The requirements for both courses are basically the same. The major difference is that people under 16 are certified as Junior Open Water Divers. There are differences for the instructors running these courses; depth limits are different for one, but students would not notice any difference.

This is generally the first step in becoming a certified diver with the world's largest training agency the PADI Open Water Diver Course is a fun interesting way to learn to how to Scuba dive.

The course consists of 5 confined water lessons (training in a swimming pool), 4 open water dives (in or around Sai Kung) and basic diving theory-which can even be completed in your own home. The recommended course duration is approximately 30 hours. The course is flexible and can be tailored to your schedule and specific needs. The Open Water certification allows you to rent equipment and dive worldwide.

The course fee of HK$3,900 includes manuals, log books, all equipment rental and processing of your PADI certification card (no hidden extras!) Diving groups are small and all tuition is with an experienced English-speaking PADI Instructor.

Lobster Bay, in Clear Water Bay. A popular Open Water training dive site.