Boat Diving

PADI Boat Diver Specialty

Minimum qualification: Junior Open Water Diver

If you are lucky enough to live in the more remote parts of the UK you may well have access to a pristine bit of our coast where you can just wander off the beach and go diving. For most of us, that sadly is not so easy. We have to travel to the coast and then find somewhere that has a bit of visibility in the water when we get there. Usually though, we get on a boat and travel out to sea. That’s where PADI Boat Diver specialty comes in handy!

The vast majority of divers in the UK do so from a purpose built dive boat.  The wrecks that we visit tend to be a few miles off the coast and that’s one hell of a surface swim.  Some of you will have learned to dive abroad and would have probably seen boat loads of divers heading out to sea for a days diving.  But who organises their kit?  Where are you supposed to set up?  Can you go anywhere on the boat are are there parts that are out of bounds?  What happens if some body has a problem in the water and the crew need to recall you from 30 mtrs?  Do you know the etiquette for getting on and off and what order are you going down the shot line?  What is a shot line and how do you get to it!?

The rules and dive etiqette tend to differ in the UK from overseas because it’s a different type of diving.  It’s not rocket science, it’s just different and sometimes more challenging. This course will teach you how to safely stow kit.  How to exit and safely board following a dive.  The difference between Port, Starboard, Bow and Stern.  It will also show you the head and the galley, where to find them and more importantly, what the difference is!  Wreck location devices and GPS are also visited.

It will involve an academic session and two open water dives, not suprisingly, from a boat.

Any other options?

Of course there are. We always have options in life.

If time constraints are a problem, instead of coming along to us for your self study and classroom sessions, why not complete the PADI eLearning course at home or in the office? That way you can complete all your academic studies on line in your own time and then come to us for the open water dives.

You can find details and sign up for your PADI eLearning materials here.

(NB: the cost quoted on the PADI website is for the training materials only: call us to find out the cost of the diving element of the course)