SDI Courses

Scuba Discovery Program

The Scuba Discovery Program is designed to give perspective students an introduction to Scuba diving in a controlled environment under the direct supervision of instructor. The program takes people who wish to try scuba but are unsure if they wish to take a full certification course on their first dive. Students are giving an introduction to basic scuba equipment and scuba skills followed by an underwater tour in the local marine environment.

Future Buddies Program

The Future Buddies program brand new, innovated course is designed to provide children between the ages of 8 & 9 and introduction to scuba diving in a controlled environment under the direct supervision of an instructor. Children are given the opportunity to try breathing underwater in confined water setting. The instructor covers topics such as the history of diving, diving equipment and the marine environment.

Skin Diver Course

This snorkeling course is designed to give students the necessary skills to safely snorkel in conditions similar to their training without the direct supervision of an instructor.

Restricted Skin Diver Course

Students between the ages of 4 to 11 may obtain a Restricted Skin Diver Certification if the following conditions are met: students are to train and dive under the direct supervision of a parent, guardian, or active leadership level diver.

Open Water Scuba Diver Course

The Open Water Scuba Diver course is an entry-level certification course designed to give students the necessary skills to safely conduct open water dives in conditions similar to their training without the direct supervision of an instructor. The course covers all the basic knowledge about equipment, physiology and the marine environment while training students to perform basic skills underwater.

Restricted Open Water Scuba Diver Course

Students between the ages of 10 to 14 may obtain a Restricted Scuba Diver Certification if the following conditions are met: students are to train and dive under the direct supervision of a parent, guardian, or active leadership level diver. When a Restricted Scuba Diver reaches the age of 15 years they can upgrade to an Open Water Scuba Diver certification and participate in all non-professional levels of training offered by SDI.

Inactive Diver Program

The Inactive Diver Program is designed to update and review the knowledge and skill level of an individual who has not dived in one year. The program may be taught by either an Instructor or Assistant Instructor.

Advanced Open Water Program

The SDI Advanced Diver Development Program was created to make truly "Advanced Divers". Under the old way of training a student could take an Advanced Course right after an Open Water course and only have a total of 9 dives all under the direct training of an instructor.

The SDI Advanced Diver Development program requires a new Open Water student to take 4 SDI specialties or equivalent, along with having a total of 25 dives. SDI feels a diver will truly be "Advanced" after this is accomplished.

A list of the specialty courses a student may take and receive credit towards their Advanced Card are as follows:

• Altitude Diver

• Boat Diver

• Computer Diver

• Computer Nitrox Diver

• Deep Diver

• DPV Diver

• Drift Diver

• Dry Suit Diver

• Equipment Specialist

• Ice Diver

• Marine Ecosystems Awareness

• Night-Limited Visibility Diver

• Research Diver

• Search & Recovery Diver

• Shore-Beach Diver

• Underwater Hunter & Collector

• Underwater Navigation

• Underwater Photography

• Underwater Video

• Wreck Diver

• Visual Inspection Procedures

• CPROX Administrator

• CPR1st Administrator

• TDI Nitrox Diver

Rescue Diver Course

The rescue certification course is designed to develop the knowledge and necessary skills for and individual to effectively perform diver rescues and assists, and administer necessary first aid. Students are taught skills such as how to perform self rescues, recognize and calm potential panic divers, and administer proper first aid to bends victims.

Specialty Courses

SDI offers a number of different specialty ratings. The SDI specialty courses are designed to develop the necessary skills for an individual to effectively perform designated skills underwater. SDI specialties include but are not limited to: Night, Deep (up to 130 ft/ 40 meter), Navigation, Ice, Drift, Wreck (Non-penetration), Reef Ecology, Dry Suit, Photography, Underwater Hunter, Diver Propulsion Vehicle (D.P.V.), Search & Recovery, and Videography.

CPROX

This course is a Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Oxygen Administration combined into one program. It is designed to teach divers the proper techniques to safely administer CPR and O2 in emergency situations.

CPR1st

This course is a Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation and First Aid combined into one program. It is designed to teach divers the proper techniques to safely administer CPR and evaluate and administer the correct First Aid for a given injury.

Solo Diver

The objective of this course is to train divers in the benefits, hazards, and proper procedures for diving solo.

Divemaster Course

The Divemaster course is designed to develop the skills & knowledge necessary for an individual to lead certified divers in the open water environment. Upon completion, graduates may assist instructors during diving courses and supervise and conduct dives for certified divers. This course trains candidates to have leadership level knowledge and skill.

Assistant Instructor Course

The Assistant instructor course is designed for students to gain practical teaching experience with an active instructor. Students will help an instructor teach an Open Water Scuba Diver course, Advanced Diver Course, and Rescue Diver Course. Upon completion of the course graduates may teach and certify Skin Divers, conduct the In-active diver program, and conduct the knowledge Quest review in the Open Water Diver Course.

Instructor Candidate Course

The SDI Instructor Candidate Course is designed to teach current Divemaster or Assistants Instructors the knowledge to safely function as an independent instructor. The program is divided into 2 sections, an Instructor Development Course (IDC) and an Instructor Evaluation Course (IEC). The first section teaches the candidates how to properly teach and design courses, the second section evaluates the candidates teaching of open water skills.

Instructor Trainer Qualifications

The highest level of training reached within SDI is an IT rating. This course is designed to give active instructors the ability to run ICC’s and actively promote SDI. The IT rating may only be obtained from SDI World Headquarters after an instructor has certified a minimum of 50 SDI divers.