Curso Advanced Open Water

The Advanced Open Water at Azores Sub is structured around 5 knowledge chapters and 5 adventure dives, following SSI or PADI curricula. It runs 12 to 16 hours and requires a minimum age of 10. Equipment and €1.5 million liability insurance are included.

Done on the south coast of São Miguel, the adventure dives take on a different weight than in most locations. Deep Diver and Underwater Navigation are logical picks here given the terrain — the Baixa das Castanhetas wall drops past 45 metres, and navigating the lava tunnels and canyon systems requires spatial awareness you don't build in flat-water environments.

Finishing this course opens up the centre's full range of guided dives, including the offshore expeditions to Formigas and Dollabarat, where visibility exceeds 40 metres on good days and pelagics like manta rays and sharks are a realistic sighting. The Advanced cert also becomes the prerequisite for several specialty courses the centre runs, including Deep Diver to 40 metres.