Most divers love to travel. After all, divers have a thirst for knowledge, adventure and exploration. Here are two fun ways to become a PADI Master Scuba Diver™ while exploring our ocean planet.
Working towards your Master Scuba Diver rating has many benefits: fine-tuning your diving skills, gaining confidence and of course bragging rights to joining the top two percent of elite recreational divers around the world. If you’re passionate about travel, earning your PADI Master Scuba Diver can be an excuse to do more of what you love.
First, here’s a quick overview of what it takes to earn the title of Master Scuba Diver:
- Complete the Open Water Diver, Advanced Open Water Diver and Rescue Diver courses, plus five PADI Specialty Diver Courses
- Log a minimum of 50 dives
- Be at least 12 years old
Earn Certifications in Different Destinations
Every scuba diving destination has something special to offer. Pick up your Drift Diver certification in Cozumel or an other iconic drift diving destination. Visit Coron, Malta, Florida’s Shipwreck Trail, or any of the world’s best wreck diving destinations for your wreck diver specialty, and learn underwater photography and videography while exploring the colorful reefs of Fiji or The Red Sea.
Taking a PADI course is also a great way to meet people while travelling. During the PADI Rescue Diver course you’ll learn important skills through role-playing. The Rescue course is a fun way to make new dive buddies while improving your diving confidence and skill.
Choose an Eco Tourism Focus
Distinctive specialties also count towards your Master Scuba Diver rating, which is great news for travelers who seek out ecotourism opportunities. Contact a local PADI Dive Center or Resort about enrolling in a Dive Against Debris specialty. You’ll learn how to remove and report debris to a global database scientists use to advocate for ocean protection.
An increasing number of scuba diving destinations offer coral reef restoration training with a distinctive specialty certification. In a typical coral restoration/coral gardening course you’ll learn how coral nurseries work and participate in caring for or transplanting corals.
The Coral Reef Renewal Distinctive Specialty is offered in The Bahamas, Bali, Bonaire, Cozumel, Grand Cayman, the Florida Keys, Roatan, Bay Islands Honduras, Thailand and other locations around the world.
The Master Scuba Diver Path is Yours
Becoming a Master Scuba DiverTM is a personal journey and a fulfilling one! Your journey can involve travel, adventure, zombies, or even a little pelagic magic. You can also create a Master Scuba Diver program customized for the diving in your local area, just talk to your PADI Instructor or local dive shop. No matter which path you choose, becoming a Master Scuba Diver is a major achievement that will earn you recognition for life.
If you are already a diver or considering to join the best of the best recreational divers, there is no better time than now.
