You don't have to be "advanced" to take it – it's designed so you can go straight into it after the PADI Open Water Diver course. The Advanced Open Water Diver course helps you increase your confidence and build your scuba skills so you can become more comfortable in the water. This is a great way to get more dives under your belt while continuing to learn under the supervision of your PADI instructor. This course builds on what you've learned and develops new capabilities by introducing you to new activities and new ways to have fun scuba diving. The learning materials you need: PADI's Adventures in Diving Manual provide information on more than 16 types of specialty diving.You'll use it as a guidebook to improve your diving skills and prepare for new experiences and adventures. To take this course, you must be: A PADI Open Water Diver (or qualifying certification from another training organization)