Divers back-rolling off an inflatable dive boat

Boat Diver

Name: Boat Diver
Brand: PADI
SKU: BOA001
Price: 3500.00 ZAR
Availability: InStock

SKU BOA001

R 3,500.00

Product variants

Most of the best diving in South Africa starts with a boat. This is how you stop feeling like a passenger.

Sodwana, Aliwal, Protea Banks, most of the wrecks worth seeing: the good stuff is off a boat. And a dive boat is a working environment with its own vocabulary, its own etiquette and its own hazards, none of which anyone explains to you while you're trying to get your fins on in a swell.

The PADI Boat Diver course covers all of it. Nautical terminology, so the crew's instructions actually mean something. Where to stow and assemble your kit so you're not in everyone's way. Entries and exits from different types of boat. Using lines and deploying a surface marker buoy. What to do if you surface away from the boat.

It's a short course with a disproportionate payoff, because it turns the most stressful part of a dive trip into routine. Two dives with an instructor, run from a boat, and all scuba equipment is included.

What Boat Diver Gives You

You'll be the diver who knows where to sit, what the crew mean, how to get in and out without drama, and what to do when the current is running. On a South African surf launch that competence is worth a great deal more than it sounds.

If you've got a Sodwana or coastal trip coming up, this is probably the single most practical speciality you could do beforehand. It also counts toward your Master Scuba Diver rating.

Ready for the boat? Book Boat Diver below, or get in touch with our team if you've got a trip coming up and want to know what to do first.

What This Course Entails

Knowledge development covers nautical terminology and why it matters, boat diving etiquette, how different types of dive boat are laid out and run, safety equipment and procedures, and what to do in the situations that most commonly go wrong.

Practically, you'll cover stowing and assembling equipment in a confined space, entries and exits from different boat types, using lines including current and descent lines, and deploying a surface marker buoy so the boat can find you.

Two dives with an instructor, run from a boat, then put it together. There's no boat diving at our inland sites, so the two course dives are done at the coast, on one of our coastal dive trips. All scuba equipment is included for the duration of the course. Travel, accommodation and boat launches are booked with the trip and aren't part of the course fee. Each boat dive is R605 with air included, so the two course dives add R1,210.

Prerequisites

Certified PADI Open Water Diver or Junior Open Water Diver, or a qualifying certification from another training organisation.
Minimum age is 10 years old.
Complete a basic health screening questionnaire to confirm you're fit to dive.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why would I need a course to dive off a boat?

Because boats have their own vocabulary, etiquette and hazards, and a diver who doesn't know them is a nuisance at best and a danger at worst. Where to kit up, how to enter and exit safely, how to handle a current line, and what the crew's instructions actually mean. It's the difference between being a passenger and being useful.

What are the prerequisites for Boat Diver?

A PADI Open Water Diver or Junior Open Water Diver certification, or a qualifying equivalent, and a minimum age of 10. No boat experience is assumed, which is rather the point of the course.

Is this worth doing before a Sodwana or coastal trip?

Genuinely, yes. Sodwana launches are surf launches off a RIB, which is a different experience from stepping off a dive deck, and knowing the drill beforehand makes the first morning far less bewildering. It's one of the most practical specialities for South African diving.

How many dives does the Boat Diver course involve?

Two dives with an instructor, run from a boat. Alongside them you'll cover nautical terminology, boat diving etiquette, and you may practise using lines and deploying a surface marker buoy.

Does Boat Diver count toward Master Scuba Diver?

Yes, it counts as one of the five specialities required for the Master Scuba Diver rating. It's also one of the quicker ones to complete, which makes it a sensible addition if you're working toward that rating.

Are air fills included in the course price?

No, and that is deliberate. Air is charged as you use it, per fill, and invoiced to you after your session. Every diver breathes differently, and building a worst-case air allowance into every course fee would mean the lightest breathers subsidising the heaviest, so instead you pay for the air you actually use and the course price stays lower for everyone. We confirm the current fill rate with you when we book your dates, and you are welcome to ask us for it at any point before that. Dive site entrance fees are also paid separately, at the site on the day.