What Open Water lets you do
An Open Water Diver can dive independently with a buddy to a maximum depth of 18 metres / 60 feet, in conditions similar to those experienced during training. That covers shallow reef diving in the Maldives, Red Sea house reefs, Caribbean shore dives and most Indonesia liveaboard sites under 18m.
What Advanced Open Water adds
AOW (around 25 hours, $300–$500) consists of five adventure dives:
• Deep Adventure Dive — to 30m, the new depth limit
• Underwater Navigation — compass and natural reference
• Three electives from: Night, Drift, Wreck, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Nitrox, Search & Recovery, Underwater Photography
Which liveaboards require AOW
| Destination | Minimum cert | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Galápagos | AOW + 50 dives | Strong currents, depth, cold water |
| Cocos Island | AOW + 50 dives | Pelagic dives at 25–35m in current |
| Socorro | AOW + 50 dives | Open ocean, oceanic conditions |
| Komodo (south) | AOW recommended | Strong currents, deeper pinnacles |
| Raja Ampat | OW accepted, AOW recommended | Some sites have current; drift dives common |
| Maldives (central atolls) | OW accepted | Most sites under 25m |
| Red Sea (north) | OW accepted | Shallow wrecks and reefs |
| Red Sea (south / Brothers / Daedalus) | AOW + 50 dives | Offshore, current, depth |
Galápagos
Minimum cert: AOW + 50 dives
Why: Strong currents, depth, cold water
Cocos Island
Minimum cert: AOW + 50 dives
Why: Pelagic dives at 25–35m in current
Socorro
Minimum cert: AOW + 50 dives
Why: Open ocean, oceanic conditions
Komodo (south)
Minimum cert: AOW recommended
Why: Strong currents, deeper pinnacles
Raja Ampat
Minimum cert: OW accepted, AOW recommended
Why: Some sites have current; drift dives common
Maldives (central atolls)
Minimum cert: OW accepted
Why: Most sites under 25m
Red Sea (north)
Minimum cert: OW accepted
Why: Shallow wrecks and reefs
Red Sea (south / Brothers / Daedalus)
Minimum cert: AOW + 50 dives
Why: Offshore, current, depth
Should you do AOW before or after the liveaboard?
Doing AOW before your trip is the safer option — you arrive comfortable with night and drift diving rather than learning during your holiday. Many liveaboards do offer onboard AOW upgrades for $250–$400, which is convenient but eats into your dive time.
Logged dives matter as much as cards
Cruise directors look at your logbook. An AOW diver with 20 lifetime dives is treated more cautiously than an OW diver with 80 logged dives. If you haven't dived for over 12 months, plan a refresher dive on day one.