By guest blogger Lowri James
Becoming PADI Master Scuba divers with Cyprus Diving Adventures was something Oli and I were keen to achieve; not only do fewer than two percent of divers achieve this rating, but it would also coincide perfectly with becoming PADI Divemasters and enable us to gain more experience in a range of different diving as we worked towards becoming PADI professionals. Having already completed our Deep Diver specialty course in 2014 and becoming Rescue Divers, we decided to choose 4 other specialties that would be perfect for furthering our diving education journey.
Enriched Air Diver (Nitrox)
This is a one day course where we learned about the many benefits of breathing enriched air on a dive, which involves using a mix of air with a higher than 21% concentration of Oxygen (known as Nitrox). Qualifying as an enriched air diver enables you to benefit from longer ‘no decompression’ times, meaning you can stay at depths for longer or opt for shorter surface intervals. This is great for exploring certain dive sites that are deeper or are doing multiple dives over the course of a few days or more. Doing two dives using Nitrox / Enriched Air is optional as part of the course but highly recommended. We have dived using Nitrox on a few occasions and enjoy the benefits when diving some beautiful sites here in Cyprus such as St George’s Island in Latchi and the Zenobia in Larnaca.
Underwater Navigator
This course dramatically improves confidence in the water, being taught how to use a combination of compass and natural navigation to find your way around different dive sites. The course is 1 to 2 days and over 3 dives we learned how to master using a compass, estimate distances we were covering underwater as well as how to mark and relocate a specific position or submerged object from the surface. One thing Oli and I love doing now is exploring new or unfamiliar dive sites, putting skills into practice and coming across certain landmarks which reassure us that we’re navigating correctly and confidently!
Search and Recovery Diver
This 2 day, 4 dive course taught us how to locate and retrieve a range of objects using different search patterns, which vary depending on the size of the objects. We learned how to tie different knots underwater and how to use a lifting device / lift bag to bring heavier objects to the surface. It was certainly very rewarding conducting a search pattern, to then successfully find the object hidden by Steve, our instructor. Using a lift bag as well as many elements of this and other courses, improved our general dive skills such as buoyancy control and positioning in the water.
Night Diver
Having visited Cynthiana, a beautiful dive site in Paphos several times, we found it was a completely different and exciting experience in the dark. This 3-dive course enabled us to enter an even newer underwater world by teaching us how to use our light devices/torches effectively. Communication and navigation also differs in the dark so this element is also explained and put into practice. All this whilst observing how marine life changes at night.
Other PADI Specialty Courses
The specialty courses above were chosen personally by Oli and Lowri according to their preferences. There are many other options available that allow you to tailor your Master Scuba Diver experience to your favorite types of diving, or areas where you wish to learn something new, or develop your existing skills further. Here are a few more options that are available…
- Peak Performance Buoyancy: This is an excellent option for those who find themselves going up and down more than they would prefer. You’ll learn how to fine tune your buoyancy using your breathing as well as how to adjust your weights for trim and how to move effortlessly through the water – all of which will improve your air consumption!
- Digital Underwater Photographer: If you and your buddies are thinking about becoming PADI Master Scuba Divers, why not take underwater images of your progress? During this specialty you will learn about underwater imaging equipment, how to prepare your camera rig, how to optimize your shots including reducing backscatter, and how to utilize artificial lighting for the best results. By the end of the course, you’ll be shooting like a pro!
- Dry Suit Diver: If you are considering diving in cooler waters then a dry suit is essential for thermal protection. During the Dry Suit Diver Specialty you’ll learn how to control the amount of air in your drysuit for buoyancy and to prevent a drysuit squeeze. You’ll learn about different types of drysuits, gauging your weights for drysuit diving as well as additional factors that need to be taken into consideration when diving in a drysuit in cold water.
- Wreck Diver: Wreck diving is an exciting experience and it’s even more worthwhile when you have developed some additional skills and knowledge. During this specialty, you’ll learn how to identify different parts of a wreck, how to navigate a wreck and you’ll learn penetration techniques for safely entering, exploring and exiting a wreck.
- Drift Diver: During your journey to becoming PADI Master scuba Divers it’s likely that you (and your buddies) will encounter ocean currents. In the Drift Diver Specialty you’ll learn how to make drift diving entries and exits, how to dive safely in currents and how to use them to your advantage – get ready to go with the flow!
This is not a complete list of all PADI Specialty Courses that are available – there are still more for you to discover!
What Have We Gained?
Achieving this highest rating in recreational diving was incredibly rewarding and the 5 specialties combined enabled us to be more knowledgeable and experienced divers. Whether you choose to continue your journey into the world of professional diving or not, we found becoming a PADI Master Scuba Diver is certainly worthwhile.
Do you want to become a Master Scuba Diver? Take the Master Scuba Diver Challenge and WIN BIG!
