PADI Drift Diver Specialty Course

Some dive sites are for deep exploration. Some have wrecks. Some are just lovely coral dives you can slowly discover. But some sights — such as Koh Krok in Pattaya’s Near Islands and Shark Fin Rock in Samae San — are best as “drift dives,” that magical dive that whisks you along like a water slide.

Done correctly, drift diving is effortless and relaxing. But if you’ve never learned how to enjoy a drift to its fullest — not to mention even get in the water amid a strong current — your dive can be disappointing, stressful and oh so short.

Aquanauts’ PADI Drift Diver course shows you how to enjoy rivers and ocean currents by “going with the flow,” staying with your dive partner, communicating with the dive boat and knowing where you are the whole time. During your certification course, you’ll learn

• Planning, organization, procedures, techniques, problems and hazards of drift diving
• An introduction to drift diving equipment — floats, lines, reels
• Buoyancy-control, navigation and communication for drift diving
• Site selection and overview of aquatic currents – causes and effects
• Techniques for staying close to a buddy or together as a group

But it’s not all theory because you’ll go on two open water dives where you can put your new knowledge into action.

Prerequisites

• PADI Open Water Diver or Junior Open Water Diver certification (or qualifying certification from another organization)
• Minimum age: 12 years old

Where can I go from here?

Your Adventures In Diving program Drift Adventure Dive may be count towards your Specialty certification at instructor discretion. You may also count this Specialty certification toward one of the five required Specialties for the Master Scuba Diver certification.