PADI Public Safety Diver Course

If you have the opportunity to work with local authorities and be part of a scuba diving rescue team, or conduct search and recovery dives, and maybe even underwater criminal investigations, this is the course for you. Although public safety diving can be a fun and exciting adventure, it’s serious and requires special training. The PADI Public Safety Diver Specialty course gives you a solid foundation to build upon and teaches you both surface and underwater skills that you may need on the job.

To enroll in a Public Safety Diver course, you must be certified as a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver and at least 18 years old. You also need to earn your PADI Rescue Diver certification by the end of the course.  Recommended Courses: Full Face Mask Diver, Dry Suit Diver, Emergency Oxygen Provider, Night Diver, Underwater Navigator, Search & Recovery Diver.

You’ll be introduced to the special procedures, equipment, scene handling, communications and documentation requirements for a public safety diving operation. During four open water dives you’ll practice compass navigation, knot tying, arc search techniques, victim recovery, rope-pull communications and rescue techniques for a distressed public safety diver, plus plenty more.

Beyond your basic scuba equipment, you’ll want to have gloves, a dive knife and an additional cutting tool.  Your PADI Instructor will advise you about other gear you may need, which may include technical diving equipment.