PADI Specialty courses allow you to practice your hobbies, and/or discover new diving specialties or specialties relating to diving. Numerous sectors are available to you depending on your level of certification and offer you the possibility of continuing your diving education through short and qualitative training. Thanks to the Specialty courses, you will develop real expertise in a variety of areas, a better general knowledge of diving and more comprehensive adaptation to the underwater world. So join us with a PADI specialty scuba courses at Swim and Scuba of Long Island!
A PADI Specialty course generally lasts one or two days and emphasizes the techniques and procedures specific to the chosen specialty, the necessary special material and equipment, diver behavior, safety, the protection of the aquatic ecosystems, familiarity with the fauna and flora...
Each specialty acquired allows for continuous progress in your training as a diver, whether it is in the direction of other specialties or giving you credits for other future courses. With five specialties, you may, under certain conditions, become a PADI Master Scuba Diver, the highest qualification for a recreational diver.
* Open Water Dives & Boat fees: Diver is responsible for fees paid to charter boats on all dives, fees paid directly to the dive boat captain, or entry fees for dive sites such as Dutch Springs. In addition there is a $50 fee per open water dive required on any course. All certifications require payment of the certification fee $35.
AWARE - Coral Reef Conservation
Protecting our natural and artifical reefs are important conservation concerns for everyone- but scuba divers live that role every time they dive. When you take this course you learn more and help make a difference.
$99.00 plus materials
Find out all about Long Island's underwater ecology. We'll teach you how to identify the animals on the reef and shores and explain their interdependence.
$99.00 plus materials, boat fees, and open water dives
Experiences like these attract divers to boat diving. In fact, virtually all divers end up diving from a boat sooner or later whether it's a skiff, a giant live-aboard dive yacht, or a sailboat. Surprisingly, some divers learn to dive and make dozens of dives before they ever set foot on a dive boat; others learn to dive from one type of boat, but have little experience diving from others.
$199 plus materials, boat fees and open water dive fee
As originally conceived, the Cavern Diver course was a recreational diving course, taught to recreational divers using basic recreational diving equipment. It was assumed most participants had little interest in penetrating caves beyond sight of the entrance.
The cavern diver course is setup to meet two different ends. The first is as a stand alone course for people who want to take a peek inside the caverns in a safe manner.
The second is as the starting point for people who want to continue on to becoming certified as cave divers.
The cavern diver course provides the framework for all cavern and cave diving.
$399 plus books, equipment, site fees and open water dive fees
Are you up for the challenge, discipline, and respect the PADI Deep Diver Specialty represents?
There is something attractive, exciting, and mysterious about "going deep". Even if you have only made a few dives, you may be curious about deeper dives. Based on No Decompression Limits; the course will expand your knowledge, skills and techniques to safely participate in deep diving activities.
$399 plus books, equipment, boat/site fees and open water dive fees
Diver Propulsion Vehicle
DPVs offer a thrilling way for scuba divers to see a lot of underwater territory in a short amount of time. They scoot you through the water allowing you to glide over reefs, buzz around a large wreck or weave through a kelp forest. Whether making a shore or boat dive, a DPV is a great way to see more and have fun doing it.
If you’re at least 12 years old and a PADI (Junior) Open Water Diver or higher, you can enroll in the PADI Diver Propulsion Vehicle course. The PADI Diver Propulsion Vehicle course guides you in choosing the right DPV for you. You’ll make two dives and learn about:
- Maintaining your DPV.
- How to plan dives, including procedures for staying with your buddy.
- DPV-handling skills, such as making proper descents and ascents.
- Potential problems and ways to deal with them.
$299 plus books, equipment rental, dive site/boat fees, dive fees.
Dry Suit Diver
Want to stay warm? Want to extend your scuba diving season? Then dive dry. A dry suit seals you off from the water and keeps you comfortable, even in surprisingly cold water. There is incredible diving in the world’s cooler regions and in some areas, conditions are even better in colder months. Becoming a dry suit diver allows you to expand your boundaries and dive more places, more often.
If you’re at least 10 years old and certified as a PADI (Junior) Open Water Diver or higher, you can enroll in the Dry Suit Diver course. The first thing you’ll discover is which dry suit style and accompanying undergarments are right for you and the diving you’ll do. Then you’ll learn how to take care of your dry suit. During two dives, in addition to a confined water dive, you’ll practice:
- Putting on and taking off your dry suit with minimal assistance.
- Mastering buoyancy control using your dry suit.
- Dive safety procedures when using a dry suit.
$199 plus books, boat/site fees and dives.
Drift Diving is effortless and relaxing because you simply glide with the current and feel the rush of flying underwater. But, with this type of diving come special procedures that you need to know so you can maximize your fun underwater.
$249 plus books, dive and boat fees.
The PADI Enriched Air Diver course is PADI’s most popular specialty scuba course. Why? Because scuba diving with enriched air nitrox gives you more no decompression time, especially on repetitive scuba dives. If staying down longer and getting back in the water sooner sounds appealing, then don’t hesitate to become an enriched air diver.
If you’re a PADI (Junior) Open Water Diver who is at least 12 years old, you can enroll in the Enriched Air Diver Specialty course. Note that in some regions the minimum age is older than 12. You’ll learn why diving with air that has higher oxygen and lower nitrogen content gives you more bottom time, along with enriched air equipment considerations. During a practical session, and two optional (or required) scuba dives, you’ll:
- Discuss managing oxygen exposure.
- Practice analyzing oxygen content in your scuba tank.
- Set your dive computer for diving with enriched air nitrox.
$199 includes books and certification fee
Don’t miss a dive due to minor issues with your scuba diving equipment. Whether it's a missing o-ring, wetsuit tear or a broken fin strap, the PADI Equipment Specialist course teaches you to manage basic repairs and adjustments. You'll also learn more about how your gear works, making you more comfortable with it and better prepared to take care of your investment.
If you’re at least 10 years old and certified as a PADI (Junior) Scuba Diver or higher, you can enroll in the Equipment Specialist course. You’ll learn about routine care and maintenance procedures as well as scuba equipment storage recommendations. Your instructor will show you how to overcome some common equipment problems and offer equipment configuration suggestions. You may even get to jump into the water to try new or unfamiliar equipment.
$150 plus manual
Emergency Oxygen Provider
Be the one ready to help a fellow diver should the need arise by becoming a PADI Emergency Oxygen Provider. Being the best buddy you can be means being prepared – especially in a time of need. You learn how to:
•Recognize diving illnesses treatable by emergency oxygen
•Properly setup equipment
•Administer emergency oxygen
The PADI Emergency Oxygen Provider Manual is an important component of PADI’s Emergency Oxygen training program. Before class, you’ll review a step-by-step explanation of when and how to provide emergency oxygen. You’ll also learn about safety considerations, and how to assemble and disassemble emergency oxygen equipment. The care-at-a-glance card is a quick reference guide to pack in your gear bag and review in case of an emergency. Though suited for divers, this course has no prerequisites and doesn’t include dives, which means it is equally applicable to those who are around divers – boat crew, non-diving buddies, lifeguards, and shore staff. You don’t need any previous CPR or first aid training to take the course.
$99 plus books and equipment
Ice Diver
If extreme, unusual and challenging scuba diving scenarios appeal to you, try diving under the ice. Ice diving is one of the most adventurous scuba specialties because you confront conditions and see beauty few others ever experience. Plus, you might get a chance to play with your exhaled bubbles on the bottom of the ice. Flash your PADI Ice Diver certification card to get instant respect, and usually a lot of questions from other divers about what it’s like under the ice.
You need to be a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver who is at least 18 years old to enroll in the Ice Diver course. Teamwork is essential for ice diving, so you’ll start by learning the roles and responsibilities of support personnel, tenders and safety divers. You also discuss types of ice, site selection and prepartion, the effects of cold, emergency procedures and handling equipment issues. During three closely supervised ice dives, you’ll practice:
- Using specialized ice diving equipment and safety lines.
- Signals and communications along with line tending and line-securing techniques.
- Handling problems and safety diver procedures.
$399 plus books, equipment, site fees and open water dive fees
Whether you're using a dive computer or the PADI Recreational Dive Planner "The Wheel", Multi-level diving is a great way to safely extend your bottom time. This program will teach you how to plan and conduct Multilevel dives using both methods.
$199 plus boat/site fees and dive fees.
Underwater in the Dark!
Although you've seen this reef many times before, this time you drop into a whole new world and watch it come to life under the glow of your dive light. No need to feel anxious, some new underwater buddies will come out to fascinate and enchant you!
$299 plus dive & site fees
Hallmarks of a good diver are the ability to glide through the water with the grace and ease of a manta, hover for comfortable and accurate safety stops, all the while never making contact with the fragile reef environment. If this sounds like you then congratulations! …... If not, Peak Performance Buoyancy is for you.
$199 plus books and site fees and dive fees.
Search and Recovery Diver
It happens: People accidentally drop things from docks, off boats or even while scuba diving. If you’ve ever lost something in the water and wanted to go find it, then the PADI Search and Recovery Diver Specialty course is for you. There are effective ways to search for objects underwater that increase your chances of success. And there are good and better methods to bring up small, large or just awkward items. Search and recovery can be challenging, but a whole lot of fun.
PADI (Junior) Advanced Open Water Divers who are at least 12 years old can enroll in the Search and Recover Diver course. PADI (Junior) Open Water Divers with a PADI Underwater Navigator certification also qualify. Gathering information and resources, then carefully planning a search are the first important steps you learn. During four scuba dives you’ll practice:
- Swimming search patterns using your compass and natural navigation.
- Locating large and small objects using various search patterns.
- Using a lift bag for large or heavy objects, plus other recovery methods.
- Planning a search operation based on facts gathered about a lost object prior to the dive.
$399 plus books, equipment, site fees and open water dive fees
Sidemount Diver
Find a new and different way to configure your cylinders with the PADI Sidemount Diver course. Sidemount diving offers:
- an alternative way to streamline in the water
- easier equipment transportation when topside
- reduced lower back strain
- provides redundant gas supply
- ability to monitor all equipment because it’s in front of you
- increased gas supply for longer dives
Because you are able to move the cylinder from your back to your side, it instantly takes the pressure off of your back and gives you more flexibility to move and enjoy your dive. Plus, you don’t have to walk to the dive site with the cylinders on your back. You can enter the water and clip them on and go.
Sidemount diving is not a new concept, but its application has spread from cave diving to open water recreational and technical diving. Sidemount diving presents divers with a different approach to equipment configuration, and a new set of skills to master.
Remember that the philosophy of this course is to provide an introduction of the benefits and proper configuration of the use of sidemount equipment for recreational diving, with an emphasis on safety. The goal of this course is to provide a systematic, methodical, approach to recreational sidemount diving, showing how to apply the skills developed using conventional backmounted equipment. Once certified, student divers will be able to use sidemount equipment comfortably for no stop recreational dives in conditions similar to, or better than, those encountered during training.
Click here to see our Sidemount Specialty page for more information.
$299 plus books, equipment, site fees and open water dive fees
Are you fascinated with aquatic life? Always wondering what that fish is and why it always dances under a coral head whenever you get close? If you're engrossed with life under the surface, the PADI Underwater Naturalist Specialty course is especially for you.
$199 plus books, site/boat fees, and dive fees.
Be the diver everyone wants to follow and make your sense of direction legendary with the PADI Underwater Navigator Specialty course. When everyone's buzzing about a reef or checking out a wreck, they're having a great time - until it's time to go. Then they turn to you, because as a PADI Underwater Navigator, you know the way back to the boat.
$299 plus books, boat/site fees and dive fees.
There is nothing like the thrill of wreck diving for the first time. Descending downward you try to catch a glimpse.
At first there's just blue water; then a dark shadow, a hazy outline begins to appear as the wreck materializes into view. You have arrived on a piece of history, a disaster from the past, or a new condo for the inhabitants of the the ocean. Diving wrecks is an adventure in exploring humanity's loss and nature's gain.
$399 plus books, equipment, boat & site fees and open water dive fees
Digital Underwater Photographer/Videographer
Underwater photography is one of the most popular diving specialties, and the rise of digital underwater photography has made it easier and more fun than ever. This is why there are actually two PADI underwater photography courses.
This Digital specialty, besides the classical techniques of underwater photography, teaches you to take professional quality photographs and how to manipulate them on your computer. This course consists of two levels and also available to snorkelers.
The PADI Underwater Photographer course is a more traditional photography course designed for conventional film equipment.
$199 plus books, equipment rental (if needed), boat/site fees and open water dive fees
