Advanced Open Water Certification in Memphis, TN

Expand Your Skills and Dive with Greater Confidence

Earning your Open Water Certification is just the beginning of your scuba diving journey. Once you've experienced the excitement of breathing underwater and exploring new environments, many divers are eager to improve their skills, gain confidence, and discover new types of diving experiences. If you are looking for advanced diving classes in Memphis to expand your capabilities, our Advanced Open Water Certification course is the perfect next step.

At H2O Scuba Center, we help divers throughout Memphis, West Tennessee, Northern Mississippi, Eastern Arkansas, and surrounding communities continue their scuba education through professional SSI training programs designed to build confidence and expand capabilities.

As the first SSI Training Facility in West Tennessee and the Best Little Scuba Shop in West Tennessee, we've spent more than 40 years helping divers safely advance their skills. With over 10,000 open water dives completed, our team understands how to prepare divers for new challenges and exciting underwater adventures.



Whether your goal is dive travel, specialty certifications, deeper dives, or simply becoming a more comfortable diver, Advanced Open Water Certification is the next logical step.

What Is Advanced Open Water Certification?

Advanced Open Water Certification is designed to help certified divers gain additional experience while exploring new areas of interest within scuba diving.

Despite the name, you do not need to be an expert diver to enroll. This course is specifically designed to advance your skills and introduce you to different types of diving environments and specialty activities.



Through a series of supervised adventure dives, you'll build confidence, improve your underwater abilities, and discover new ways to enjoy scuba diving.

Many divers complete this certification shortly after earning their Open Water Certification because it provides valuable experience and opens the door to additional diving opportunities.

Who Can Enroll?

The Advanced Open Water Certification course is available to:

• Certified Open Water Divers
• Junior Open Water Divers meeting age requirements
• Divers looking to expand their experience and confidence

This program is ideal for individuals who want to:



• Improve their diving skills
• Gain more open water experience
• Explore deeper dive sites
• Learn navigation techniques
• Prepare for specialty training
• Enhance dive travel opportunities

If you've recently earned your Open Water Certification, Advanced Open Water is one of the best ways to continue developing your abilities under professional supervision.

What You'll Learn

The Advanced Open Water Certification course builds upon your foundational skills, focusing on practical application, specialized environments, and expanding your underwater horizons.

Throughout your training, you'll learn:

• Deep Dive Planning and Safety: Techniques for managing gas supplies, physiological effects, and safety considerations when diving down to 100 feet (30 meters).
• Underwater Navigation: How to master compass use, utilize natural landmarks, and accurately estimate distance to confidently find your way back to the boat or shore.
• Boat Diving Protocols: The etiquette, entry/exit techniques, and safety procedures specific to diving from various types of watercraft.
• Introduction to Wreck Diving: How to responsibly explore and navigate the exteriors of artificial reefs and historical shipwrecks while avoiding common hazards.
• Night Diving Skills: Communication, navigation, and light-handling techniques for exploring the ocean after sunset when nocturnal marine life comes alive.
• Peak Performance Buoyancy: Advanced techniques to effortlessly hover, stream your profile, and optimize your air consumption.

Our instructors focus on broadening your practical experience and building real-world confidence under direct supervision.

Two Adventure Dives are typically required

Deep Diving

The Deep Adventure Dive introduces divers to deeper underwater environments while teaching important planning and safety procedures.

Students learn:

• Deep dive preparation
• Gas management techniques
• Buoyancy control at depth
• Understanding depth-related considerations
• Safe diving practices for deeper environments

This training helps divers gain confidence while exploring sites that extend beyond the limits of basic certification.

Underwater Navigation

Navigation is one of the most valuable skills any diver can develop.

During this Adventure Dive, students learn:

• Compass navigation techniques
• Natural navigation methods
• Distance estimation
• Route planning
• Improved underwater awareness

Strong navigation skills help divers feel more confident and independent in a variety of diving conditions.

Choose Adventure Dives That Match Your Interests

In addition to the required dives, students select additional Adventure Dives based on their interests and goals.



Popular options include:

Underwater Photography

Learn how to capture stunning underwater images while improving your awareness and buoyancy control.

Night Diving

Experience a completely different underwater environment after dark and discover how marine life changes when the sun goes down.

Boat Diving

Develop skills and knowledge specific to diving from boats while learning proper procedures and safety techniques.

Wreck Diving

Explore fascinating underwater structures while learning responsible wreck-diving practices.

Deep Diving

Further expand your comfort level and experience in deeper water environments.

Additional specialty options may also be available depending on training schedules and student interests.

Benefits of Advanced Open Water Certification

Many divers find that Advanced Open Water Certification significantly improves their overall comfort and confidence underwater.

Benefits include:

• Increased diving experience
• Improved buoyancy control
• Better navigation skills
• Greater confidence in different environments
• Preparation for specialty certifications
• Expanded dive travel opportunities
• Enhanced understanding of dive planning and safety

The more experience divers gain, the more enjoyable and rewarding scuba diving becomes.

A Gateway to Specialty Certifications

One of the biggest advantages of Advanced Open Water training is that it introduces divers to multiple specialty areas.

Many Adventure Dives may count toward future specialty certifications, helping students continue their education while exploring new interests.

After completing Advanced Open Water Certification, many divers continue with:

• Nitrox Certification
• Rescue Diver Training
• Deep Diver Specialty
• Night Diver Specialty
• Wreck Diver Specialty
• Underwater Photography
• Navigation Training

This creates a clear path toward becoming a more experienced and versatile diver.

Why Train with H2O Scuba Center?

When choosing an Advanced Open Water program, experience matters.

Divers throughout the region choose H2O Scuba Center because of our:

• More than 40 years of experience
• First SSI Training Facility status in West Tennessee
• More than 10,000 open water dives completed
• Personalized instruction
• Strong commitment to diver safety
• Professional training environment
• Dive travel expertise
• Full-service scuba shop and support services

We focus on helping divers become comfortable, capable, and confident while creating enjoyable learning experiences.

Continue Your Scuba Journey

Advanced Open Water Certification is often the course that transforms new divers into passionate lifelong participants in the sport. It provides opportunities to experience new environments, build confidence, and discover exciting specialty interests.

Whether you're preparing for future dive travel, interested in specialty certifications, or simply want to become a stronger diver, Advanced Open Water Certification can help you reach your goals.

Contact H2O Scuba Center today at (901) 458-5006 to learn about upcoming Advanced Open Water courses and take the next step in your diving adventure.