Who should take this 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 must show that you are affiliated with a public safety team (law enforcement, fire fighting, paramedic, EMT, dive rescue team, etc.) and need to earn your PADI Rescue Diver certification by the end of the course.
What will you learn?
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.
How can you start learning now?
Visit a PADI Dive Center or Resort that offers the PADI Public Safety Diver course and get your PADI Public Safety Diver Manual to read before class. Also, see if there is a Public Safety Diver Workshop scheduled in your local area.
What scuba gear will you use?
Beyond your basic scuba equipment, you’ll want to have gloves, a dive knife and additional cutting tool, plus at least two scuba tanks. Your PADI Instructor will advise you about other gear you may need, which may include technical diving equipment.