PADI Open Water Diver 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the recommended maximum depth limit for PADI Open Water Divers?
- 18 meters (60 feet)
- 30 meters (100 feet)
- 40 meters (130 feet) (Correct answer)
- 12 meters (40 feet)
Correct answer: 40 meters (130 feet)
PADI Open Water Divers are certified to dive to a maximum depth of 40 meters (130 feet), though recreational diving recommendations suggest staying shallower.
Question 2: When ascending from a dive, what is the maximum recommended ascent rate according to PADI?
- 18 meters (60 feet) per minute
- 9 meters (30 feet) per minute (Correct answer)
- 5 meters (16 feet) per minute
- 15 meters (50 feet) per minute
Correct answer: 9 meters (30 feet) per minute
PADI recommends ascending no faster than 9 meters (30 feet) per minute to reduce the risk of decompression sickness.
Question 3: Which condition requires a diver to make a safety stop at 5 meters (15 feet) for 3 minutes?
- Any dive shallower than 10 meters
- Dives to 18 meters (60 feet) or deeper, or when NDL is close to being exceeded (Correct answer)
- Only when diving in cold water
- Every dive regardless of depth
Correct answer: Dives to 18 meters (60 feet) or deeper, or when NDL is close to being exceeded
Safety stops are recommended after dives to 18 meters or deeper, or when the no-decompression limit has been closely approached.
Question 4: What does the term 'no-decompression limit' (NDL) mean?
- The deepest depth you can visit on a dive
- The maximum time you can spend at a given depth and still ascend directly to the surface (Correct answer)
- The amount of time you must wait between dives
- The minimum visibility needed to dive safely
Correct answer: The maximum time you can spend at a given depth and still ascend directly to the surface
The NDL is the maximum bottom time at a given depth that allows a direct ascent to the surface without required decompression stops.
Question 5: What is the primary purpose of a dive flag (diver-down flag)?
- To mark the entry point for other divers
- To signal distress to the coast guard
- To warn surface vessels that divers are below and to keep clear (Correct answer)
- To indicate the depth of the dive site
Correct answer: To warn surface vessels that divers are below and to keep clear
A dive flag alerts boat operators that divers are in the water below and that they should stay well clear of the area.
Question 6: If you are caught in a current while diving, what is the recommended technique to return to your entry point?
- Swim directly against the current at full speed
- Ascend immediately and signal for help
- Swim perpendicular to the current to escape it, then return (Correct answer)
- Descend deeper where the current is stronger
Correct answer: Swim perpendicular to the current to escape it, then return
Swimming perpendicular to a current allows you to exit its flow, conserving energy rather than fighting it directly.
Question 7: Which piece of equipment is used to control buoyancy and keep a diver neutrally buoyant at depth?
- Wetsuit
- BCD (Buoyancy Control Device) (Correct answer)
- Dive computer
- Regulator
Correct answer: BCD (Buoyancy Control Device)
The BCD (Buoyancy Control Device) is inflated or deflated to achieve neutral buoyancy at any depth.
PADI Open Water Diver 2
What is the recommended maximum depth limit for PADI Open Water Divers?