What is Boat Diving?
Ordinarily recreational scuba diving points of entry take place from either the shore known as ‘shore diving’ or from a movable vessel or boat known as ‘Boat Diving’. Water entry and exit procedures are perhaps the main difference between diving from a boat or diving from the shore.
Why do a specialty course in Boat Diving?
Scuba Diving and boats go hand-in-hand, and it’s very rare one can be a Scuba Diver and avoid diving from a boat in at least some point in time. The PADI Boat Diving Specialty familiarizes you with diving from boats, whether it’s from small inflatables to giant live-aboards. While the Boat Diver specialty may not be the most appealing one when compared to wreck diving, underwater photography or Deep Diving, this course is a core essential for any diver starting out in Scuba Diving as it equips you with a skill that you will perhaps most frequently use throughout your diving career. If you are already an experienced diver having dived from boats frequently then the PADI Boat Diving specialty may not be the most informative course, however PADI state that this course can benefit even more experienced divers because different boats in different parts of the world do things differently. Still the Boat Diving Specialty is perhaps best for a new diver or someone who hasn’t had much experience with diving from a boat.
What does the Course cover?
The course includes roughly 12 hrs of course training covering boat diving knowledge and techniques, followed by two open water dives from a boat under the supervision of a diver instructor.
The course covers the following:
- the planning, organization, procedures, techniques, problems and
- hazards of boat diving.
- proper boat diving etiquette — storage of personal equipment, personal
- conduct and considerations for care of the boat.
- basic, common boat terminology.
- specific boat diving laws and/or ordinances.
- local boat diving laws and/or ordinances.
- overview of emergency/safety equipment needed on-board private diving vessels.
There is no written exam to successfully complete the PADI Boat Diver Specialty however the diver must successfully complete the knowledge sessions on all the key information areas and perform the two training dives from a boat to the satisfaction of the instructor.
Prerequisites to do the Course
To qualify for the Boat Diver course, an individual must:
- Be certified as a PADI Open Water Diver, PADI Junior Open Water Diver or have a qualifying certification from another training organization.
- Be 10 years of age or older.
