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SDI Recreational Flow Chart

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SDI Recreational Training

Ghostnet Recovery

Shark Awareness

Delayed Surface Marker Buoy Course

Kayak Diving

Turtle Diver

Lionfish Awareness

Understanding more about the species and environment they see underwater all the way through to conservation projects.

Lionfish Eradication Diver

Research Diving

Scubility Diver

The SDI Scubility Diver Program is designed to give physically disabled divers the necessary skills and techniques used to conduct open water dives in conditions similar to their training without the direct supervision of a SDI Scubility Instructor. However, some SDI Scubility divers require supervision of a qualified SDI Dive Buddy.

Underwater Pumpkin Carving

Underwater Archaeology

Cold Water Diver

Shore and Beach Diving

The purpose of this course is to acquaint a diver with the necessary procedures and knowledge to safely dive from shore. The focus of this specialty must be on how to handle different types of surf and shore conditions. Many great dive sites are accessible form the shore and do not require the use of a boat but do require some basic techniques and information how to execute the dives safely.

U/W Hunter and Collecting

The purpose of this specialty course is to actively allow the student to engage in the collection of certain marine objects and to demonstrate and explain the necessary rules of underwater hunting. Prudent and conservative techniques of both aspects must be exercised. The SDI Hunter/Collector Diver Course covers the “how-to’s” of hunting and collection of marine life.

Air Fill Station Technician

Dive deeper into your diving career or hobby by mastering the essential skill of safely filling compressed gas cylinders with air. This course equips you with the knowledge and techniques to ensure safety at every step of the air filling process, enhancing your capabilities and confidence underwater.

Visual Inspection Procedures

This Cylinder Inspection Course is designed to promote safety in the care and maintenance of high-pressure scuba cylinders. The VIP program is intended to demonstrate to the scuba industry, a need to meet and exceed the minimum standards established by the Code of Federal Regulations. In addition, it is intended to train inspectors in the proper handling, filling, and inspection techniques, including the identification of the various defective conditions that can lead to cylinder rejection or condemnation. The course will also cover the operation and repair of valves, cleaning and maintenance and the operation of high pressure compressor systems.

Ice Diving

Ice diving can be a serene and beautiful aspect of scuba diving. As a winter activity, ice diving offers the opportunity to enjoy sport diving year round. Diving under ice presents hazards not common to the open water diver, and special training is required. The purpose of this course is to acquaint the diver with the hazards associated with ice diving, as well as how to plan and execute an ice dive.

Solo Diving

At one point or another, many divers have found themselves alone during a dive, whether it was intentional or not. SDI’s Solo Diving is the practice of self reliant scuba diving without a “dive buddy.”Solo diving, once considered technical diving and discouraged by most certification agencies, is now seen by many experienced divers and some certification agencies as an acceptable practice for those divers suitably trained and experienced. Rather than relying on the traditional buddy diving safety system, solo divers should be skilled in self-sufficiency and willing to take responsibility for their own safety while diving.

Drift Diving

Drift diving allows a diver to travel over a large area without expending much energy. You simply get neutrally buoyant and enjoy the dive as the scenery moves past you. The SDI Drift Diver Course covers the “how-to’s” of drift diving from, how to enter and exit drifts, what to do if you get caught in a drift and wish to get out, how to get out of the drift to observe something special, and much more. The course will also introduce you to the various types of drift currents you may be diving in.

Altitude Diver

The purpose of the SDI Altitude Diver Course is to acquaint a diver with the necessary procedures and knowledge to dive safely at altitudes at least 300 metres/1000 feet above sea level.

Diver Propulsion Vehicle

The SDI Diver Propulsion Vehicle Diver Course is designed to train divers in the use of a Diver Propulsion Vehicle (DPV) and familiarize them with the skills, knowledge, planning, organization, procedures, techniques, problems, and hazards of using a DPV in a non-overhead environment.

Nitrox Gas Blending

SDI Divemaster

The SDI Divemaster course offers divers the chance to ascend to the professional ranks of diving, providing them with comprehensive skills in dive leadership, safety management, and underwater guidance, thereby opening doors to a rewarding career in the dive industry.

Master Diver

Embark on the ultimate dive journey with the SDI Master Scuba Diver Development Program. This pinnacle of non-leadership diver levels signifies not just proficiency, but a deep commitment to diving excellence. Achieve mastery by completing specialty courses, the SDI Rescue Diver Course, and logging 50 dives.

Rescue Diver

Embark on a journey where adventure meets safety with the SDI Rescue Diver Course. Gain the confidence and skills to become the diver everyone relies on, skilled in managing dive emergencies and providing essential first aid.

Advanced Diver

The SDI Advanced Diver certification is designed as a program to transition divers from novice to advanced, enhancing comfort and competence in the water. This course offers a deep dive into four SDI, TDI, or ERDI specialty areas, preparing you for more challenging and rewarding diving experiences.

Inactive Diver/Refresher

The SDI Inactive Diver/Refresher Program is designed to update and review the knowledge and skill level of an inactive diver. SDI encourages the use of this program for instructors, assistant instructors, and resorts or dive facilities that have questions regarding the diving history of an individual. This program can also be used as a catalyst for continuing education programs.

Indoor Diver

In recent years, deep indoor diving pools have started cropping up around the world, becoming increasingly popular destinations for divers of all levels. These facilities offer a unique scuba diving experience for new and seasoned divers alike. This introductory-level scuba diving course is designed to teach you how to complete dives in a deep indoor pool, as opposed to an outdoor body of water such as the ocean, a lake, or a quarry.

Shallow Water Diver

This entry-level certification course is designed to give students the necessary skills to safely conduct open water dives in conditions similar to their training using the shallow water scuba system without the direct supervision of an instructor.

Future Buddies

This program is designed to provide children between the ages of 8 and 12 an introduction to scuba diving in a controlled environment, under the direct supervision of an active instructor.

Scuba Discovery

For those who want to test the waters and try scuba, this is the course for you! The SDI Scuba Discovery Program gives you a glimpse of what you can expect to experience in the underwater world as well as what you could expect to learn in the SDI Open Water Scuba Diver course. During this experience program, you will go through the basic safety procedures for enjoyable scuba diving under the watchful eye of an active SDI Instructor.

Coral Conservation Course

Wreck Diver

Wreck diving can be one of the most exciting aspects of sport diving, however every effort must be made to maximize safe diving techniques. The SDI Wreck Diver Course will discuss the equipment and techniques commonly employed while wreck diving. This course may be taught as a non-penetration, 2 dives required, or as a limited-penetration course, requiring 3 dives. Limited-penetration is defined as a swim through or within the ambient light of entry point.

Underwater Video Diver

Most divers have a desire to bring home the sights and sounds of being underwater. Underwater video makes it possible to save our underwater experiences and share them with others. Shooting underwater video is fun, exciting, and easy to learn. The SDI Underwater Video Diver Course is designed to introduce divers to the equipment, techniques, and procedures needed to plan and shoot underwater video with maximum safety.

Sidemount Diver

The certified diver looking to use a sidemount cylinder instead of the standard back mount unit.

Search and Recovery Diving

This specialty is designed to acquaint the diver with special skills and techniques necessary to successfully plan, execute and evaluate a search and recovery dive.

Night-Limited Visibility Diving

Many divers find that night diving is their favorite type of diving. As with all specialty diving applications, procedures are different than those associated with open water diving. The purpose of this course is to acquaint the open water diver with the procedures, techniques, and potential hazards associated with diving at night, or in limited visibility. Becoming familiar with the use of dive lights, and night diving techniques such as navigation, buddy system procedures, communications, buoyancy control, and interacting with nocturnal aquatic life, the diver can safely enjoy night diving.

Underwater Navigation Diving

This course is designed to give students a greater understanding and experience on how to properly navigate underwater using both natural and compass navigation.

Full Face Mask

Divers often have a need, or want, to effectively communicate underwater. The SDI Full Face Mask Course is the perfect starting point. Full face mask diving allows the diver to relax and enjoy diving while not worrying about maintaining the second stage regulator. In addition, the full face mask will help insulate the diver from a coldwater environment.

Equipment Specialist

This course is designed to give an in-depth look at how dive equipment works. It will cover general repairs and maintenance of various types of exposure suits, BCD’s, regulators, and other accessories.

Computer Nitrox Diver

Dive longer and enhance safety with Nitrox certification, the choice gas for discerning divers. The SDI Computer Nitrox course equips you with the know-how to safely harness Nitrox’s benefits, enriching your dives with gas mixtures from 22% to 40% oxygen.

Drysuit Diving

The SDI Dry Suit Diver Course will open up a whole new world of diving to you. Many of the diving environments around the world are better experienced in a dry suit. Why? These areas have an abundance of marine life waiting to be seen and photographed – they just happen to be a little colder! Dry suits are also used in tropical water during the cooler months. This course allows the student to develop the knowledge and skills to properly use a dry suit.

Underwater Digital Photography

The SDI Underwater Photographer Diver Course is designed to introduce divers to the equipment, techniques and procedures necessary to take underwater photographs, and allow the student to experience and discuss many areas of interest to the underwater photographer.

Deep Diving

SDI’s Deep Diver Course is a must for any diver wishing to explore a little more, go a little deeper, and learn the risks and benefits associated with deep diving. Many interesting sights lay just beyond open water diver training limits such as: beautiful wall dives, shipwrecks, and critters that don’t come into the shallows. The purpose of this course is to provide the necessary training to plan and execute dives that are beyond the depth range experienced during an SDI Open Water Scuba Diver course, specifically beyond 18 metres/60 feet and to a maximum depth of not greater than 40 metres/130 feet.

Boat Diving

Boat Diving occurs every day around the world; whether is it an inland lake or in the Caribbean, South Pacific or Read Sea, divers can explore the underwater world located off-shore. Dive boats vary from small private vessels to a large live-aboard dive boats. The SDI Boat Diver Course covers the “how-to’s” of boat diving from how to board, proper boat etiquette, entry(s) and much more. The course will also introduce you to the various types of boats you may be diving from.

Marine EcoSystems Awareness

Divers have a vested interest in protecting the marine environment. In many cases, divers do not have environmental information about local sites. This specialty is designed to increase the open water diver’s understanding of marine and freshwater environments, the problems facing these unique ecosystems, and the role that diver’s play in protecting our marine resources.

Advanced Buoyancy

Introducing a diver to the benefits of controlling there buoyancy usually has a great positive effect, an effect that will enhance the diver’s sense of enjoyment and feeling of accomplishment. This specialty is designed to increase the open water diver’s understanding of the factors that influence buoyancy, and to train the diver how to use the means available to them as methods for controlling their buoyancy. The added benefits to the marine and freshwater environments, cannot be overstated; as well as a diver that has better control of themselves in conjunction with his environment.

Snorkeler

The SDI Snorkeler Diver Course is designed to give students the necessary skills to efficiently snorkel in conditions similar to their training without the direct supervision of an instructor.

Computer Diver

The SDI Computer Diver Course is designed to expand a diver’s knowledge in the use of their personal dive computer (PDC) and is primarily intended for divers who are certified with agencies using traditional dive tables for planning, rather than PDC’s throughout training.

Open Water Scuba Diver

Unlock the door to the underwater world with the SDI Open Water Scuba Diver certification, your first step into scuba diving freedom. Learn online at your pace, develop skills in the pool, and experience the thrill of open-water dives, as you earn a passport to dive the globe.

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