How far will you take this scuba diving thing? It’s up to you. With PADI Specialty Diver Programs, you can chart your course for a colorful collection of awesome dives. Sure, your PADI Open Water Certification opens up the oceans and lakes to you, but the PADI Specialty Courses take the underwater adventure to depths that will stir your soul. Achieving PADI Specialty ratings can take anywhere from as little as one day to a full weekend -but this is all hands-on, so you’ll be diving right from the start.
| Certification | Dives | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Altitude Diver | 2 | call for pricing |
| Boat Diver | 2 | $100 |
| Cavern Diver | 4 | call for pricing |
| Deep Diver | 4 | $200 |
| Digital Photographer Diver | 2 | $150 |
| Discover Scuba | 2Hrs Pool | $95 |
| Dive Propulsion Vehicle | 2 | $150 |
| Drift Diver | 2 | $150 |
| Drysuit Diver | 2 | $200 |
| Enriched Air Nitrox Diver | 0-2 | $200 |
| Full Face Mask | 3 | $200 |
| Night Diver | 3 | $200 |
| Peak Performance Bouyancy | 2 | $150 |
| Project Aware Diver | 0 | $150 |
| Project Aware Fish ID | 2 | $100 |
| Public Safety Diver | 10 | $500 |
| Scuba Equipment Specialist | 0 | $100 |
| Search and Recovery Diver | 4 | $200 |
| Spearfishing | 3 | $250 |
| Underwater Navigator | 3 | $200 |
| Underwater Salvor | Minimum 20 | call for pricing |
| Underwater Videographer | 3 | call for pricing |
| Wreck Diver | 4 | $200 |
PADI Altitude Diver Course
Any time you’re diving at 300 to 3000 metres/1000 to 10,000 feet above sea level, you’re altitude diving. If you want to explore the hidden world of a mountain lake, the PADI Altitude Diver Specialty course is for you.
The Fun Part
Dive more challenging dive sites while you satisfy your curiosity for “I wonder what’s down there?” The fun part about altitude diving is that you can explore places many people have never seen.
What You Learn
You’ll learn the effects of pressure at higher altitudes and how to adjust your dive plan accordingly. Whether you use a recreational dive planner table (RDPTM), an electronic eRDPTM or a dive computer, you’ll learn how plan and make a dive at high altitudes. You’ll learn :
- Altitude dive planning, organization, procedures, techniques, problems and hazards
- Recreational Dive PlannerTM procedures for diving at altitude
- Safety stops and emergency decompression procedures at altitude
- Equipment considerations
- Diver etiquette and how to avoid harming fragile aquatic life
Project AWARE Specialty
The underwater world needs heroes. You can be one of them by championing the causes of the world’s most fragile and important aquatic ecosystems.
The Fun Part
You can make a difference.
Learn about some of the most pressing problems facing these vulnerable environments and everyday actions you can take to help conserve them. It’s informative, interesting and most importantly, you learn how to make a difference.
What You Learn
Project AWARE Foundation is the scuba diving industry’s leading nonprofit environmental organization dedicated to conserving the aquatic environment through education, advocacy and action. Besides completing the Project AWARE Specialty course, you can become a partner in the efforts to preserve the underwater environment. You learn about:
- The ocean commons and coastal zone issues
- Fisheries challenges and sustainability
- Coral environment overview and inhabitants
- The role of the scuba diver in protecting aquatic environments
PADI Project AWARE Fish Identification Course
Have you ever been scuba diving and asked yourself, “What was that?” The PADI Project AWARE Fish Identification Specialty course provides you with the fish identification basics so that next time, you know the answer.
The Fun Part
You’ll find you enjoy your dives even more when you recognize the creatures that you see. The fun part about this course is you can use the skills you learn on every scuba diving vacation because once you learn the main fish families and characteristics it will help you decipher the species you see all over the world.
For example, a butterfly fish in the Caribbean has a similar shape to a butterfly fish in Southeast Asia, but their colors and markings maybe wildly different. If you know what fish family it belongs to, it becomes much easier to look up the local name or at least be able to intelligently ask the local scuba instructor what you saw. That works better than asking about a “yellow thingy with a funny tail fin.”
What You Learn
During two dives you gain hands-on (okay, eyes-on) experience in looking for and identifying the fascinating fish you see underwater. You’ll learn :
- How to identify characteristics of local fish families and species
- Fish survey techniques and strategies
- How to practice fish identification dive planning, organization and procedures
PADI Boat Diver Course
Whether you’ve never made a boat dive or you’ve logged dozens, the PADI Boat Diver Specialty course can benefit almost every diver because different boats in different parts of the world do things differently.
The Fun Part
Diving from a boat is fun, especially when you look at ease when maneuvering around on it. It’s fun to know what you’re doing.
What You Learn
- Learn the tips, tricks and ways to
- Dive from boats ranging from small inflatables to giant live-aboards :
- how they differ from place to place
- gain experience and training from diving on boats in your local area
- Safely enter and exit the water :
- sometimes it’s better to hand your gear up to the crew and then climb in the boat
- sometimes you just take off your fins and weights and walk up the ladder
- Stow your gear in the most appropriate areas
- Use surface lines to initiate or conclude your dives.
- Locate basic boat safety equipment
PADI Cavern Diver Course
Can you see the light? If you dive within the light zone of a cave–the area near the cave entrance where natural light is always visible–you’re in the cavern zone.
The Fun Part
The fun part is exploring secrets hidden in caverns around the world and having the knowledge and skills to do it correctly.
What You Learn
This is a challenging and very exciting course that includes four training dives over at least two days. During your first open water dive you’ll practice line handling, reel use and emergency procedures without entering a cavern. But, for your next three dives, you’re headed into the cavern, staying within the light zone and 40 metres/130 feet total distance from the surface. You learn about
- Cavern navigation and line protocols
- Planning, organization, techniques, problems and hazards of cavern diving
- Special equipment use, such as lights, guidelines, reels and redundant breathing systems
- Air sharing, disorientation, silting, line problems and other emergency procedures specific to cavern diving
- Silt prevention, buoyancy control, air management and emergency procedures
- Depth and distant limits for cavern diving
PADI Deep Diver Course
After your first few scuba dives, you soon want to explore a bit deeper. There’s something exciting and mysterious about the depth that attracts dives.
The Fun Part
The fun part about this course is the opportunity to explore the deep. It’s exhilarating.
What You Learn
- Techniques for diving in the deeper range of 18-40 metres/ 60-130 feet
- Deep scuba diving equipment considerations
- Experience in planning, organizing and making at least four deep dives under the supervision of your PADI Instructor
PADI Digital Underwater Photographer
Underwater photography is one of the most popular diving specialties, and the rise of digital underwater photography has made it easier and more fun than ever. This is why there are actually two PADI underwater photography courses. The PADI Digital Underwater Photographer course gets you going quickly with today modern digital equipment, whether you use a point-and-shoot snap camera or a sophisticated D-SLR like the pros. The PADI Underwater Photographer course is a more traditional photography course designed for conventional film equipment.
The Fun Part
It’s a great way to relive the adventures you’ve had. Plus capture images to share with your friends and family.
What You Learn
- How to choose the right underwater camera system for you
- The PADI SEA method for getting great shots quickly
- The three primary principles for good underwater photos
PADI Diver Propulsion Vehicle (DPV) Course
DPVs offer a thrilling way to see a lot of underwater territory in a brief amount of time. They scoot you through the water without kicking. Whether making a shore dive or diving from a boat, a DPV is a great way to see more and have a blast doing it.
The Fun Part
Fun? Underwater scooters (DPVs) are a kick! It’s all fun.
What You Learn
You learn:
- Diver propulsion vehicle dive planning organization, procedures, techniques, problems and hazards
PADI Drift Diver Course
The PADI Drift Diver Specialty course introduces you to the coolest magic carpet ride you’ll ever experience. This course shows you how to enjoy rivers and ocean currents by “going with the flow,” staying with your dive partner, communicating with the dive boat and knowing where you are the whole time.
The Fun Part
Drift Diving is nearly effortless and relaxing. You simply glide along and enjoy the rush of flying underwater while the current does the work.
What You Learn
- During your PADI Drift Diver certification course, you learn about:
- Planning, organization, procedures, techniques, problems and hazards of drift diving
- An introduction to drift diving equipment — floats, lines, reels
- Buoyancy-control, navigation and communication for drift diving
- Site selection and overview of aquatic currents – causes and effects
- Techniques for staying close to a buddy or together as a group
PADI Dry Suit Diver course
Wanna stay warm and toasty on a dive? Then dive dry. Yes! Unlike a wetsuit, a dry suit seals you off from the outside water and that keeps you warm! Even in surprisingly cold water.
The Fun Part
Dry suits let you dive more challenging dive sites, and extend your dive season. When you have the right cold water scuba diving attire, you can stand up to the elements and take advantage of the generally better visibility offered by winter months—especially at inland dive sites such as quarries, lakes, sinkholes and caves etc. As a dry suit diver, you’re equipped to scuba dive some of the world’s incredible dive sites in the world’s cooler regions that are best enjoyed in a dry suit even in their warmer months.
What You Learn
Gain the knowledge and skills to safely don, dive with, doff and store a dry-suit. Get introduced to the different types of suits so you can make a very informed decision if considering purchasing a dry suit. You learn:
- Dry suit buoyancy control skills
- Dry suit maintenance, storage and basic repair
- Undergarment (fleece or overall-type garments worn under the dry suit) options
- Practical skills you’ll master in this course:
- Dry Suit Familiarization
- Safety Checks
- Entry Techniques
- Bubble Check
- Buoyancy Check
- Descent techniques
- Fin Pivot
- Hover
- Excess gas in feet emergency roll drill
- Stuck inflator emergency drill
- Stuck exhaust valve emergency drill
- Ascent procedure• Remove and replace scuba unit and weight belt on the surface
- Exit techniques• Removal of dry suit, storage and maintenance
PADI Enriched Air Nitrox
The PADI Enriched Air Diver course is PADI’s most popular specialty scuba diving course, and it’s easy to see why. Scuba diving with enriched air nitrox gives you more no decompression dive time. This means more time underwater, especially on repetitive scuba dives.
The Fun Part
You can typically stay down longer and get back to the water sooner. No wonder many divers choose this as their very first specialty.
What You Learn
- Techniques for getting more dive time by using enriched air nitrox
- Enriched air scuba diving equipment considerations
- Enriched air considerations, including managing oxygen exposure, how to tell what’s in your scuba tank and how to set your dive computer
PADI Equipment Specialist Course
Don’t miss a dive due to a scuba gear issue.
Whether it’s a blown o-ring, regulator problem, wetsuit tear or a broken fin strap, you can learn how to manage basic scuba equipment adjustments.
As a PADI Equipment Specialist, you are prepared for the basic scuba equipment maintenance, care and adjustments you’ll encounter every day. In addition, you’ll learn interesting background information about how your gear works, how it’s repair and other information that helps you with your equipment investment.
The Fun Part
The more you know about how your dive gear works, the more
- Comfortable you are with it
- Performance you get from it
- You can care for it
What You Learn
- Review the theory, principles and operation of scuba diving equipment
- Learn about routine, recommended care and maintenance procedures, and equipment storage
- How to overcome common problems with equipment and recommended professional maintenance procedures (may include a demonstration of repair procedures)
- Gain simple suggestions for comfortable equipment configurations and an introduction to new gear (may include optional confined water dive to try new or unfamiliar equipment)
PADI Night Diver Course
As the sun sets, you don your dive gear, slip on your scuba mask and bite down on your dive regulator. A deep breath and you step off – into the underwater night. Although you’ve seen this reef many times before, this time you drop into a whole new world and watch it come to life under the glow of your dive light.
The Fun Part
Introduce yourself to the whole new cast of critters that comes out after the sun goes down. See your favorite dive sites from a whole new perspective at night.
What You Learn
- Night dive planning, organization, procedures, techniques and potential problems
- How to control your buoyancy at night
- Entries, exits and underwater navigation at night
- Nocturnal aquatic life, since many of the plants and animals you’ll see are different
PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy Course
What is neutral buoyancy? Scuba divers like to be neutrally buoyant so they neither sink nor float. It can be a tricky thing. Divers who’ve mastered the highest performance levels in buoyancy stand apart. You’ve seen them underwater. They glide effortlessly, use less air and ascend, descend or hover, almost as if by thought. They interact gently with aquatic life and affect their surroundings minimally. The PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy course refines the basic skills you learned as a PADI Open Water Diver and elevates them to the next level.
The Fun Part
The fun part of this course is giving your dive skills a polish you may not have thought possible.
What You Learn
- How to trim your scuba gear so you’re perfectly balanced in the water
- Nuances in determining weight so you’re not too light nor too heavy by even a slight degree
- How to streamline to save air and move smoothly through the water
- How to hover effortlessly in both a vertical position and a horizontal position
PADI Search and Recovery Diver Course
Have you ever dropped something in the water? Are you looking for lost “treasure”? The PADI Search and Recovery Diver Specialty course will teach you effective ways to find objects underwater and bring them to the surface. Small, large or just awkward, there is a way to bring them up.
The Fun Part
Find lost items and lift them to the surface. It’s fun to use the lift bag. Not only are these skills fun, but very practical and ultimately useful because eventually, you’ll lose something in the water. As a Search and Recovery Diver, you’ll know how to search for and recover it.
What You Learn
- Search and recovery dive planning, organization, procedures, techniques and how to deal with potential problems
- How to locate large and small objects using search patterns
- How to use a lift bag and other recovery methods
- Limited visibility search techniques
PADI Underwater Navigator Course
Be the diver everyone wants to follow and make your sense of direction legendary with the PADI Underwater Navigator Specialty course.
The Fun Part
Finding your way is not a matter of luck! When everyone’s buzzing about a reef or checking out a shipwreck, they’re having a great time – until it’s time to go. Then they turn to you, because as a PADI Underwater Navigator, you know the way back to the boat.
What You Learn
Underwater navigation can be challenging, but in the PADI Underwater Navigator Specialty course, you master the challenge. You learn the tools of the trade, including navigation via natural clues and by compass. You learn:
- Navigation patterns
- Natural navigation (without a compass)
- Compass navigation
- How to “mark” or relocate a submerged object or position from the surface
- Underwater map making
- How to follow irregular courses with the Nav-Finder
- Dive site relocation
- How to estimate distance underwater
PADI Underwater Videographer Course
Other than taking someone diving, there’s only one way to show someone the sounds, motion and dynamics of the underwater world: video.
The Fun Part
Show your scuba vacation adventures to your friends and family. Use your editing skills to share your clips with the world through YouTube, MySpace, Facebook and more. Use your underwater videos to turn more of your friends into dive buddies.
What You Learn
The PADI Underwater Videographer Specialty course shows you how to create videos that are interesting, entertaining and worth watching again and again.
- Selecting, maintaining and caring for your underwater video equipment
- Videography fundamentals, such as
- exposure
- focus
- shot types
- moves
- story line
- shot sequencing
- The post-dive editing process where you take your raw footage and create an underwater masterpiece.
By the time you complete the course, you’ll have gone through the entire basic video production process.
PADI Wreck Diver Course
Whether sunk on purpose as an artificial reef or the result of mishap, wrecks open fascinating windows to the past. Most divers find wrecked ships, airplanes and even automobiles nearly irresistible because they’re intriguing to explore, exciting avenues of discovery, and usually teeming with aquatic life. The PADI Wreck Diver course teaches you the ins and outs of rewarding, responsible wreck diving.
The Fun Part
The fun part of the PADI Wreck Diver course is visiting wrecks, unlocking mysteries and starting to gain the knowledge and experience that allows you to see things that others overlook. Sometimes, only the trained, experienced eye recognizes that a small hole or open door likely caused the vessel’s demise.
What You Learn
- Techniques for diving exploring shipwrecks, and how to avoid common hazards
- How to research and learn the background of your favorite wrecks
- Wreck scuba diving equipment considerations
- Considerations and techniques for entering intact wrecks
- Experience in planning, organizing and making at least four wreck dives under the supervision of your PADI Instructor