Advanced open water

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Improve your diving skills with the PADI advanced open water course!

Dive deeper, refine your diving skills, fine tune your buoyancy, and learn how to become a more independent diver. The PADI advanced course is designed to strengthen your dive skills and take your diving to the next level. You’ll gain more confidence in the water, letting you enjoy diving more than ever!

If you’ve always wanted to try night diving, or learn more about Fish ID or drift diving - here’s your chance. You can sample three dives of your choice to get a taste of what you like. You can be sure to finish the course as a more independent, well rounded diver! As an advanced diver, you’ll be certified to dive to a maximum depth of 30m. This is perfect for going deeper at Sipadan and increasing your chances of spotting hammerheads and other large pelagic species!

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advanced open water course PADI mabul sipadan

what do i need to start?

  • Minimum age: 12 years
  • PADI Open Water Diver certification (or qualifying certification from another organization).
  • Have a look at this medical form to see if you are fit to dive.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?

The PADI advanced course consists of 5 adventure dives, and is completed over 2 days. You will also do a theory session with your instructor. If you only have one day, you can complete 3 dives and achieve the Adventure diver certification.

For more information about the schedule, click here.

what will i do?

You'll complete five adventure dives. The Deep and Underwater Navigation dives are mandatory, the remaining three you can pick based on your interests. There is a small amount of theory (self-study), but no quizzes or exams!

how much does it cost?

The stand-alone course costs RM 1,225*

*Possible additional Single supplement course fee of RM100 per day if you are the only course participant

To combine the course with diving world-famous Sipadan, check out our Advanced Course & Sipadan packages.
diver jackfish advanced open water sipadan mabul

why choose scuba junkie?

Scuba Junkie is an award winning 5* PADI IDC centre, and your safety is our top priority! Our instructors are friendly and experienced, and most have been trained in-house to ensure that we can offer you top quality training, not only in line with PADI standards, but also by our Scuba Junkie standards!

The dive sites around this area are very diverse, with gently sloping coral reefs, deep walls, wrecks and much more to discover during your PADI advanced course. Group sizes are kept to a maximum of 4 students per instructor, to ensure each and every student gets the attention they need. Our equipment is well maintained, and serviced regularly, and our dive boats have all safety equipment you may need, including emergency oxygen and first aid kit.

where can i go from here?

The Adventures in Diving program offers both the Adventure Diver and Advanced Open Water Diver certifications. If you complete any three adventure dives, you can earn your PADI Adventure Diver certification. If you complete your Deep Adventure Dive, Underwater Navigation Adventure Dive and three Adventure Dives for a total of five, you can earn your Advanced Open Water Diver certification. PADI Adventure Dives can also count towards PADI Specialty Diver certifications.

The next step is the PADI rescue diver course, where you learn to look beyond yourself and consider the safety of others.

grouper

Strengthen your diving skills and become a more independent diver

Becoming a PADI advanced open water diver opens up a world of new possibilities and dive sites to discover. With the optional adventure dives you can explore the areas of diving that you’re interested in, all whilst improving your diving and seeing some of the incredible marine life this area has to offer.

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What does the schedule look like?

day one

The advanced course consists of five dives, and is completed over the course of two days. On day one, we recommend starting with the Peak Performance Buoyancy dive, to refine your buoyancy control, trim, positioning and improving your air consumption. Completing the buoyancy dive first means you can practise the things you learn here during the rest of your course dives. Dive two is typically the Underwater navigation dive, followed by an afternoon of self study. There is a small amount of theory to complete, for each dive you choose there’s a knowledge review to fill in, which will be reviewed with your PADI instructor before completing the course.

mabul scuba junkie jetty
divers mabul

day two

On day two, you’ll typically head out on the boat in the morning for the Deep dive, followed by the remaining dives that you have chosen. Depending on the dives you choose, and if you have any more self-study to complete, you may sign up for an extra optional fun dive! The Advanced Course schedule may differ a little from course to course, depending on which dives you have chosen. Your instructor will advise you which dives will be completed on which day.

Here's a sample itinerary:
Day 1: Peak performance buoyancy dive, underwater navigation dive, lunch break, self-study, night dive.
Day 2: Deep dive, fish ID dive, lunch break, knowledge review session with your instructor, extra fun dive (optional if time allows).

the two mandatory adventure dives

Deep: Learn how to properly plan deep dives, and what extra safety procedures to follow. You’ll look at how your air consumption and NDL (no decompression limits) changes at depth. This dive will take you down to a maximum depth of 30m!

Navigation: Ever wondered how your dive guides seem to know exactly where they are, all the time? With this dive you will fine tune your natural navigation skills, and learn how to use an underwater compass accurately.

diver and nemo
peak performance buoyancy paid advanced course

our top choices

Peak Performance Buoyancy: Master buoyancy control, and improve your trim and positioning in the water. Learn how to move more efficiently with advanced kicking techniques. Improve your air-consumption, so your dives last longer!

Fish ID: During this dive you’ll learn how to identify different fish, based on the way they look, their behavior and their habitat. More than 3000 species of fish have been identified in this area, making it the perfect place to work on your fish ID skills!

Night: The night dives around here are simply too incredible to miss! Diving at night opens up new possibilities, and you’ll encounter different marine life which are usually hidden away during day time!

more options

Drift: Drift diving can be both relaxing and exciting - if done correctly. Many of the world's best dive sites, including Sipadan, involve diving in currents, which can be challenging for new divers. During this dive you’ll learn different drifting techniques, and how to move efficiently in a current.

Search & recovery: During this dive you’ll learn how to locate missing objects underwater, and how to bring them safely back to dry land. You’ll practise different search patterns, knots and how to use a lift bag to recover heavy objects.

Naturalist: A good option if you are interested to know more about what you see underwater. Learn how to distinguish between the many different vertebrates, invertebrates and plants that can be found in this area.

Wreck: Wrecks can be fascinating to dive, and are usually teeming with marine life. Whilst you will not be able to penetrate the wreck during this dive, you will learn about the different safety techniques and potential hazards of wreck diving.

nemo family mabul diving

frequently asked questions

What is the minimum age to start the Advanced course?

You can start the course from 12 years old onwards.

How many students will be in my group?

We like to keep class sizes small for safety and control. There would be a maximum of four students on the course with one instructor.

Can I dive at Sipadan during my course?

We do not conduct courses at Sipadan, however, we offer a 4-day package including your Advanced Open water course & Sipadan dives which is a very popular choice.

Can I start the course the same day as arrival at the resort?

Yes, as long as you take the 8am boat. You will need to come swim ready, once you arrive our staff will collect your luggage & your instructor will meet you on the jetty to start your briefing & discuss your adventure dive options.

What adventure dive options do you have?

Deep & Navigation are mandatory but you can choose the remaining three from the below options:

  • Peak performance buoyancy (highly recommended)
  • Night dive
  • Fish ID
  • Naturalist
  • Wreck
  • Search and recovery
  • Boat dive
  • Drift
  • Digital underwater imaging

Advanced Open Water Course & Accommodation Packages

We offer awesome Advanced Open Water Course & Sipadan packages which include accommodation at our resort with full meals, the course, all equipment and materials needed plus extra fun dives! If you do not wish to book a package, the stand alone course price is RM 1,225.

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paid advanced course packages

Advanced Open Water Course & sipadan Packages (per person)

Prices are valid until 31st Dec 2024
  • Prices include 6% SST on accommodation at Mabul Beach Resort
  • Prices exclude Sipadan permit & conservation fees (per person per Sipadan day):
    Non-Malaysian Diver: RM450
    Non-Malaysian Snorkeller: RM100
    Malaysian Diver: RM300
    Malaysian Snorkeller: RM50
  • Prices exclude Malaysian Tourism tax of RM10 per room per night (not applicable to dorm)
  • The above rates are based on twin or triple share, single supplements per night are for divers: Ensuite Fan: RM105, Deluxe AC: RM155, VIP AC: RM155
  • A high season supplement of RM25 per person per night will be applicable for the following dates: 15th December 2023 - 5th January 2024, 5th - 15th February 2024, 28th March - 15th April 2024, 15th May- 15th September 2024, 1st- 7th October 2024 & 15th December 2024- 5th January 2025
  • Above packages include the PADI Advanced Open Water Course, accommodation at Mabul Beach Resort, diving around Mabul, Kapalai, Si Amil and Sipadan islands, equipment rental, boat transfers to/from Mabul at specified times, meals, tea, coffee & water
  • All trips are subject to weather conditions and permit availability at the time of booking
  • Minimum required certification level Advanced Open Water or equivalent & minimum age is 10 years for Sipadan Dive packages
  • Possible additional Single supplement course fee of RM100 per day if you are the only course participant
  • A single supplement fee of RM200 per day is applicable if you are the only participant on your fun diving day
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cocoon1234

"I went on a week-long diving holiday with Scuba Junkie Mabul end of last year (incl. Fun dives around Mabul, diving at Sipadan and an advanced open water course) and I was super happy with the experience!"
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