If you haven't been scuba diving lately and want to refresh your scuba diving knowledge and skills, the PADI ReActivate Program might do the trick. Your PADI Open Water Diver certification does not expire, but it's important to be up to date with your scuba diving knowledge.

So what do you need to know before taking the PADI ReActivate Program? Well, here’s a breakdown:

Benefits of the PADI ReActivate Program

The course — while not mandatory — is a great tool for those who have gone long periods without diving. It will touch on all the important factors of safe scuba diving. Also, if you complete the knowledge portion and in-water refresher, you receive an updated C-card with a "ReActivated Thru" date, which lets the dive shop know you're up to date with your skills.

Want a refresher? Sign up for a tune-up course online.

Prerequisites for the PADI ReActivate Program

This course is available to any PADI Open Water Diver.

What you’ll learn in the PADI ReActivate Program

This refresher takes you through realistic scenarios, mapping out important safety factors and problem-solving concepts.

From a PADI Expert

“Life happens and even experienced, passionate divers have layoffs away from the water. We all know that some refreshing recommended after six months, but to paraphrase Pirates of the Caribbean's Barbosa, this is more of  what you’d call a guide line than an actual rule. Sooner’s fine, and if you’re very experienced and trained, a bit longer may be reasonable. But, if in doubt, refresh.

The thing about memory is that we don’t lose it evenly. That is, for a given endeavor, we tend to retain certain things well and others less so. The ReActivate program is prescriptive, so that when you top up your dive knowledge, you zip quickly through stuff you remember well — but you can dive deeper if you want, of course. But, the program helps you back to speed on topics that don’t come back so well. Next, get wet and put the polish back on your base skills. Then, make dives well within your training and experience.

If you think about it, diving’s like every other sport — if you’re inactive, everyone knows you can't jump back in at the peak of your game. But, you don’t usually have to start back at ground zero either. You ease back in intelligently, warm up and before you know it, it’s like you never left.”

– Karl Shreeves, PADI Technical Development Executive