PADI Course Descriptions

Bubblemakers (8+ yrs max 6') This is great for birthday parties-introducing kids to breathing underwater two at a time. Other pool activities should run at the same time for the other attendees. Lots of goodies connected with this.

Seal Team Adventure Dives This course is broken down into two parts: AquaMissions 1-5 introduce Seal candidates to the skills they will need to complete Specialty AquaMissions. Once a Seal completes 10 Specialties, they become Master Seals. This course is designed for kids and uses an activity book as well as a video to supplement in-pool learning.

Discover Scuba (10+ yrs max 20') This course is an introduction to equipment, diving principals, and breathing underwater. It starts with a pool-side lecture, followed by gearing up and going into shallow water to practice skills and then, as participants feel ready, exploring into deeper water.

Discover Scuba Diving (10+ yrs max 40') This course incorporates the Discover Scuba experience then brings participants to the next step, a closely monitored open water dive. Participants are NOT certified upon completion, but the experience can credit towards a full certification course.

Scuba Review Has it been over 6 months since your last dive? You may want to do a refresher before heading out. This usually starts with a review test...the more you get wrong, the more you can review. Normally, people forget how to use the tables and how to set up their gear. The review can include going through the guidebook and doing a check out dive in confined water. This course is designed to meet your individual needs.

Open Water Course (10-12 max 40', 13+ max 60') The goal of this course is to become certified to dive with a buddy anywhere in the world. This is accomplished in three stages:

1. Knowledge Development mentally prepares students for diving safely. The process consists of reading the manual or watching the DVD, answering questions at the end of each of the five chapters, reviewing those answers with the instructor and having missed answers and questions explained, and passing a test.
2. Confined Water sessions teach students the skills they will need to become confident and safe divers. Divers will learn about their equipment and practice proper diving procedures.
3. Open Water work consists of four individual dives designed to guide new divers out into the ocean and have their skills evaluated by their instructor. Certification is achieved when a student shows they can master all the skills they've learned in open water.

Open Water Course Referral Split As all PADI instructors follow the same teaching guidelines, a student can start a course with one instructor and finish it with another as long as all the paperwork is in order. Usually people do this if they are planning on going someplace warm and don't want to do their open water dives in a 7mm wetsuit with a hood and gloves.

Advanced Open Water This is a course for divers to build experience in five specific areas of diving. A student simply reads one corresponding chapter for each dive they plan to do in the Adventures in Diving manual, answers the questions in the section review, goes over the answers with the instructor, participates in the dive briefing and then completes the dive under the direct supervision of the instructor. There are no written tests for this course. Completion of this course enables a diver to dive to 100'. Check with the instructor to see which adventure dives are appropriate.

Rescue Many claim this to be the most rewarding course. It builds confidence in students by teaching them what to do in case of emergency and how to avoid potential problems. The course is broken down into three stages and referrals can be given at any point of completion:

1. Knowledge Development consists of reading the book or watching the DVD and answering questions at the end of each of the five chapters. These answers are then reviewed with the instructor with any missed answers explained. Finally, students must pass a multiple-choice test.
2. Rescue Training Sessions will give students hands-on opportunity to learn, practice, and master ten rescue skills.
3. Open Water Rescue Scenarios will test students abilities to use their rescue skills during four mock emergency situations.

Rescue Diver Referral Split As all PADI instructors follow the same teaching guidelines, a student can start a course with one instructor and finish it with another as long as all the paperwork is in order. Usually people do this if they are planning on going someplace warm and don't want to do their open water dives in a 7mm wetsuit with a hood and gloves.

*A Rescue Diver with 5 specialties can apply to become a Master Scuba Diver.

Specialty Courses

Communication Diver This teaches the basics for several techniques of communication used underwater from tactile to electronic voice communication. Emphasis is placed on production and reception of hand signals.

Enriched Air Diver Want to stay down longer and feel more energized after a dive? This course will teach you how to use Nitrox safely.

Navigation Learn how to use your compass and natural underwater clues to find your way without surfacing during a dive.

Naturalist Diver Learn how to use identification books to identify fish, creatures, and seaweeds and fill your log book with their actual names.

Night Diver The behaviors of underwater inhabitants changes from day to night. A very familiar dive site by day can become like a totally new dive at night! Flashlights required.

Multi-level Diver This course will teach you how to use The Wheel aka "A poor man's dive computer" so you can increase your bottom time as you slowly ascend from deeper dives.

Peak Performance Neutral Buoyancy Learn to perfect your buoyancy while underwater to conserve your air and feel more calm (and cool) underwater.

Project AWARE Fish ID Learn about local fish and how to tell one from another, then participate in counting how many of each kind you see on a dive and record your data in an international log.

Divemaster This is the first professional level in the PADI system and allows divers to work in the industry, leading dives and assisting instructors.

DM Discover Scuba Internship This teaches divemasters how to lead Discover Scuba courses independently of an instructor.

* All courses require medical and liability release forms signed before participation. Minors under the age of 18 require parental/guardian permission.

** 50% of the payment for a course is due a week before he first session, and the remaining fee must be paid by the first meeting.

*** The American Council of Education (ACE) recommends college credit for certain PADI scuba diver courses. ACE evaluates educational courses according to established college-level criteria and recommends college credit for those that measure up to these standards. Universities and colleges that accept ACE credit recommendations for PADI courses typically handle them like transfer credit. Transfer credit is often awarded without an additional fee. This may save you tuition fees while at the same time allowing you to possibly meet graduation requirements.

Go to http://www.padi.com/english/common/courses/credit/ace.asp and apply on-line.

PADI Materials

If you plan on sharing, borrowing or buying used training manuals, check with the instructor to make sure it is the most up to date version and has blank knowledge reviews. Many students prefer to buy their own so they have the materials for future reference.

*For any other products not listed here, just ask and I'll look up the price.

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Page last modified: Thu, Jul 13, 2006