Retrieve lost items that have fallen overboard or over a dock. Learn effective swimming patterns and using a lift bag for heavy objects.
Gathering information and resources, then carefully planning a search are the first important steps you learn. During four scuba dives you’ll practice:
- Swimming search patterns using your compass and natural navigation.
- Locating large and small objects using various search patterns.
- Using a lift bag for large or heavy objects, plus other recovery methods.
- Planning a search operation based on facts gathered about a lost object prior to the dive.
You may be able to get college credit for the Search and Recovery course – ask your instructor.
Also, the first dive of this PADI Specialty Diver course may credit as an Adventure Dive toward your Advanced Open Water Diver certification – ask your instructor about earning credit.
Besides your basic scuba equipment, you’ll need a compass and underwater slate. Your PADI Instructor or local dive center staff may suggest other gear that may help with your searches, such as a dive light, marker buoys, lines and reels.
Visit your local PADI Dive Center or Resort to enroll in the course and get a PADI Search and Recovery Crew-Pak that includes your manual and video. By studying before class, you’ll be better prepared to start practicing your search and recovery skills when you meet with your instructor.
