Deep Diver
By Su-Li Wong
“I remember the feeling of excitement gathering among the divers on board the boat. These divers are all making their final checks, ready to jump into the ocean with their buddy to dive the Maine. The Maine is a British steamship which lies between 30-35 metres approximately a mile offshore from Bolt Head in the UK. It is one of Devon’s most popular dive sites!
As we make our controlled descent down the shot line, the huge wreck comes into view. As we move deeper we notice of the loss of light and the change in colours. I’m aware now that the red patches on my dry suit have turned brown and in the distance the divers gradually fade in with the blue colour of the ocean. Looming out of the shadows things become clearer; we see more of the largely intact wreck which captures our gaze and is truly fascinating.
As we are diving deeper, we know our no decompression limits are short and so we’ve briefed each other to dive and explore just a small area of the wreck. Due to the depth we also use our air much more quickly, so my buddy and I are regularly checking our gauges and signalling to each other that we are OK. We’ve already methodically planned each dive on a different area of the wreck, one dive at a time, to ensure our dives are relaxed. Checking my air and my dive computer it’s time to prepare to head back to shallower depths. Having learned on our PADI Deep Diver specialty course how to control the more extreme buoyancy changes, we compensate for the extra air required at depth to stay neutrally buoyant; by venting enough air regularly we slowly and steadily reach our safety stop and safely deploy our DSMB. We smile to each other as we wait at 5 metres, taking in the enchanting view from above The Maine and already looking forward to our next deep dive.”
What you’ll learn on the PADI Deep Diver specialty course:
Deep dives are exhilarating and appeal to the adventurous side of divers, but greater depths bring a greater risk for untrained and unaware divers. The PADI Deep Diver specialty course will prepare and teach you to make recreational deep diving safe and fun, including:
- Techniques for diving in the deeper range of 18-40 meters / 60-130 feet
- Deep scuba diving equipment considerations
- Experience in planning and organising deeper dives
- Theoretical knowledge about physiological and physical factors
- Emergency procedures
- Progressively developed your skills by making at least four deep dives under supervision
Who can take the PADI Deep Diver specialty course?
The PADI Deep Diver specialty course is open to divers who are 15 years of age or older and who are certified as a PADI Adventure Diver or have an equivalent certification from another training organization.
Make the most of your deeper dives with further PADI training:
Once you’ve completed your PADI Deep Diver certification, you might like to book the following courses to help expand your skills and further enhance your deeper diving experiences:
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PADI Wreck Diver – many shipwrecks are found in deeper water – take this course and you’ll be able to explore even more environments when you’re in deeper water.
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PADI Enriched Air Diver – using enriched air nitrox gives you longer no decompression times, meaning you can spend even more time enjoying your deeper dives
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PADI Digital Underwater Photography –as you dive deeper and light lessens, photography beings to require a little more expertise to get the perfect shot – this course will help you do just that
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PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy – by perfecting your buoyancy you’ll feel more confident that you will be able to keep neutrally buoyancy and stick within your limits on deeper dives.
Ocean View provides a great way to further your training, for further details on PADI courses click here.
Book now to become a deeper diver!
The PADI Deep Diver specialty course teaches you techniques for diving in the deeper range of 18-40 metres and builds your experience in planning, organising and conducting deep dives.
Book today to complete your PADI Deep Diver specialty course with Ocean View
Each month, we’ll be featuring a different PADI specialty course as PADI Specialty of the Month – ask us about which Specialty of the Month courses are coming soon!
