How well do you know your dive gear? If you have a minor problem at a dive site do you
generally know how to fix it? One of our most popular courses is the PADI Equipment
Specialist. It is designed to give you a much better understanding of how your equipment
works so you can look after it better and potentially handle minor equipment issues at a dive
site. Having a better understanding of how your equipment works and why it stops working
can make all the difference when you are getting ready for a dive or even a trip away.
The PADI Equipment Specialist is designed for divers at any training level, but it is important
that while you will learn a lot, this course does not certify you as a SCUBA equipment
technician. The idea behind this equipment specialty is to increase your understanding of
dive equipment with the hope that you will be able to keep your gear working well in between
your annual services. People sign up for this course for all sorts of reasons, some use it as a
stepping stone to become technicians, maybe you live remotely and getting to a dive shop to
sort out little issues is impractical, and some people just want to know how it all ticks.
Just before a dive your regulator starts free flowing, there are so many reasons this could
happen and many of them can’t be fixed on the spot but if you don’t know how a regulator
works it will mean you need to cancel your dive and get a technician to sort it out. Maybe
your tank is leaking, all it needs is a new o ring but if you haven’t been shown how to do it
you may need to cancel your dive. What about if your regulator is wet breathing during the
dive? Now this could be a major issue or it could be a simple on the spot fix. The Equipment
Specialist course will help you to work out how to identify some of these problems and fix
them in the field so you don’t have to miss out on what might be the best dive ever!
Have you ever gone on a dive holiday only to find something that needs a technician’s
attention once you get there? One of the techniques we teach is how to go through a basic
function test on your gear before you go, and hopefully pick up on any serious issues. We
look at how to check your hoses for wear properly, how to make sure everything is airtight,
making sure you BCD is not punctured. There are all sorts of things we can check to make
sure your gear is in tip top shape before you go on your next big dive trip.
There are all sorts of reasons to take the PADI Equipment Specialist course, more
independence, better understanding or on a path to professionalism. It doesn’t matter where
you are at with your diving everyone can learn something from this course. The equipment
specialty should give you the confidence to handle minor equipment related problems, keep
your gear in good condition and avoid having to cancel a dive because of your equipment.
Visit your local Dive HQ or www.padi.com and sign up today