If you don't have the time or inclination to do a full open water course, there are often shorter courses (known as "resort courses" or "resort certifications") available. These are constructed as either 'taster' courses in which you receive basic training in the equipment and do an open water dive, or courses that teach you enough to dive with an instructor's company. When these courses are offered by certification agencies they usually include the first couple of modules of an open water certification, so that when you complete them you can go on to finish the open water course without needing to do the full course from the beginning. These beginner's courses are useful if you only want to do one or two dives or if you want to try out diving before investing time and money in a full open water course. Note that if your resort certification is only awarded by that resort, and not by one of the certification agencies, that you will not be able to use it at most other resorts and it is unlikely to count towards a full certification.

These courses vary widely in quality and safety, particularly between countries. You should check that you will be diving in a very small group (or ideally one-on-one with a certified instructor as your personal dive buddy); that you will be diving at a shallow depth (no more than 12 meters/40 feet); and that the conditions are as tranquil as the area permits. (Cold water and currents are more stressful to dive in than still warm water.)