Course prerequisites:

• SDI Open Water Scuba Diver, SDI Junior Open Water Diver, or equivalent
• Minimum age 18, 10 with parental consent

What you can expect to learn:

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

• Types of boats and features of those boats
  • Live-aboard
  • Charter boat
  • Private boat
• Safety features
  • Life preservers
  • Life boats
  • Flares SDI Instructor Manual
  • Radio
  • Throw rings
  • US Coast Guard requirements
  • First aid kit
  • Oxygen kit
• Exiting and boarding the boat
  • Type of ladder
  • How to use ladder
  • Entries
• Planning boat trips
  • Types and sizes of boats
  • Location
  • Degree of difficulty of dives
  • Air availability on boat
  • Food/beverages available
  • Sleeping equipment necessary?
  • Weather
  • Dive planning
• Determining necessary equipment
  • Use of a checklist
  • C-card and log book
  • Extra cylinder
  • All open water equipment
  • Spare parts kit
  • Camera/photo equipment
  • Game equipment
• Boat procedures
  • Loading
  • Captain and crew briefs of special procedures
  • Special rules
  • Crowded area procedures
• Lines
  • Anchor line
  • Descent lines
  • Tag line
  • Stern safety line
  • Decompression bar
• Underwater navigation from a boat
  • Natural navigation
  • Anchored
    • No current
    • Current
  • Drift diving

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

• Plan a boat dive
• Briefing on dock before departure
• Review of boat diving procedures
• Captain’s brief and travel to dive destination
• Entry
• Exit
• Log dive
• Care of equipment
• Attempt to use a different types of boat s or, at least, use a different entry point from the boat during the course