PADI Specialty courses offer you the opportunity to increase your knowledge and experience in specific areas of diving. With courses ranging from Underwater Naturalist to Wreck Diving, a specialty course can open your eyes to aspects of diving you never dreamed existed. We can offer specialty licenses covering a broad range of subjects taught by instructors who have proven their expertise in each area.

Equipment Specialist

Want to learn more about how your equipment operates and learn valuable care techniques from a dive professional? Then check into the PADI Equipment Specialist program. You’ll need to be at least a PADI Scuba Diver (PADI Junior Scuba Diver or equivalent) and be 10 or older.

During your PADI Equipment Specialist program, you'll familiarise yourself with the operation and maintenance of your own personal equipment. You may also be given the opportunity by your instructor to review new or unfamiliar dive equipment.

The program is not designed to be an extensive equipment-repair program, however, it does provide you with the following:

• Theory, principles and operation of dive equipment.
  
• Routine, recommended care and maintenance procedures, and equipment storage.
  
• Common problems with equipment and recommended professional maintenance procedures.
  
• Simple suggestions for comfortable equipment configurations and an introduction to new equipment.

Aware Fish Identification

If you’d like to take the AWARE – Fish Identification Diver program, you’ll need at least your PADI Open Water Diver (Junior Open Water Diver or equivalent) certification and be at least 10 years old.

During the AWARE – Fish Identification Diver program you’ll go on two open water dives (which may be completed in one day). The first dive allows you to practice basic fish identification techniques, while the second dive prompts you to collect fish identification data for submission to the REEF Fish Survey Project (if appropriate). After the dives, you’re required to log the experience in your personal log book.

This program covers the knowledge and techniques for identifying fish common to your local area. The following is included in your PADI AWARE – Fish Identification Diver program:

• The Project AWARE philosophy about protecting worldwide aquatic ecosystems.
  
• Fish family groupings and common characteristics of fish species found in the local area.
  
• Fish surveying techniques and strategies for collecting valid data.
  
• The planning, organisation, and procedures for identifying fish families and species while diving.

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Boat Diver

The PADI Boat Diver program makes diving easy – just take one giant step off the back and you’re in the water! To start the program you’ll need at least your PADI Open Water Diver (Junior Open Water Diver or equivalent) certification and be at least 10 years old.

During the Boat Diver program you’ll go on two open water dives, which must be – you got it – conducted from a boat. (Both dives may be conducted in one day.) It’s a good idea, but not required, that you enrol in this program to learn the techniques and procedures for diving from different types of boats (inflatable boats, hard-hulled day boats, cabin cruisers, live-aboards, sailboats, etc.). That’s a good thing – the more boats you dive from, the more diving you do!

And, the Elective Boat Dive from the PADI Advanced Open Water course count toward certification requirements for this specialty at the discretion of the instructor.

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Drift Diver

Gliding with the currents, feeling the rush of flying underwater, is what drift diving is all about. To start your underwater aeronautics, you’ll need to be at least a PADI Open Water Diver (Junior Open Water Diver or equivalent) certified and at least 12 years old.

During your PADI Drift Diver program, you’ll go on two open water dives (which may be conducted in one day). We highly recommended that you enrol in this program to expose yourself to the techniques and procedures for drift diving.

You’ll cover the following in the PADI Drift Diver program:

• The planning, organisation, procedures, techniques, problems and hazards of drift diving.
  
• Special equipment -- floats, lines, reels.
  
• Proper procedures for buoyancy-control, navigation and communication.
  
• Site selection and overview of aquatic currents causes and effects.
  
• Techniques for staying close to a buddy or together as a group.

The elective Drift Dive from the PADI Advanced Open Water course may be counted toward the certification requirements for this specialty at the discretion of your PADI Instructor.

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Dry Suit Diver

As staying warm in cold water is important, get with the program – the PADI Dry Suit Diver specialty. To enter the Dry Suit Diver program, you’ll need at least your PADI Open Water Diver (Junior Open Water Diver or equivalent) certification and be 12 or older.

During the Dry Suit Diver program, you’ll go on one confined water dive and two open water dives, in addition to covering the knowledge and techniques of dry suit diving with emphasis placed on the use of dry suits -- operation principles, care and diving techniques. The following topics are included in your PADI Dry Suit Diver program:

• The planning, organisation, procedures, techniques, problems and hazards of dry suit diving.
  
• Proper procedures for buoyancy control.
  
• Ascent and descent technique training.
  
• Routine, user-level, preventative maintenance and performance checks on dry suits.

If a Dry Suit elective dive is conducted during the PADI Advanced Open Water course, it may count toward the certification requirements for this specialty at the discretion of the instructor.

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Multilevel diver

There’s so much to see underwater that you'll want to make the most of your stay. So, to maximise your underwater adventure, you should learn how to plan and carry out a multilevel dive.

To experience the Multilevel Diver program, you’ll need to be at least a PADI Open Water Diver, Junior Open Water Diver or equivalent and at least 12 years old.

During your Multilevel Diver program, you’ll go on two open water dives, both of which may be conducted in one day. You'll also be exposed to a variety of different types of multilevel dive calculators (the Wheel and various types of dive computers). Topics covered include:

• The planning, organisation, procedures, techniques, problems and hazards of multilevel diving.
  
• Definition and advantages of multilevel diving.
  
• Methods of calculating multilevel dives. (The Wheel and/or dive computers).
  
• Review of decompression sickness theory.
  
• Review of emergency decompression procedures.
  
• Review of PADI's S.A.F.E. campaign.
  
• Procedures for flying after diving.
  
• Guidelines, rules and procedures for multilevel diving with the Wheel and/or diving computers.
  
• Care and maintenance of dive computers.

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Night Diver

Even your local dive site offers a whole new adventure by moonlight! To take advantage of this extraordinary specialty, you’ll need to be at least PADI Open Water Diver (PADI Junior Open Water Diver or equivalent) and 12 or older.

During your program you’ll go on three open water dives. You'll learn to prepare night dive activities and develop your knowledge and techniques for night diving.

Some of the topics covered in the PADI Night Diver Manual are:

• planning, organisation, procedures, techniques, problems and hazards of night diving.
  
• Proper procedures for buoyancy control, navigation and communication.
  
• Use of dive lights and buddy-system techniques.
  
• Disorientation and emergency procedures.
  
• Orientation to nocturnal aquatic life.
  

The elective Night Dive conducted during the PADI Advanced Open Water course may count toward this specialty at the discretion of the instructor.

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Peak Performance Buoyancy

To take advantage of PADI’s Peak Performance Buoyancy (PPB) program, you’ll need to be a PADI Open Water Diver, Junior Open Water Diver or equivalent and be at least 10 years old.

PADI's Peak Performance Buoyancy program is the perfect opportunity to hone your buoyancy skills. Perfect your buoyancy and you'll conserve air, energy and our precious environment. Your program will include two open water dives, which may be conducted in one day.

Some of the topics covered in your PPB program are as follows:

Peak Performance Buoyancy fundamentals:

• Buoyancy check
  
• Fine-tuning buoyancy underwater
  
• Weight position and distribution
  
• Streamlining
  
• Visualisation
  
• Use of PADI’s Basic Weighting Guidelines

• Positioning and distributing weight for comfort and desired body position (trim in the water)
  
• Visualisation techniques prior to dives
  
• Buoyancy checks
  
• Establishing neutral buoyancy during all segments of a dive
  
• Fine-tuning neutral buoyancy underwater
  
• Hovering
  

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Search and Recovery

Accidentally drop something in the water? Looking for lost treasure? Learn effective ways to locate objects underwater with PADI’s Search & Recovery Diver program!

To take the program you’ll need to be at least PADI Open Water Diver (or equivalent) with the dive credential of PADI Underwater Navigation (Junior ratings accepted) or PADI Advanced Open Water Diver(Junior Advanced Open Water Diver or equivalent). You also need to be at least 12.

During your program you’ll go on four open water dives, which are conducted over at least a two-day period, with time being equally divided between academic and actual water-training sessions.

Your program will cover techniques and application of a variety of search and recovery methods and includes the following:

• The planning, organisation, procedures, techniques, problems, and hazards of search and recovery diving.
  
• Limited-visibility diving and underwater navigation techniques.
  
• Proper techniques and safety considerations for object location, including the use of various search patterns, lines and reels.
  
• Proper techniques and safety considerations for recovery of objects using various lifting devices.

The elective search and recovery dives conducted during the PADI Advanced Open Water course may count toward this specialty at the discretion of the instructor.

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Underwater Naturalist

Interested in sea life? Then this program is for you! You’ll need to be a PADI Open Water Diver (Junior Open Water Diver or equivalent) and be at least 10.

Your PADI Underwater Naturalist program will include two open water dives, which may be conducted in one day, which will introduce you to different aquatic life and include an overview of responsible human interactions with aquatic life. Some of the topic covered are:

• The planning, organisation, procedures, techniques, problems and hazards of diving in different aquatic environments.
  
• A basic overview of major aquatic life groupings (kingdoms and phyla).
  
• Factual information that dispels myths of potentially dangerous aquatic life.
  
• An overview of basic aquatic life interactions and associations.
  
• Responsible human interactions with aquatic life.
  
• Diving technique used to help preserve bottom dwelling aquatic life and minimise aquatic life disturbance.

The elective Underwater Naturalist dive from the PADI Advanced Open Water course may count toward the certification requirements for this specialty at the instructor’s discretion.

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Underwater Navigator

Knowing where you are – underwater – and where you’re going comes in real handy, especially if you're looking for an object or locating that beautiful reef that you heard about. If you’re a PADI Open Water Diver (PADI Junior Open Water Diver or equivalent) and at least 10, then this program is for you.

During your PADI Underwater Navigator program you'll go on three open water dives familiarizing yourself with the skills, knowledge, planning, organization, procedures, techniques, problems, hazards and enjoyment of underwater navigation. You learn:

• Procedures and techniques for planning, organising underwater navigation and problems and hazards associated.
  
• Methods of estimating distances underwater.
  
• Natural navigation techniques.
  
• How to use underwater patterns.
  
• Dive site relocation techniques.
  
• Compass navigation techniques.

The compulsary Navigation dive conducted during your PADI Advanced Open Water course may count toward this specialty at the discretion of the instructor.

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PADI Underwater Photographer

No photo experience required! That’s what the program is for – showing you how to take award winning pictures underwater. You’ll need to be at least a PADI Open Water Diver (PADI Junior Open Water Diver or equivalent) and at least 10 to experience the program.

During your PADI Underwater Photographer program you'll go on two open water dives, which may be conducted in one day. This is where you'll put in to practice the tips and techniques you learned from your instructor and the PADI Underwater Photographer Manual and video.

Your elective Underwater Photography dive conducted during the PADI Advanced Open Water course may count toward this specialty and visa versa at the discretion of your PADI Instructor.

Capture your underwater adventures on film so you can share the thrill of diving with friends and family. Drop in on your local PADI Dive Center or Resort and tell them you want to dive today – with your camera and purchase the Underwater Photographer Crew-Pak!

Underwater Videographer

Want to become the next Hans Haas (he’s the underwater motion picture pioneer from long ago)? Then sign up for PADI’s Underwater Videographer program! You’ll need to be at least a PADI Open Water Diver(Junior Open Water Diver or equivalent) and at least 12.

During your PADI Underwater Videographer program you'll go on three open water dives and put in to practice the information you learnt from your instructor. Information covered in your program includes:

• The selection, maintenance, care and handling of underwater video equipment.
  
• Safe diving practices while using underwater video equipment.
  
• Exposure, focus, and maintaining colour with video equipment.
  
• Shot types, lengths and camera moves.
  
• Developing a story line and shot sequencing
  
• The planning, organisation, procedures, techniques and problems of underwater videography.

The elective Underwater Videographer dive in your PADI Advanced Open Water course may count towards this certification at your PADI Instructor’s discretion.

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Deep Diver

PADI’s Deep Diver program offers you the adventure of a lifetime – going deep to see things others only dream about. To join the deep diving crowd, you’ll need at least your PADI Advanced Open Water certification and to be at least 15 years old.

The program includes four open water dives, which are conducted over at least two days. The minimum depth for the deep dives is between 18 to 30 metres/60 to 100 feet, with no dive exceeding 40 metres/130 feet. All your dives will be conducted within the no-decompression limits, with deeper dives conducted first.

During your program, you’ll cover the knowledge, skills and techniques needed to dive deep. The following is included in the PADI Deep Diver program:

• Planning, organisation, procedures, techniques, problems and hazards of deep diving.
  
• Risk factors and decompression-tables review.
  
• Safety stops and emergency decompression procedures.
  
• Special equipment, descent lines and buoyancy-control considerations.
  
• Procedures for flying after diving and high-altitude diving.
  
• Orientation to recompression chambers.

The core Deep Dive conducted during the PADI Advanced Open Water course may be counted toward this specialty at the discretion of the instructor.

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