PADI Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the PADI exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.
📋 PADI Exam Format at a Glance
📚 PADI Topics to Study (21)
✍️ Sample PADI Questions & Answers
1. You are performing a Controlled Emergency Swimming Ascent (CESA) from a depth of 9 meters/30 feet. Which of the following actions is critical for preventing a lung-overexpansion injury?
During a CESA, the diver is ascending without breathing from scuba. As they ascend, the air in their lungs expands due to decreasing ambient pressure. To prevent a lung-overexpansion injury, it is crucial to release this expanding air by exhaling continuously. Making a continuous sound, like 'ahhh', ensures the airway remains open and air is constantly escaping.
2. Which natural navigation reference uses the position of the sun and wave surge patterns to determine direction?
Sun angle and wave surge direction are reliable natural references, as surge typically moves parallel to shore and the sun travels predictably across the sky.
3. Which PADI specialty course focuses on identifying and interacting responsibly with marine life?
The PADI Underwater Naturalist Specialty teaches divers to observe and interact responsibly with aquatic life and ecosystems.
4. Ocean currents are mostly caused by two key environmental factors:
The primary forces driving major ocean currents are wind and the Earth's rotation. Wind transfers energy to the ocean surface, initiating current movement, while the Coriolis effect (due to Earth's rotation) deflects these currents, creating large-scale circulation patterns known as gyres. Other factors like temperature and salinity also play roles, but wind and rotation are the dominant drivers.
5. When bringing an unresponsive diver to the surface, what is the recommended procedure regarding their regulator?
PADI standards for surfacing an unresponsive diver recommend keeping the regulator in the victim's mouth. This helps protect their airway from aspiration (breathing in water). While it's not guaranteed they are breathing, keeping the airway protected is a critical step during the ascent.
6. If you see a diver acting foolishly while on a deep dive, the best course of action to help them is to:
A diver acting foolishly on a deep dive is likely experiencing nitrogen narcosis, often called 'rapture of the deep,' caused by the increased partial pressure of nitrogen at depth. The most effective and immediate treatment is to ascend to a shallower depth. This reduces the nitrogen partial pressure, alleviating the narcotic effects and allowing the diver to regain clear thinking.