Apart from your Open Water, or beginner’s diving certification, you don’t need any special qualifications in order to start boat diving but, if you’ve splashed out on a Red Sea or Maldives Liveaboard adventure this year, for example, and don’t feel confident about diving from a boat, you could consider taking PADI’s Boat Diver speciality course before you leave.
This one-day course is primarily aimed at divers who have had plenty of lake or shore-diving but limited boat-diving experience, as well as sailors and boat drivers who want to learn how to dive safely from their vessels. I wouldn’t recommend this course to anyone with prior boat diving experience, unless you really feel the need to refresh your skills, ready to make the most out of your Caribbean or Maldives Liveaboard holiday.
As well as helping you master the techniques required for liveaboard diving, you’ll also learn how to conduct yourself safely and effectively on smaller vessels, such as RIBs (rigid inflatable boats) or ‘Zodiacs’. The course helps you to recognise and understand the differences and similarities between a range of boat types, and how they differ around the world. You’ll learn skills such as:
- How to enter and exit the water
- Best practice for handling your equipment
- Where to stow your kit on board
- How to use surface lines to initiate or conclude each dive
- Where to locate safety equipment on board
Divers will be required to read and digest the PADI Boat Diver Speciality manual, participate in theory and discussion, successfully complete two knowledge reviews and conduct two or more supervised boat dives.
It’s possible to take the course in coastal areas of the UK, such as Brighton and Portland, and a day’s training will typically cost around £120, plus boat fees.
To enrol, you need to be at least 10 years of age and have a minimum of a PADI Open Water or PADI junior certification (or equivalent from an alternative diving body).
On successful completion of the course, each diver will be classified as a certified PADI Boat Diver Specialist and be ready to really make the most of a Maldives Liveaboard holiday, from day one!
Tags: Red Sea Liveaboards, Red Sea Live Aboards, Maldives Liveaboards, Maldives Live Aboards, Red Sea Diving, Maldives Diving, Egypt Diving, Egypt Dive
