DRIFT DIVER

specialty courses

Drift Diver Specialty Course

The Drift Diver Specialty Course

is designed for divers who want to explore the thrill of drifting with the current in open water. Drift diving is an exhilarating experience that allows you to cover large areas of dive sites with minimal effort, as you’re carried along by the current. However, it also requires specific skills and knowledge to do safely and enjoyably.

This course focuses on mastering the skills needed to dive in areas with strong currents and gain confidence in managing buoyancy, navigation, and safety when “drifting” underwater.

Course Overview:

  1. Drift Diving Theory:
    • Learn about the different types of currents, such as mild, moderate, and strong currents, and how they can affect your dive.
    • Understand how to plan a drift dive, including selecting appropriate dive sites and assessing current conditions.
    • Study the techniques for controlling your movement in the water to avoid getting carried too far or into hazards.
    • Review safety procedures for drift diving, including how to manage your buoyancy, air supply, and dive buddy.
  1. Drift Diving Skills:
    • Buoyancy Control: Drift diving requires excellent buoyancy control to stay within a comfortable depth range and avoid being pushed too deep or rising too high.
    • Current Awareness: Learn how to determine the direction and strength of a current before entering the water, and how to adjust your dive plan accordingly.
    • Proper Finning Techniques: Practice using your fins effectively to counteract strong currents and maintain a relaxed, streamlined position.
    • Using Natural Navigation: Learn how to use underwater landmarks, features, and current flow to maintain your orientation while drifting.
    • Buddy Systems: Understand the importance of staying close to your dive buddy and the role of good communication during the drift.
  1. Safety Considerations:
    • Learn how to manage air consumption while drifting, as you may cover more distance and spend more time underwater than expected.
    • Understand emergency procedures in case you get separated from your buddy or swept off course, including how to signal for help and how to safely return to the entry point.
    • Learn about the proper exit strategies for drift dives, including getting back to the boat or shore once the dive is completed.
    • Understand the risks of getting caught in strong currents and how to handle potential hazards, like getting swept into shallow areas, entanglements, or marine life.

 

  1. Drift Diving Equipment:
    • Reels and Lines: In some cases, you’ll learn how to use reels and lines to help with navigation and to mark your path during the drift.
    • Dive Computers: Learn how to monitor your depth, time, and air supply, especially since drift dives can cover a larger area and last longer than typical dives.
    • Surface Marker Buoys (SMBs): Learn how to use an SMB to signal your position to the boat or shore and ensure you’re visible from the surface while drifting.
  2. Environmental Considerations:
    • Understand how currents are generated and how to interpret weather patterns, tides, and water conditions to better predict current behavior.
    • Learn about the impact of drift diving on the environment and how to practice eco-friendly diving techniques.

Prerequisites:

  • Open Water Diver certification (or equivalent).
  • Minimum age of 12-15 years, depending on the diving agency.
  • Ideally, some experience with diving in open water, although this course doesn’t require advanced skills.

Course Structure:

  1. Classroom/Online Learning: Covers the theory behind drift diving, including safety, planning, and current analysis.
  2. Confined Water Sessions: Some courses may include practice in a controlled environment to develop buoyancy control, positioning, and safety drills.
  3. Open Water Dives: Typically, you’ll complete 2-4 open-water dives, where you will practice drifting with the current, managing your buoyancy, and working with your dive buddy.

Certification:

After completing the course, you’ll be a certified Drift Diver, capable of safely and confidently drifting along currents up to the recommended limits for recreational diving.

Why Take the Drift Diver Course?

  • Adventure: Drift diving allows you to experience dive sites uniquely and excitingly, covering more areas with less effort while enjoying the beauty of the underwater world.
  • Improved Diving Skills: Drift diving sharpens your buoyancy control, navigation, and situational awareness, which makes you a more skilled and confident diver overall.
  • Explore New Dive Sites: Many dive sites, especially those in areas with strong currents like certain parts of the Red Sea, are best experienced through drift diving.
  • Safety: Drift diving can be challenging, but the course teaches you essential skills to dive safely and confidently in the Red sea conditions, preventing common risks like being swept off course or disoriented underwater.

Benefits:

  • Better Buoyancy Control: Mastering buoyancy is a huge advantage for all types of diving.
  • Exposure to New Dive Environments: Some of the most interesting and scenic dive sites are located in areas with currents.
  • Increased Confidence: Learning to dive in current conditions will help you feel more confident in various underwater situations.
  • Eco-Friendly Exploration: Drift diving provides a way to explore large areas of the ocean without disturbing the marine environment as much as traditional diving.

Next Steps After the Drift Diver Course:

Once you’ve completed your Drift Diver specialty, you may want to expand your skills with courses such as Wreck Diver, Night Diver, or Advanced Open Water Diver, depending on your interests. Drift diving is also often paired with Boat Diver training since many drift dives are done from a boat.

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