KohTaoIsland.net - Dive Definintions - Dive Courses Explained

The name Ko Phangan who were the other wise known all over world come another day.Ko Tao has some thing it's charm though it developed to this influx of land.

Have you ever wondered what it is like to swim under our oceans and seas?? The easiest way to experience it is with the PADI Discover Scuba Diving course. You can jump into this program at all of the dive companies on Koh Tao. They do the beginners courses usually in their pool or just off the beach. Give it a try. Diving can change your life.

The Discover Scuba Diving course is the entry level course to see if you can adapt to the underwater experience, the skills you obtain from this course may be credited toward the PADI Open Water Diver certification. The average dive depth is 6 metres/20 feet (12 metres/40 feet is the maximum depth) with most Discover Scuba Diving experiences taking just a few hours to complete, and no equipment is necessary, as everything’s provided.

Open Water Course - In the PADI Open Water Diver course, you go through the basics of learning how to scuba dive, how to navigate under water, and how to check and look after you equipment. You start in a pool or beach side and you then progress to the open water getting the background and knowledge along the way.

Number of Dives: Five Confined Water Dives and Four Open Water Dives

Prerequisites:
10 years for Junior Open Water Diver and 15 years for Open Water Diver. Good health, reasonable fitness and comfort in the water.
Materials You’ll Need: PADI Open Water Crew-Pak, PADI Open Water Video or DVD, Log Book.

Equipment you’ll use during the course includes:
mask, fins, snorkel, tank, regulator, buoyancy compensator, submersible pressure gauge and exposure protection as required by the local environment.

Advanced Open Water Course - Once you have completed the Open Water Course, the next step up is the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course. You make five dives and have the opportunity to try some of diving’s most rewarding and useful specialty activities, such as deep diving, digital underwater photography, wreck diving and much more. These skills make diving much more than underwater sightseeing. Plus, the Advanced Open Water Diver course takes you one step closer to Master Scuba Diver – the ultimate non professional certification in recreational diving.

With your PADI Instructor you complete the deep and underwater navigation Adventure Dives. These dives boost your confidence as you build these foundational skills. Then, you choose three additional dives from more than 15 Adventure Dives to complete your course. You can go diving at night, check out the local wrecks in the area or even fly through the ocean on a diver propulsion vehicle – all during your PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course.

You must be a PADI Open Water Diver (or qualifying certification from another training organization) and 15 years old (12 for Junior Advanced Open Water Diver) to complete this course.

Number of dives: Five dives

The Adventure Dive options include altitude diving, AWARE-fish identification, boat diving, deep diving, diver propulsion vehicle use, drift diving, dry suit diving, multilevel and computer diving, night diving, peak performance buoyancy, search and recovery, underwater nature study, underwater navigation, underwater photography, underwater videographer and wreck diving.

Dive Master - If you want to further you diving experience or enter diving as a career, the PADI Divemaster program is the course you will need to take. Working closely with a PADI Instructor, in this program you expand your dive knowledge and sharpen your skills to the professional level. PADI Divemaster training also develops your leadership abilities, qualifying you to supervise dive activities and assist instructors with student divers.

During the PADI Divemaster program, you learn dive leadership skills through both classroom and independent study. You complete water skills and stamina exercises, as well as training exercises that stretch your ability to organize and solve problems. You put this knowledge into action through an internship or series of practical training exercises.
Knowledge Development: 12 topics ranging from dive theory to assisting student divers in training

Prerequisites:
PADI Advanced Open Water Diver (or qualifying certification from another training organization), PADI Rescue Diver (or qualifying certification from another training organization), 20 logged dives, 18 years old.
Minimum Number of Logged Dives: 60 for certification as PADI Divemaster

PADI Instructor - To qualify for training as a PADI Open Water Instructor, you must:
PADI Assistant Instructor certification or be an instructor in good standing with another training organization for at least six months (check with a PADI Course Director or PADI Office for qualifying credentials.)
Hold a dive certification for at least six months
Have 60 logged dives that include night, deep and navigation dives
Proof of CPR training within the last 24 months
Medical clearance signed by a physician

Master Diver - With the PADI Master Scuba Diver rating, you've reached the highest non professional level in the PADI System of diver education. It means that you’ve acquired significant training and experience in a variety of dive environments.

Minimum Number of Logged Dives: 50
Minimum qualifications: PADI Rescue Diver or Junior Rescue Diver (or qualifying certification from another training organization), 12 years old, five PADI Specialty Diver certifications.

Coral Reef Conservation - The AWARE - Coral Reef Conservation Specialty course teaches divers, snorkelers and non-divers about the vital role of coral reefs in the marine environment. The course also familiarizes participants with the current state of the world's coral reefs and how they can help.
An introduction to the Project AWARE Foundation covers the importance of coral reefs to marine ecosystems and coastal areas, coral reef biology, association and competition
The status of the world's coral reefs, how participants can help, including responsible diving and snorkelling practices is some of the subjects covered

Digital Underwater Photography - Digital has taken the underwater photography world by storm. Get in on the action with the PADI Digital Underwater Photographer Specialty course. You can quickly and easily capture the underwater world with your camera and on your computer. During the PADI Digital Underwater Photographer Specialty course, you learn to use the PADI SEA (Shoot, Examine and Adjust) method, which takes full advantage of digital technology. The result is good underwater photos faster than you may imagine. You not only learn how to take good photos, but how to share them with your friends via email or printing, optimizing your work with your computer, storage and more. You must be a PADI Open Water Diver or Junior Open Water (or have a qualifying certification from another training organization) However, you can take the course as a snorkeler and receive a non-diving certification
Choosing and using modern digital cameras and underwater housings.

PADI Drift Diver - The PADI Drift Diver Specialty Course introduces you to the coolest magic carpet ride you’ll ever experience. This course shows you how to enjoy rivers and ocean currents by “going with the flow,” staying with your dive partner, communicating with the dive boat and knowing where you are the whole time.

Certification counts toward the PADI Master Scuba Diver rating.

Enriched Air Diver - Welcome to one of PADI’s most popular specialties – the PADI Enriched Air Diver course. Diving with enriched air Nitrox lets you safely extend your no stop time beyond the no decompression limits for air. Diving with enriched air means more time underwater – but you need to be certified as an Enriched Air Diver to get enriched air fills.

Whether you’re into underwater photography or wreck diving, on vacation in some tropical paradise or just out for a leisurely day of diving at your local dive site, the PADI Enriched Air Diver course helps you get more out of diving by giving you more time underwater.

Learn to analyze cylinder contents.
Plan enriched air dives using tables and dive computers.
Safely increase your no stop time.
Certification counts toward the Master Scuba Diver rating
Number of Dives: Four dives over two days
Materials You’ll Need: Wreck-Pak, which includes the PADI Wreck Diver Manual and Wreck Diving video.

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