Open Water Diver

The Open Water Diver course at ClanDestino Sub certifies to 18 metres depth with a buddy and follows the full PADI curriculum. Being based inland in Curtatone means the course structure divides naturally: confined water skill sessions happen during the club's regular weekly pool schedule, and open water dives take place at Lago di Garda or the sea on organized group outings. That split gives students more pool time than a coastal operation that pushes quickly to open water, which tends to show up in better buoyancy and gear handling before the open water component begins. PADI eLearning is available for the theory section if you can't attend classroom sessions in person or live far from the base.

The pool schedule is ongoing rather than compressed into fixed course weekends, so students can fit confined water training around their availability. The Tessera Socio membership (€50/year) includes pool entry and equipment rental, meaning enrolled members don't need to arrive with their own kit for pool sessions. The open water dives are organized as group trips — the club has run sessions at y-40 in Montegrotto Terme, where Open Water students completed their first open water dives in the same pool used by the freediving group, benefiting from the controlled visibility conditions there.

Instruction is handled by a team that includes PADI Master Instructor Davide Franceschetti (#269136) and OWSI-level instructors Tommaso Agosti (#533037) and Sara Ferrari (#532970). The club holds a PADI 5 Star rating, which sets standards for instruction quality, equipment, and course documentation across all programs. For students starting from zero at this club, the Open Water Diver is the first step into a training catalog that continues through Advanced Open Water, Rescue Diver, Divemaster, and the full technical track up to Tec Trimix.

No age limit is stated for course enrollment. Prerequisites are a medical certificate and good physical health; no prior diving experience is required. Enrollments open September 1st each year, and booking is handled directly with Davide by email or phone. Completing the Open Water Diver here means joining a club calendar that includes regular pool sessions, lake and sea dives, and group travel organized by the association.