Boat Diving
Diving from a boat presents unique challenges for divers. To dive safely and comfortably from boats, you must be familiar with the common procedures for boat diving including:
- Equipment setup
- Dive planning
- General boat safety
- Entries and exits.
This course covers the knowledge, skills and equipment necessary for boat diving. Our goal is to prepare you to make boat dives comfortably and confidently
The course generally takes just a single day and two dives. You can sign up in person, over the phone or online by clicking the button below. If you sign up online, you will still need to call to schedule your class.
This program generally takes just one day and two dives. With sufficient notice, we can usually offer this course when it’s most convenient for you.
- Be at least 10 years old. Students ages 10-14 may qualify for special Junior certification. Learn more.
- Be certified to at least the Open Water Diver level.
- Be able to answer No to all the questions on the medical questionnaire or obtain a physician’s approval for diving.
$199.99/person plus $139.99 for eLearning includes:
- All instruction
- Certification processing when earned
Boat fees are additional and will depend on the boat we use, the number of dives and other factors.
You supply:
- Mask and snorkel
- Adjustable scuba fins and wetsuit boots
- Adequate exposure protection
- Cylinder (one per dive)
- Regulator system with alternate air source
- BC with integrated weight system or weight belt
- Weights
- Dive computer
- Underwater compass
- Dive knife/cutting tool
- Dive light
- SMB
Items you don’t already own are generally available for rent. Students are also responsible for gas fills and boat fees or dive site admission.
It’s widely held that boats provide divers with access to the best possible diving. Dive boats can take you to:
- Deeper, clearer water.
- Better reefs.
- More abundant aquatic life.
- More dramatic wrecks.
Boat diving, however, is not like shore diving. It requires its own set of specialized techniques and procedures. It also requires flexibility because:
- Every boat is different.
- Every captain and crew has their own way of doing things.
Beach diving produces some highly capable qualified divers; however, diving from boats requires it’s own set of knowledge and skills. The Boat Diver specialty course not only equips you with the techniques and procedures common to all boat diving, shows you how to adapt to the unique demands of each different dive boat.
The course takes just one day and two dives. And, yes, those dives will be from boats.
In this course, we cover:
Types of boats
- Live-aboard/charter boat/private boat
- Safety features
- Preservers/life boats/flares/radio
Planning dive trips
- Size/dive difficulties/air availability/weather
- Determining necessary equipment
- Use a checklist
- Dive equipment required
- Spare parts
- Camera/photo equipment
Boat procedures
- Loading and unloading
- Captain and crew briefs/special procedures
- Lines
- Anchor line
- Descent lines
- Tag line
- Stern safety line
- Decompression bar/hang bar
Underwater navigation from boat
- Natural navigation
- Anchored/current vs no current
- Drift diving
- Deployment of surface marker buoy
Most importantly, we don’t practice these skills until you finally get them right. We have you repeat them until you can’t do them wrong.
Ask a question
Use this form to ask us about this specific class.