Mike Gayle Scuba & Snorkeling Adventures

If you want to feel what it’s like to breath underwater get a taste of the adventures that lie below, the Discover Scuba Diving experience may for you. After a very brief lesson, your instructor will take you below the surface. This experience can be enjoyed in a pool or open water. While not a certification course, it can certainly help you to decide whether becoming a certified scuba diver is for you.

Entry-Level Courses

The PADI Scuba Diver course teaches student divers the fundamental knowledge and skills that are needed to scuba dive while under the direct supervision of a PADI Divemaster, Assistant Instructor, or Instructor. Successful completion of the course results in a pre-entry level PADI certification. PADI Scuba Divers are not certified to dive without professional supervision. Divers who want to become certified to dive independent of professional supervision must be certified as open water divers. The PADI Scuba Diver course is a subcourse within the PADI Open Water Diver course and, as such, PADI Scuba Divers receive credit toward the PADI Open Water Diver certification.

The PADI Open Water Diver course is designed to develop the knowledge and skills required to plan and conduct (with a buddy) open water, no decompression dives. The course has three primary components - knowledge development, confined water training, and open water training. The knowledge development portion of the course covers topics such as dive science, dive techniques, dive planning, and scuba equipment. The confined water training portion of the course allows the student divers to apply their knowledge by learning and practicing basic diving skills in a pool or pool-like environment. Finally, the open water training portion of the course provides student divers with a supervised transition to diving in the open water environment.

Advanced Courses

The PADI Adventures in Diving program allows divers to gain dive experience while pursuing individual interests and advanced dive education. The program consists of participation in individual Adventure Dives. Although other Adventure Dives may be added, possible Adventure Dive options include the following: Altitude, AWARE-Fish Identification, Boat, Deep, Dive, Diver Propulsion Vehicle, Drift, Dry Suit, Multilevel/Computer, Night, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Search and Recovery, Underwater Naturalist, Underwater Navigation, Underwater Photography, Underwater Videography, and Wreck. Each Adventure Dive has two components - knowledge development and open water training. The knowledge development portion of each Adventure Dive covers information to safely complete the dive and specialized information related to that particular type of diving. Under certain circumstances, Adventure Dives may count as the first dive of the related PADI Speciality Diver course. The PADI Adventures in Diving program has two certification options - PADI Adventure Diver and PADI Advanced Open Water Diver. To enroll in the PADI Adventures in Diving program, you must hold the PADI Open Water Diver (or equivalent) rating.

To earn the PADI Adventure Diver certification, divers must complete any three Adventure Dives.

To earn the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certification, divers must complete the Deep Dive, Underwater Navigation Dive, and three additional Adventure Dives.

The PADI Rescue Diver course trains divers to consider the safety and well-being of other divers and to help prevent and manage dive emergencies. In the knowledge development portion of the course, students cover topics such as self rescue, managing diver stress, first aid equipment/procedures, emergency management, and common equipment function/problems. Rescue training sessions allow students learn and practice techniques such as assisting tired and panicked divers, missing diver procedures, responding to conscious and unconscious divers, and first aid for pressure-related accidents. The training continues with realistic emergency scenarios that are conducted at open water sites. PADI Open Water Divers may begin their rescue training sessions in a confined water setting but must be certified as a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver or have a qualifying certification from another training organization before engaging in training at open water sites. Successful completion of sanctioned CPR and basic first aid courses must occur before the second knowledge development or rescue training session and have been completed within the last two year period. The Emergency First Response Primary Care (CPR) and Secondary Care (First Aid) courses fulfill this requirement.

Specialty Courses

The PADI Altitude Diver course is designed to develop the skills, knowledge, and procedures to plan and conduct dives at elevations up to 10,000 feet (3,000 meters). In addition to the knowledge development portion of the course, a minimum of two open water training dives are required. To enroll in the PADI Altitude Diver course, you must hold the PADI Open Water Diver, Junior Open Water Diver or an equivalent rating.

The PADI Boat Diver course is designed to develop the skills, knowledge, and procedures to plan and conduct boat dives. The knowledge development portion includes basic boat terminology, general boating laws/ordinances, boat diving etiquette and personal conduct, boat diving entries/exits, and use of emergency/safety equipment. In addition to the knowledge development portion of the course, a minimum of two open water training dives are required. To enroll in the PADI Boat Diver course, you must hold the PADI Open Water Diver, Junior Open Water Diver or an equivalent rating.

The PADI Deep Diver course is designed to develop the skills, knowledge, and techniques to plan and conduct dives between the depths of 60 to 130 feet. In addition to the knowledge development portion of the course, a minimum of four open water training dives are required. To enroll in the PADI Deep Diver course, you must hold the PADI Adventure Diver rating (or have a rating equivalent to the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver rating).

The PADI Drift Diver course is designed to develop the skills, knowledge, and procedures to plan and conduct dives drift dives. The unique hazards, commonly encountered problems, and unique techniques for this type of diving are addressed. In addition to the knowledge development portion of the course, a minimum of two open water training dives are required. To enroll in the PADI Drift Diver course, you must hold the PADI Open Water Diver, Junior Open Water Diver or an equivalent rating.

The PADI Enriched Air/Nitrox (EANx) Diver course is designed to teach recreational divers to use enriched air for recreational diving purposes. The air that we typically breathe contains approximately 21% oxygen, 79% nitrogen, and trace amounts of other gases. Enriched air (sometimes referred to as "nitrox") is air that contains more oxygen (has been "enriched") than the air we normally breathe. The PADI Enriched Air (EANx) course provides divers with the information that is necessary to use enriched air that contains 22-40% oxygen. In addition to the knowledge development portion of the course, a minimum of two open water training dives are required. To enroll in the PADI Enriched Air (EANx) course, you must hold the PADI Open Water Diver (or equivalent) rating.

The PADI/AWARE Fish Identification course is designed to introduce the most common fish families and species found in temperate and tropical waters. This course also introduces the divers to a fish survey project and allows for submission of fish survey data from certain geographical regions. In addition to the knowledge development portion of the course, a minimum of two open water training dives are required. To enroll in the PADI/AWARE Fish Identification course, you must hold the PADI Open Water Diver, Junior Open Water Diver or an equivalent rating.

The PADI Night Diver course is designed to develop the skills, knowledge, and techniques to plan and conduct dives between sunset and sunrise. In addition to the knowledge development portion of the course, a minimum of three open water training dives are required. To enroll in the PADI Night Diver course, you must hold the PADI Open Water Diver, Junior Open Water Diver or an equivalent rating.

The PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy course is designed to develop and fine-tune divers' buoyancy skills. In addition to the knowledge development portion of the course, a minimum of two open water training dives are required. To enroll in the PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy course, you must hold the PADI Open Water Diver, Junior Open Water Diver, or equivalent rating.

The PADI Search and Recovery course is designed to develop the skills, knowledge, and techniques to plan and conduct dives to find and retrieve objects up to 100 pounds. In addition to the knowledge development portion of the course, a minimum of three open water training dives are required. To enroll in the PADI Search and Recovery course, you must hold the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver, Junior Advanced Open Water Diver or an equivalent rating. PADI Open Water or Junior Open Water Divers who have also completed the PADI Underwater Navigator course are eligible to enroll in this course.

The PADI Underwater Naturalist course is designed to develop knowledge about the physical and structural characteristics of aquatic ecosystems, aquatic life and their interrelationships, and human interactions with aquatic life. This course can be completed by both divers and non-divers. For non-divers, there are no prerequisites or minimum age requirements to enroll in the PADI Underwater Naturalist course, however, divers, must hold the PADI Open Water Diver, Junior Open Water Diver or an equivalent rating. Completion of this dive specialty course requires a minimum of two open water training dives.

The PADI Underwater Navigation course is designed to develop the skills, knowledge, and procedures to plan and conduct dives using natural and compass navigation techniques. In addition to the knowledge development portion of the course, a minimum of three open water training dives are required. To enroll in the PADI Underwater Navigation course, you must hold the PADI Open Water Diver, Junior Open Water Diver or an equivalent rating.

The PADI Underwater Photographer course is designed to develop the skills, knowledge, and procedures for still photography in the underwater environment. In addition to the knowledge development portion of the course, a minimum of two open water training dives are required. To enroll in the PADI Underwater Photographer course, you must hold the PADI Open Water Diver, Junior Open Water Diver or an equivalent rating.

The PADI Wreck Diver course is designed to develop the skills, knowledge, and procedures to plan and conduct external and limited penetration wreck dives. In addition to the knowledge development portion of the course, a minimum of four open water training dives are required. This is an advanced specialty course. To enroll in the PADI Wreck Diver course, you must hold the PADI Adventure Diver or the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver rating. Ratings equivalent to PADI Advanced Open Water Diver are acceptable to enroll in this course.

Professional-Level Courses

If you want to turn scuba diving into a career, the PADI Divemaster course is the first major step. The PADI Divemaster is an entry-level professional diver. PADI Divemasters (if properly insured) are qualified to organize, conduct, and supervise/guide recreational diving activities for certified divers. PADI Divemasters (if properly insured) can assist PADI Instructors in the training of scuba divers. PADI Divemasters (if properly insured) can independently teach and certify PADI Skin Divers, and conduct the PADI Scuba Review (for certified divers), and Snorkeling programs. After a secondary internship, PADI Divemasters can conduct versions of the PADI Discover Scuba Diving experience program. Finally, PADI Divemasters can enroll in PADI instructor-level training courses. To enroll in the PADI Divemaster course, you must hold the PADI Advanced Open Water (or equivalent rating), the PADI Rescue Diver (or equivalent) rating, and have completed (and logged) at least 20 dives. To be certified as a PADI Divemaster, the candidate must have completed (and logged) at least 60 dives that include experience in deep, night, and navigation diving.

Last modified on: 31-May-15.