SDI – Advanced Diver Development Program

The SDI Advanced Diver Program was created to make truly “Advance Divers”.  SDI requires that a new graduate has 25 logged dives before enrolling in the advance course. Students are required to select 4 SDI specialties to meet the Advance curriculum.

Only 4 specialty courses are required for Advanced certification, SDI offers many more than that.  Many of the specialties are listed.

Courses available for successful graduates are:

                SDI – Rescue Diver Course

The rescue certification course is designed to develop the knowledge and necessary skills for an individual to effectively perform diver rescues and assists and administer necessary first aid.

Upon completion of this course graduates will be able to conduct rescues to distressed divers.

Courses available for the successful graduates to enroll in are:

·       SDI Dive Master Course

·       SDI Master Diver Program

Students are required to hold a current First Aid and CPR certification.  Also a requirement before this course is 40 logged Open Water dives or Advanced Diver certification.

Students are required to simulate rescues of distressed divers in a variety of scenarios.  Training hours of this course is 12, divided between classroom lectures and open water simulations.

To successfully complete this course students must demonstrate mature and sound judgment concerning dive emergency planning and execution. Complete successfully the written examination and all open water requirements safely and efficiently.

                        SDI – Dive Master Course

This course is designed to develop the skills and knowledge necessary for an individual to lead certified divers in open water environment.

Upon successful completion of this course graduates will be able to assist an SDI instructor during an approved diving course provided the activities are similar to the graduate’s prior training. Supervise and conduct dives for certified divers provided the activities are similar to the graduate’s training.

Students must be certified as an Advanced Diver (specialties must include Deep, Night & Limited). Certified as a Rescue diver, hold a current First Aid and CPR certification, and have a minimum of 40 logged dives.  Students must have a current medical examination for diving.

Students are required to swim comfortably 800 meters, successfully master the ‘ditch and don’ & the ‘scuba ditch and recover’ procedure, transport another diver in full gear for fast pace 4 minutes.  Students must demonstrate the preparation, planning and control in dive management and diving activities.  Students must give 5 briefs/debriefs and guide 4 dives of varies sites and environmental conditions. Complete a written examination. A minimum of 40 hours is required for this course.

SDI – Instructors Course

This course is designed to teach current dive masters the knowledge to safely function as an independent instructor. This program is broken up into two sections, as an Instructor Development course and an Instructor Evaluation Course.

Upon successful completion of this course graduates are able to teach Open Water through to assistant Instructor courses(* Specialty ratings excluded).

Students must have a current AS 2299 commercial medical examination for diving. Be a certified SDI Divemaster or equivalent, have 100 logged dives in various environments and depths. Students must be certified in CPR and First Aid and be an Oxygen Provider.

The Instructor candidate has 6 months from completion of the Instructor Course to attend an Instructor Evaluator Course.

The student must show preparation, planning and control in dive management and diving activities. Teach 2 classroom presentations, 2 lessons in confined water and 2 lessons on Open water and complete the SDI Instructor written examination.

                SDI – Boat Diver Specialty

Scuba Diving from boats is an everyday occurrence, whether on a private vessel or one of the many charter dive boats available worldwide. Divers are frequently not aware of the special procedures and etiquette used

when boat diving.  This is designed to introduce divers to some different types of boat diving and the skills needed to plan and conduct a boat dive with maximum safety.

Students are required to plan and execute the dives. Two boat dives are required with a full debriefing regarding the safety aspects, exiting and entering the boats, determining the required equipment and the awareness of lines.

                SDI – Computer Diver Specialty

This course is designed to expand student’s knowledge of how to use their own personal dive computer.

Students are required to complete two dives with a full dive plan to include surface interval and maximum no deco time.

Two dives are required with specified depths, and students prepared for multi level profiles.  Students are encouraged to download the computers after the dives, if the relevant equipment is available to them.

        SDI – Computer Nitrox Diver Specialty

This course is designed to inform Open Water Divers how is use Nitrox mixtures up to 40% with the aid of a Nitrox programmable dive computer.

Students are required to:

·         Have full comprehension of the questions and answers to the end of the chapter questions in the book “Easy Nitrox Diving”.

·         Program a Nitrox computer to a mix between 22 – 40% oxygen

·       To analyze a minimum of 2Nnitrox cylinders

·       To log  a minimum of 1 Nitrox cylinders

SDI – Deep Diver Specialty

The purpose of this course is to provide the necessary training to plan and execute dives that are outside the range of depths that are experienced during an Open Water Course.  Depths are beyond 18 meters and a maximum depth of 40 meters.

Two dives are required with briefs and debriefs by the Instructor and a dive plan including Surface interval and maximum no deco time.

Students are required to dive the planned dive, check all equipment and execute safety stops at completion of dives.

                SDI – Drift Diver Specialty

This course is designed to teach divers the skills, knowledge and necessary techniques to conduct safe drift dives.

Two drift dives will be completed with a surface interval, maximum no deco times, briefs and debriefs.

The first dive will be planned and guided by the instructor, with demonstrations on the use of lines, reels and float.  The second dive will be planned, demonstrated and executed by the students.  Demonstrations will be of the skills leant in the first dive.

SDI – Dry Suit Diver Specialty

This course is to extend the knowledge and skills that a diver has to properly use a dry suit.  This course will entail the types of dry suits available, accessories, maintenance and how to make minor repairs.

Two dives with briefs and debriefs, surface interval and maximum no deco dives are required for this course.  Both dives are to familiarize the diver with the suit and gaining buoyancy control and comfort in the water.

                SDI – Equipment Diver Specialty

This course provides divers with a more in depth view of how dive equipment works.  The course covers the general repairs and maintenance of types of BCD, exposure suits, regulators, tanks, computers and other accessories.

An exam will be set utilizing the equipment that has been used in the demonstrations, for the students to show how they have comprehended the information.

        SDI – Night/Low Visibility Diver Specialty

Many divers find that night diving is their favourite type of diving.  With all specialties procedures differ to Open Water diving.  This course is to acquaint divers with the procedures, techniques and potential hazards associated with diving at night or in limited visibility. By becoming familiar with dive lights and night diving techniques such as navigation, buddy system procedures and communications, buoyancy control and interacting with nocturnal aquatic life, the diver will be able to enjoy night diving safely.  Night/Low Visibility diving is any dive that requires light to enhance visibility.

Two dives are required to complete this specialty with the students demonstrating the procedures of planning a dive, navigation and safety procedures.

        SDI – Search and Recovery Diver Specialty

This course is to aquatint the diver with the special skills to successfully plan, execute and evaluate a search and recovery dive.

Two dives with briefs and debriefs, surface interval and maximum no deco dives are required for this course.  The dives will familiarize the divers with searching, lifting and recovering techniques.

        SDI – Underwater Navigation Diver Specialty

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

Two dives with briefs and debriefs, surface interval and maximum no deco dives are required for this course.  The student will perform the navigational skills to a confident standard.

                SDI – Wreck Diver Specialty

Wreck diving can be one of the most exciting aspects of sport diving, however every effort must be made to maximize safe diving techniques.  This course demonstrates the use of equipment and techniques commonly used while wreck diving.

This course can be taught either of two ways:

·       Non penetration (2 dives)

·       Limited penetration (3 dives)

To be able to participate in this specialty students must have completed the Deep Diver Specialty or show proof of experience in diving deeper than 18 meters.

The dives will feature briefs and debriefs, surface interval and maximum no deco time.

                        SDI – Solo Diver

The objective of this course is to train divers in the benefits, hazards and proper procedures for diving solo. Upon successful completion of this course, graduates may engage in solo diving activities.

Students must:

·       Be a minimum of 21 years old

·       Have a minimum of Advanced Diver

·       Have a minimum of 100 logged dives

·       A completed Dive Medical Release Form

·       Completed Waiver and Release form

Two dives with briefs and debriefs, surface interval and maximum no deco dives are required for this course.

Students must provide an additional independent regulator attached to an air source i.e. pony bottle or twin cylinders with isolation.

Students must be able to swim 200 meters in full scuba gear (configured to appropriate the diving conditions) non stop in open water environment.  Properly plan and execute the dive with pre determined limits.