How to Get PADI Certified in Puerto Princesa

Getting your scuba licence on holiday is one of the best souvenirs you can take home. The PADI Open Water Diver course is the world's most popular entry-level dive certification, and Puerto Princesa, with its warm, calm water in Honda Bay, is a relaxed place to do it.

Here is how the course works, how long it takes, who can join and how to get ready.

Can I get PADI certified in Puerto Princesa?

Yes. Let's Dive Palawan is a PADI dive centre in Puerto Princesa, and we run the PADI Open Water Diver course on a schedule that suits you. When you finish, you hold a certification recognised by dive centres around the world.

What does the PADI Open Water course include?

The course has three parts.

1. Knowledge development

You learn how pressure affects your body and your equipment, how to plan a dive, and how to stay safe. Most people do this online with PADI eLearning before they travel, which frees up more of your holiday for the water. You can also study with your instructor when you arrive.

2. Confined water dives

Next you practise the core skills in calm, shallow water: clearing your mask, recovering your regulator, sharing air with a buddy and controlling your buoyancy. You repeat each skill until it feels natural.

3. Open water dives

Finally you make four dives in the sea with your instructor, using the skills you learned and exploring the reef as you go. This is where the course comes alive, with fish, coral and the feeling of floating weightless over the reef.

How long does it take?

Most people complete the course in three to four days. If you finish the theory online before you arrive, you can often spend most of that time in the water. We plan the days around your trip, so tell us your dates when you get in touch.

How deep can I dive once I'm certified?

PADI Open Water Divers are certified to dive to 18 metres with a buddy, without an instructor. That depth covers a huge amount of the world's best reef diving, including most of what you will see around Puerto Princesa.

If you want to go deeper, the Advanced Open Water course takes you to 30 metres and adds new skills such as navigation and deep diving.

Who can do the course?

• Age: you can start from 10 years old. Divers aged 10 to 14 earn a Junior Open Water certification, which they can upgrade to a full Open Water Diver card at 15.
• Swimming: you need to be comfortable in the water. You will do a 200 metre swim (or 300 metres with mask, fins and snorkel) with no time limit, and float or tread water for 10 minutes.
• Health: everyone fills in a short medical questionnaire. If you answer yes to any question, you need a doctor to sign you off before any in-water training. Our advice is to download and check the questionnaire before you travel, so you can see your own doctor at home if needed.

How much does it cost?

Course fees, what is included, and any extras such as eLearning are listed on the PADI Open Water Diver course page. When comparing dive centres, check whether equipment hire, boat trips, marine park fees and certification fees are included, as these vary from place to place.

What happens after the course?

You are free to dive with a buddy anywhere in the world, within your training. The best way to keep your skills sharp is to dive again soon. Many of our students stay on for a few fun dive days after certifying, or move straight on to:

• Advanced Open Water, five adventure dives including deep and navigation.
• Enriched Air (Nitrox), for longer bottom times. Many liveaboards, including Tubbataha trips, offer nitrox.
• Peak Performance Buoyancy, to glide over the reef with less effort.

If Tubbataha is your dream trip, plan ahead. Most Tubbataha operators ask for Advanced Open Water and a minimum number of logged dives. Our Tubbataha guide explains the details.

Not sure yet? Try a dive first

If you are not ready to commit to a full course, start with Discover Scuba Diving. It is a single supervised experience that shows you what diving feels like. Our first-dive guide walks you through the day.

Book your course

Send us your dates and we will plan your course around your trip. Contact us to get started, or read more about the PADI Open Water Diver course.

Cover photo: black jacks schooling, Anna Varona, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.