Courses in which you spent far more time in the water than in the classroom are called practical specialties. Your instructor will guide you through the process of learning by doing. The skills you learn will come in handy during many of your future dives. For some of these courses, the College does not teach the “standard” program that is available on most location, but has opted for the more challenging Advanced version of the specialty.
Bringing objects you find underwater on land, or bringing stones in the water to build an artificial reef require techniques that allow you to work efficiently and to assure safety. In the search & recovery specialty you learn a variation of search patterns, the use of lift bags, different knots and many other useful things. The course also provides a good basis for the search techniques that are asked from you at the level of Rescue Diver.
Because of the many techniques to be learned, you are going to participate in four dives in the sea. This means that you should plan two and a half to three days to complete your training. If you already did a Search & Recovery dive in your Advanced Open Water diver course, you can receive credit for that. This reduces the time needed by half a day. Another option to make better use of your time is to do the theory of this course online before you arrive at the College. Having done the theory will also reduce the time needed by half a day. You are going to need to book “Search & Recovery for Recreational Divers”.
Navigation is part of every dive and the better you are at it, the less time is lost for swimming to reach the intended location of your dive. The course covers natural navigation and compass navigation and is based on the skills that are covered in the “Adventures in Diving Manual”. The course takes two days. As part of the course we teach you the use of a tool called Scuba-Sextant (sometimes called Nav Finder). This tool allows you to swim more complicated pattern than triangles and squares and is what dive professionals use to make maps of dive sites.
Night diving is a fascinating activity. This course can be combined with other courses you do at the College – during the day you do one or more of your courses that require daylight and in the evening you continue your training with the Night Diver specialty. The price charged for one evening is the same as for half a day. If you already did a night dive as part of your Advanced Open Water Diver course, you need to reserve two evenings to complete the specialties. If this course is your entry in Night Diving, you are going to need three evenings.
Drysuit DivingIf you life in a temperate climate and want to dive throughout the year, then the drysuit specialty is for you. Diving in a drysuit requires some skills that are not needed for divers who use a wetsuit. In this course you learn these skills, as well as the theory needed to select the most appropriate suit for you and to take good care of it so the suit will last for many dives. The course takes one day.
Divers with a physical challenge depend on buddy’s with the needed skills to dive with them. Underwater there is not much difference between you and a diver with a disability, but during the preparation of the dive and at the surface there are challenges that require some level of assistance. This course trains you in the techniques needed to provide that assistance. The course covers equipment considerations and useful in-water techniques. As part of your training you will be placed in the position of having a physical challenge – this training makes you better aware of the assistance you might be needed to provide.
The College can offer complete flexibility for the scheduling of your course. You can opt for half or full days, do several days of training without taking a break or take your course one day at a time. Learning is a personal experience and you should opt for a schedule that fits your needs. The current prices for our courses and services are found in the latest version of our brochure.
Avoid disaopointment - assure course availability by making reservations for the dates of your choice now.
Continue the adventure
Peak performance buoyancy
Technical courses