Last week at the pool, I met a swimmer who was also a certified diver. When they found out I’m a scuba instructor, they asked, “I haven’t been diving in a while. Do I need a scuba refresher course?”
This person hadn’t been diving in five years. So, the answer was easy, “Yes, you need a refresher.”
If the diver told me they got their scuba certification 12 months (or more) in the past and hadn’t been diving since their Open Water Diver course, I would have given the same answer, “Yes, you need a refresher.”
Sometimes, the “do I need a scuba refresher?” question is harder to answer. If a diver has significant experience and/or advanced certifications, I might ask them some of the following basic diving questions before advising them to take a scuba refresher.
Question: What’s the number one rule of scuba?
Answer: Breathe continuously and never hold your breath.
Question: If someone kicks your regulator out of your mouth, what do you do?
Answer: Blow a slow, steady stream of bubbles and use the arm sweep or reach back method to retrieve your regulator. Put the regulator back in your mouth and purge it before inhaling.
Question: What’s the lost buddy procedure?
Answer: Remain calm and search for your buddy for about one minute before making a safe ascent to the surface. When searching, look all around, including above, behind and below you.
Question: Would you know what to do if:
Please note: The questions above are not a thorough test for whether you need a scuba refresher or not. They’re just a way to illustrate the importance of keeping your skills fresh.
It’s Never a Bad Idea To Refresh Your Scuba Skills
DAN (Divers Alert Network) compiles an annual diving report, and diver error is always the number one cause of recreational dive incidents and fatalities. That’s why it’s never a bad idea to refresh your scuba skills.
According to DAN, the world’s most recognized and respected dive safety organization:
Diving requires special skills learned during training and maintained through practice. “Use it or lose it” is especially true in diving. While skills will degrade somewhat with as little as six months of inactivity, most dive educators and instructors consider inactivity of one to two years sufficient to warrant refresher training….After a long hiatus, we highly recommend a formal review of both your knowledge and in-water skills before you resume diving.
PADI ReActivate Online and In-Water Scuba Refresher Program
PADI ReActivate® includes an online knowledge review and an optional in-water session. The online course allows you to move quickly through concepts you know well and spend extra time on things you may have forgotten. PADI Club™ members get free access to the online portion of ReActivate.
If you’d like to practice assembling a scuba unit, buoyancy or other skills, you can schedule a pool session with a PADI Professional. The entire online and in-water program can be completed in less than one day.
