Boats unlock the dive sites shore diving simply cannot reach, but stepping aboard with confidence takes a skill set of its own, and that's exactly what this single focused day hands you. You'll pick up the nautical language crews actually use, plus the etiquette for kitting up and loading on a crowded deck, then practise using lines to descend safely and deploying a surface marker buoy. Your first dive counts toward Advanced Open Water Diver certification.

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In detail

About This Course

Boat diving opens up dive sites that are simply out of reach from shore, but it comes with its own etiquette, hazards and procedures that shore diving does not. The PADI Boat Diver Specialty is a focused, one day course that gets you comfortable and competent around dive boats of every size, from small ribs to larger liveaboards.

You will learn the practical language of boats, including the nautical terms crews use for direction, position and safety, so that briefings and instructions make sense the moment you step aboard. Alongside this, you will cover proper boat diving etiquette, from kitting up in limited space to loading and unloading gear without disrupting other divers.

In the water, the course focuses on skills specific to boat diving such as using lines to descend and ascend in current, and deploying a surface marker buoy so the boat crew can track and locate you. These are small skills that make a big difference to safety and confidence on any boat dive.

Because the first Boat Diver dive can count toward your Advanced Open Water Diver certification, this is an efficient specialty to add early, and a genuinely practical one for anyone planning to dive from boats regularly, whether locally or on a diving holiday.

The process

How The Course Works

Step 1
Learning the Ropes
Before you ever step aboard, you'll pick up the language and etiquette of dive boats, from nautical terminology to the small courtesies that keep a busy dive deck running smoothly. It's the kind of knowledge experienced boat divers take for granted and everyone else has to learn somewhere.
Step 2
Two Dives From the Boat
Then it's out on the water for two dives with your instructor, practising the practical side of boat diving, from using lines to deploying a surface marker buoy so the crew always knows exactly where you are. You finish able to dive confidently off almost any boat you're likely to encounter.
PADI states: two dives with an instructor, practising lines and surface marker buoy (SMB) deployment

Course curriculum

What You'll Learn

Learning Outcomes

Nautical terminology
Boat diving etiquette
Using lines and deploying a surface marker buoy (SMB)

Getting ready

Before You Start & What's Next

Prerequisites

PADI (Junior) Open Water Diver or equivalent entry-level certification
Minimum age 10

Next Steps

Advanced Open Water Diver (the first Boat Diver dive may count toward this certification)

Upcoming training

Dates & Booking

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Quick facts

Duration

1 day of structured training

Location

Unit 4, Bellman Court, Great Knollys Street, Reading, RG1 7HD

Certification

Recognised PADI qualification on completion

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Boat Diver

What to expect