Search & Recovery Specialty

Your buddy dropped his Go Pro off the side of the boat? No worries because you are a Search and Recovery- trained diver!

This class will give you the skills to be able to search for any objects and hopefully recover them as well. There are different search methods depending on the size of the item you are looking for. If you are looking for a small ring you would probably use what we call the ‘circle search’ method. If you are looking for a weight pocket you might use the ‘grid search’ method. This specialty is designed to acquaint the diver with special skills and techniques necessary to successfully plan, execute and evaluate a search and recovery dive.

Who is this course for?

• The certified diver looking for more information to maximize the use of search and recovery for scuba diving

Course prerequisites: 

• SDI Open Water Scuba Diver, SDI Junior Open Water Diver, or equivalent
• Minimum age 18, 15 with parental consent

What you can expect to learn:

The SDI Search and Recovery Diver Course takes an in-depth look at all of the following and more:

• Navigation
  • Compass use
  • Estimating distances
• Natural navigation
• Limited visibility diving
  • Factors affecting visibility
  • Hazards of limited visibility
  • Techniques of diving
• Search techniques
  • Shotgun
  • Circular search
  • Grid search SDI Instructor Manual
  • Current (overlap) search
  • Signals for search diving
• Salvage techniques
  • Depth considerations
  • Lift bags
  • Lifting drums
  • Necessary qualities of lifting devices
  • Knots and rigging
  • Fill techniques
  • Mud/silt suction considerations

Some of the required skills you will have to demonstrate include:

• Review compass techniques
• Review search techniques
• Practice and perform different search patterns
• Review lifting techniques
• Recover an object from depth
• Salvage and recovery of an object with a water weight of between 11 and 33 kg/25 and 75 lbs
• Simulate scuba emergency using a minimum of 2 searching techniques
• Log dives

What's in it for you?

Upon successful completion of this course, graduates may engage in diving activities without direct supervision of the SDI Instructor* so long as the following limits are adhered to:

• The diving activities approximate those of training
• The areas of activities approximate those of training
• Environmental conditions approximate those of training

Also, the SDI Search and Recovery Diver certification counts towards a single specialty rating to achieve the SDI Advanced Diver Development Program.

SDI Search and Recovery Diver minimum requirements:

• Complete all open water requirements efficiently
• Demonstrate mature and sound judgment concerning dive planning and execution