Much of the world’s best scuba diving is accessible only by boat. Whether you’ve never made a boat dive or you’ve logged dozens, the PADI Boat Diver Specialty course will benefit you because boats in various parts of the world do things differently. Scuba diving from a boat is fun and relatively easy because you usually descend directly onto your dive site.
If you’re a PADI (Junior) Open Water Diver who is at least 10 years old, you can enroll in the Boat Diver course.
The PADI Boat Diver course will expand your knowledge about boats from small inflatables to large liveaboards. You’ll gain experience scuba diving by completing two dives from a boat in your local area and learn:
Get credit! The first dive of this PADI Specialty Diver course may credit as an Adventure Dive toward your Advanced Open Water Diver certification – ask your instructor about earning credit.
Beyond using basic scuba equipment, you’ll want to have a surface signaling device, such as an inflatable signal tube. Having a complete spare parts kit is also a good idea. Your PADI Instructor and local dive center staff may suggest additional equipment depending on what type of boat and where your boat diving adventures take you.
You can start by reading the PADI Boat Diver Manual and watching the Boat Diving video in preparation for meeting with your instructor to schedule the boat dives. Stop by your local PADI Dive Center and Resort to enroll in the course and get your Boat Diver Crew-Pak and start learning.