Who this course is for:

    The certified diver looking for more information to maximize the use of search and recovery for scuba diving

Course prerequisites:

• SDI Open Water Scuba Diver, SDI Junior Open Water Diver, or equivalent
• Minimum age 18, 15 with parental consent

What you can expect to learn:

The SDI Search and Recovery Diver Course takes an in-depth look at all of the following and more:

Navigation

Natural navigation

• Compass use
• Estimating distances

Limited visibility diving

• Factors affecting visibility
• Hazards of limited visibility
• Techniques of diving

Search techniques

• Shotgun
• Circular search
• Grid search SDI Instructor Manual
• Current (overlap) search
• Signals for search diving

Salvage techniques

• Depth considerations
• Lift bags
• Lifting drums
• Necessary qualities of lifting devices
• Knots and rigging
• Fill techniques
• Mud/silt suction considerations

Some of the required skills you will have to demonstrate include:

• Review compass techniques
• Review search techniques
• Practice and perform different search patterns
• Review lifting techniques
• Recover an object from depth
• Salvage and recovery of an object with a water weight of between 11 and 33 kg/25 and 75 lbs
• Simulate scuba emergency using a minimum of 2 searching techniques
• Log dives

What’s in it for you?

Upon successful completion of this course, graduates may engage in diving activities without direct supervision of the SDI Instructor* so long as the following limits are adhered to:

• The diving activities approximate those of training
• The areas of activities approximate those of training
• Environmental conditions approximate those of training

Also, the SDI Search and Recovery Diver certification counts towards a single specialty rating to achieve the SDI Advanced Diver Development Program.

SDI Search and Recovery Diver minimum requirements:

• Complete all open water requirements efficiently
• Demonstrate mature and sound judgment concerning dive planning and execution