There is always scope to broaden your diving knowledge and expertise. Apart from regular dive course training, there are numerous specialty courses designed to hone and fine tune specific skills,
some of which have particular relevance to working on yachts. There are many Specialty courses to choose from and normally entail between 3 and 5 specific training sessions depending on the Specialty, the best part of which is that almost all these sessions are practical in nature and involve getting your gear on and getting wet.
Some training relates to regular yacht maintenance tasks utilising Scuba gear, others to operating equipment. Below is a rundown of some of these key courses.
An essential Specialty and something every member of the Deck Crew who use scuba gear for maintenance tasks should have is the Search & Recovery Specialty. This course focuses on how to organise an underwater search for an object and how to recover it. If its a large object, safety protocols and appropriate equipment to organise retrieval are reviewed. In our course we provide an added dimension to cover tasks such as:
Removal of fishing nets or other hazardous objects from props
Fouled anchor or anchor chain safety protocols
Hull cleaning and inspection safety considerations
Review and assessment of necessary equipment appropriate to specific recovery tasks
Safety is the key focus and objective in performing these tasks.
Almost every yacht these days have watersport toys. One common ‘toy’ is a surface or underwater propulsion vehicle. A well-known brand is called a seabob. When employed for underwater use using scuba gear, there are a series of procedures for their safe use. Misuse can have some serious consequences. The Diver Propulsion Vehicle Specialty trains you how to use this equipment with a high degree of safety and considers maintenance and upkeep of the equipment.
Emergency Oxygen Provider Specialty – As part of most yacht’s medical kit, oxygen is a standard piece of equipment. It’s an essential medication and treatment for scuba injuries as well as having many uses for other injuries and illnesses. As a medication its use should be strictly controlled and preferably administered under the direction of a doctor. Anytime diving activities are conducted whether for leisure or maintenance purposes, a suitable oxygen kit should be readily at hand and ready for use. Basic administration procedures are covered in this course that include maintenance and up keep of the bottles and contents.
Equipment specialty – Apart from having equipment professionally inspected and maintained annually, there are some essential tasks that can be performed to ensure the equipment is maintained in tiptop shape. Basic repair tasks and stock of essential tools are reviewed in this course.
Additional Specialty Courses are extensive and broad ranging, to name but a few: Underwater naturalist, Underwater photography and video, Enriched air NITROX, Fish ID, Night Diver, Wreck Diver, Cavern & Cave Diver.
At Ondine, we always add another element to all our courses with a focus on marine conservation and awareness of interaction with marine life.
