SDI Advanced Adventure Diver Course

Your Open Water card gets you in the water. The SDI Advanced Adventure Diver course is what opens up the water below 60 feet and gives you a real look at where diving can take you from here.

Over five specialty dives, you'll go deeper, navigate with precision, and sample three more specialties of your choice from the SDI catalog. Each dive counts toward a full specialty certification if you decide to finish it later. And when you complete the course, you're eligible to enroll in the SDI Rescue Diver course, which is where a lot of divers say their training got serious.

How the Course Is Structured

The Advanced Adventure course is built around five open water dives, two of which are required and three of which you choose.

Required: SDI Deep Diver Specialty

Every Advanced Adventure student completes the Deep Diver specialty dive. You'll plan the dive, descend to depth up to 100 feet (30 metres), execute the dive according to plan, and ascend with a safety stop. This is the dive that clears your depth ceiling and is the foundation of everything that comes next. Junior divers ages 10 to 15 are limited to 70 feet (21 metres) on this dive.

Required: SDI Navigation Diver Specialty

The Navigation dive teaches you to move through the water with purpose rather than just following the reef. You'll establish reference points, practice out-and-back and compass patterns on the surface, then execute square and triangle patterns on the bottom. Navigation is one of the most practical skills in diving and one most divers wish they'd learned sooner.

Your Choice: Three Elective Specialties

You select three more specialties from the SDI catalog to complete your five dives. Current elective options include:

• Advanced Buoyancy Control
• Altitude Diver
• Computer Nitrox Diver
• DPV Diver
• Full Face Mask
• Marine Ecosystem Awareness
• Night/Limited Visibility
• Shore & Beach
• Underwater Photographer
• Underwater Videographer

Additional specialties may be available depending on scheduling and conditions. Call us at (480) 881-4013 and we'll walk you through what's on offer and help you choose.

What You Unlock When You Finish

Completing the SDI Advanced Adventure Diver course gives you three things that your Open Water certification alone doesn't.

• Depth clearance to 100 feet (30 metres) in conditions similar to your training
• One dive credit toward each of the five specialties you completed, which apply to full specialty certifications
• Eligibility to enroll in the SDI Rescue Diver course

That last one matters. Rescue Diver is the course that changes how you think on every dive, not just in an emergency. Most divers who take it say it's the most valuable certification they've earned. Advanced Adventure is the prerequisite.

Who Can Enroll

The SDI Advanced Adventure Diver course is open to certified SDI Open Water Scuba Divers or equivalent certification holders. Minimum age is 10 with parental consent, 18 without.

Junior divers ages 10 to 15 are welcome with the following limits applied: the Deep Diver specialty is capped at 70 feet (21 metres), the Drysuit specialty requires a minimum age of 12, and Wreck diving with limited penetration requires a minimum age of 15. Your instructor will confirm which specialties are available based on age at the time of enrollment.

Gear and Equipment

Students are required to own their own mask, fins, boots, and snorkel for this course. Dive gear rental such as BCD, regulator, computer, tanks, weights, and wetsuit is included in the course. If you'd like to purchase any of your own equipment, we carry a full selection in the shop and all students enrolled in a course receive a discount on purchases during enrollment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the SDI Advanced Adventure Diver course?

The SDI Advanced Adventure Diver course is a five-dive course that introduces certified Open Water divers to five different SDI specialty areas. Two dives are required (Deep and Navigation) and three are chosen by the student from a list of available specialties. Each dive counts as one credit toward the corresponding full specialty certification.

How deep can you dive after completing Advanced Adventure?

After completing the SDI Advanced Adventure Diver course, you are cleared to dive to 100 feet (30 metres) in conditions similar to your training. Your Open Water certification limits you to 60 feet (18 metres), so Advanced Adventure is the course that removes that ceiling.

Do I need Advanced Adventure before I can take Rescue Diver?

Yes. The SDI Advanced Adventure Diver certification is a prerequisite for the SDI Rescue Diver course. If Rescue Diver is your goal, Advanced Adventure is the next step from Open Water.

What specialties are included in the Advanced Adventure course?

Deep Diver and Navigation Diver are required for every student. For the three elective dives, current options include Advanced Buoyancy Control, Shore & Beach, Computer Nitrox Diver, DPV Diver, and Marine Ecosystem Awareness, among others. Call us at (480) 881-4013 to find out which specialties are available when you plan to enroll.

How many dives is the Advanced Adventure course?

Five open water dives total, two required specialties (Deep and Navigation) and three elective specialties of your choice.

Does the Advanced Adventure course count toward specialty certifications?

Yes. Each specialty dive you complete in the Advanced Adventure course counts as one dive toward the full certification for that specialty. If you decide later to complete a full specialty, you won't repeat that first dive.

Ready to Go Deeper?

Contact us to book the SDI Advanced Adventure Diver course or sign up for an already scheduled class today. Availability may be limited so call us at (480) 881-4013 to get on the schedule. We're open Monday through Saturday 11am to 6pm and Sunday 11am to 5pm, located at 18618 S 186th Way, Queen Creek, inside The Shooting Range. Stop by and we'll help you pick your three elective specialties before you commit.

For more information and to see course standards, click here!