The PADI Advanced Open Water course and the PADI Rescue Diver course are both scuba diving certification courses offered through PADI at the Waterhoppers Diving School, but they differ in their focus and the skills they teach:

1. Focus: The PADI Advanced Open Water course is focused on developing your scuba diving skills and experience, while the PADI Rescue Diver course is focused on developing your rescue and emergency response skills.
   
   
2. Prerequisites: To enroll in the PADI Advanced Open Water course, you must be a certified Open Water Diver or equivalent. To enroll in the PADI Rescue Diver course, you must be a certified Advanced Open Water Diver or equivalent and have completed a CPR and First Aid course within the past two years.
   
   
3. Skills taught: During the PADI Advanced Open Water course, you'll complete five adventure dives that focus on specific areas of diving, such as deep diving, navigation, and night diving. During the PADI Rescue Diver course, you'll learn how to prevent and manage dive emergencies, including how to recognize and respond to stress, rescue techniques, and first aid.
   
   
4. Course length: The PADI Advanced Open Water course typically takes 2-3 days to complete, while the PADI Rescue Diver course typically takes 2-3 days and includes a combination of classroom sessions, confined water dives, and open water scenarios.
   
   
5. Certification: Upon completion of the PADI Advanced Open Water course, you'll be certified to dive to depths of up to 30 meters/100 feet and have completed five adventure dives. Upon completion of the PADI Rescue Diver course, you'll be certified to respond to and manage dive emergencies and have the skills needed to assist other divers in distress.

Overall, the PADI Advanced Open Water course is focused on developing your general scuba diving skills and experience, while the PADI Rescue Diver course is focused on developing your rescue and emergency response skills. Both courses are valuable and can help you become a more confident and competent scuba diver.

To book either your PADI Advanced Open Water course here and for the AOW divers looking for their next adventure check out PADI Rescue Diver course, here!