from 2,400+ divers — supportive training for Abyss and cross-agency graduates.
What Advanced really is
Not a test of whether you are “advanced”—five coached diving experiences.
The course is designed to extend your Open Water training through real dives with an instructor. Each experience removes a common source of task loading, so Sydney shore and boat diving can feel more controlled, familiar and enjoyable.
Navigation
Use a compass and natural references to stay oriented and return more reliably to the planned exit or ascent point.
Deep diving
Practise depth planning, gas awareness, narcosis awareness and controlled ascents under direct supervision.
Boat routines
Build confidence with briefings, entries, exits, descent procedures and the practical rhythm of a Sydney boat dive.
Magic Point
Bring the weekend together on a real boat experience with grey nurse sharks when sea conditions allow.
The point is supported experience, not another card. Your certification expands the diving you can consider; the dives you complete afterwards are what turn these new skills into lasting confidence.
See Available WeekendsLive course availability
Choose Your Advanced Weekend
Pick a date that keeps your momentum going. The course includes eLearning and five training dives; a complete equipment kit is required, with hire available if needed.
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Certified with SSI, RAID, SDI, ISC or another recognised agency?
You do not need to repeat Open Water. Bring your recognised entry-level certification and continue into PADI Advanced with Abyss.
Before the weekendComplete your PADI eLearning and medical questionnaire.
Day 1Complete three coached shore dives focused on control and orientation.
Day 2Complete two boat dives and apply the skills in a real environment.
After AdvancedBook a suitable next dive, add Nitrox or choose a longer-term pathway.
What Your Advanced Weekend Looks Like
A quick look at the schedule, the five experiences and what to expect from your PADI Advanced Open Water course with Abyss.
The practical result
What should feel easier after the weekend?
Advanced does not make every dive easy overnight. It gives you coached exposure to the situations that commonly hold newer divers back—and a clearer idea of what to practise next.
Control your position with less effort
Improved weighting, trim and buoyancy reduce task loading and help air last more comfortably.
Stay oriented on local sites
Navigation practice makes shore entries, exits and changing Sydney visibility less intimidating.
Approach depth more deliberately
Planning, gas awareness and supervised experience help you make better decisions as sites become deeper.
Feel more at home on a dive boat
Practising the routines makes future charters, weekends and overseas trips feel more familiar.
Magic Point is planned for Day 2 where conditions allow. Safety and suitability always determine the final site.
Support that continues
Learn with people who understand Sydney diving.
Abyss keeps the course focused on real local capability. Small groups create room for coaching, local instructors connect each exercise to the sites you are likely to dive, and graduates from other recognised agencies are welcome. The aim is to help you leave with both a certification and a practical next step.
- Small groups and personal coaching
- Local shore and boat experience
- Cross-agency entry accepted
- A clear handover into more diving
Course details
What’s Included and How It Works
Included in your course
- Globally recognised PADI Advanced Open Water certification
- Five Adventure Dives: Deep, Navigation, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Boat and the planned Magic Point experience
- Two boat dives, including Magic Point where conditions allow; an alternative suitable site is used when required
- PADI eLearning, usually completed in 6–8 hours before the weekend
- Small-group instruction with experienced Sydney instructors
- Student Dive Injury and Evacuation Insurance*
- Courses scheduled on most weekends
Equipment access, without the sales pressure
You need a complete scuba kit for both days, including a tank. Bring equipment you already know or add a hire kit when enrolling. Hiring is completely acceptable. If you are beginning to dive regularly, ask us for practical ownership advice when it becomes useful—not because the course requires you to buy a package.
How the weekend works
- Complete the assigned PADI Advanced eLearning before training
- Day 1: Three shore dives focused on buoyancy, navigation and preparation for deeper diving
- Day 2: Two boat dives to apply deep- and boat-diving procedures, including Magic Point where conditions allow
- Adventure Dives can contribute credit towards the corresponding PADI Specialty, subject to PADI requirements
Before you attend
- Hold an entry-level Open Water certification from PADI, SSI, RAID, SDI, ISC or an accepted equivalent
- Complete the PADI medical questionnaire and arrange a dive medical if required
- Finish the eLearning and organise your own equipment or hire before the course
- Contact Abyss before booking if you feel rusty or are unsure whether a refresher would be more suitable
Important conditions
- Minimum age 12; participants under 15 require parental consent and certification limitations apply
- You should be comfortable with the basic water skills required for entry-level certification
- Allow at least 18 hours after diving before flying
- Dive sites and sequence may change for safety, conditions and student suitability
Read course booking terms and conditions
By booking the PADI Advanced Open Water course with Abyss Scuba Diving, you agree to the following course booking terms and conditions.
- Full refund: Cancel at least 7 days before the course for a refund, minus the cost of training materials.
- Bookings within 7 days: These are not eligible for a refund.
- eLearning materials: Their cost is non-refundable once purchased.
- After course commencement: No refund is provided. A $100 fee applies if rescheduling is required after the course starts.
- Transport: Transport is not included.
- Dive medical: If required, it must be completed at least 7 days before the course. Failure to complete a required medical may result in loss of payment.
- Date changes: Changes 7 or more days before the start incur no fee; within 7 days, $100; within 24 hours, $200.
- Medical statement: All participants must read the Medical Statement before attending.
Review the full Abyss Scuba Diving Terms and Conditions before booking.
*Policy sub-limits and excess apply while under instructor supervision.
Diver experiences
What Advanced Divers Say
⭐ Rated 4.9 stars average across 2,400+ reviews
Before you book
Advanced Open Water Questions
The course is straightforward, but the right timing and the next action matter. These answers explain how the weekend fits into real diving.
What is PADI Advanced Open Water actually for?
It is a supervised experience course, not an exam proving that you are already an expert. You complete five Adventure Dives that introduce buoyancy, navigation, depth, boat procedures and a real Magic Point experience where conditions allow. The goal is to become more capable and comfortable, then continue practising on suitable dives.
When should I do Advanced after Open Water?
You can take Advanced while your Open Water skills are still fresh because the course is designed to provide continued instructor support. There is no benefit in rushing if you feel uncomfortable or very rusty. Keep diving in suitable conditions, and ask Abyss whether Advanced, a supported dive or a refresher is the best immediate step.
Is Advanced harder than Open Water?
Most divers find it less stressful because there is no long pool-skills sequence or final exam. You complete short knowledge reviews and five guided dives. The environments are broader, but your instructor introduces them progressively and can adjust the plan for conditions and student comfort.
What dives are included? Do we really dive with sharks?
The planned five dives are Deep, Underwater Navigation, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Boat and a Magic Point experience. Magic Point is known for grey nurse sharks, but weather, sea conditions and safety determine whether that site can be used. A suitable alternative is chosen when required.
Do I need my own equipment?
You need a complete scuba kit for both days, including a tank. You may bring your own familiar equipment or add hire when enrolling. Buying a full kit is not a condition of the course. If you are starting to dive regularly, Abyss can help you decide what may be worth owning later.
I am certified with SSI, RAID or another agency. Can I join?
Yes. A recognised entry-level Open Water certification is accepted, so you do not need to repeat the beginner course. Contact Abyss if the exact equivalence of your certification is unclear.
What does the certification let me do?
For divers aged 15 and over, PADI Advanced Open Water prepares and certifies you for dives planned to a maximum depth of 30 metres, within your training, experience, comfort and local conditions. Junior Advanced Open Water Divers aged 12–14 have a maximum depth of 21 metres and remain subject to junior supervision requirements. Certification expands your options; continued diving builds the experience to use them well.
What should I do after the course?
Use the new skills promptly. For most divers, the best handover is a suitable Sydney dive within 30 days. Nitrox is a useful next option for repetitive boat diving and travel, while the Training Hub can map a confidence, travel, safety, deep-and-wreck, marine-life or Master Scuba Diver pathway.
Keep the momentum
Recommended for most divers
For repetitive diving
For a bigger direction
Do not let Advanced end with another certification card.
Choose your Advanced weekend, then decide what you want the course to unlock. Before the weekend finishes, put one suitable follow-on action in the diary so the five supported experiences become part of your real diving.
Book the next real dive
Use buoyancy, navigation and boat routines again while they are fresh. Choose a Sydney dive that matches your certification, recency and comfort.
Book My Next Sydney DiveAdd Enriched Air Nitrox
Nitrox is a practical next option for multi-dive days, boat weekends, travel and liveaboards. Learn gas analysis, oxygen exposure and computer settings.
See the Nitrox CourseChoose a relevant pathway
Use the Training Hub to connect your next dive and next skill to confidence, travel, safety, deep-and-wreck, marine-life or Master Scuba Diver goals.
Open the Training HubAlready know the direction you want?
Not sure which handover fits? Ask an Abyss instructor for the simplest suitable next step.
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