Specialty activities introduce certified divers to a whole new world of diving opportunities. At Southern Diving learning is easy when you enrol in a specialty course with an SSI Advanced Instructor.
- Knowledge.
Using the SSI education system you will learn the information about specific types of specialty diving that would take you years of diving to learn on your own.
- Skills.
Under the guidance of an SSI Instructor, you will learn the correct skills and techniques associated with the specialties of your choice to make you a more comfortable and confident diver.
- Equipment.
You will learn how to use an expanded range of equipment to help you make your dives more enjoyable and worthwhile
The following specialties are available at Southern Diving.
Learning about Night & Limited Visibility Diving is fun and opens up new possibilities for your diving experience.
- Knowledge.
The academic session focuses on the similarities and differences between night & limited visibility, specialised equipment requirements, preparation for the dive and the dive itself. The final module focuses on advanced techniques for night & limited visibility diving.
- Skills.
You will learn and practice a variety of techniques, such as using specialised equipment, planning and conducting dives, buddy assistance and emergency situations - all in the open water under an Instructor's guidance and supervision.
- Equipment.
For comfortable and enjoyable Night & Limited Visibility diving, specialised equipment is necessary. You will learn about the following equipment:
- Primary and Secondary Lights
- Strobe and Surface Lights
- Lines, Compasses, Gloves, Knives and Whistles
Upon completing the Night & Limited Visibility diving course, you will understand the fundamentals needed to begin exploring the underwater world in almost any kind of limited visibility condition. After that it is up to you to dive smart, be safety conscious, plan well, know your limits, and dive within them.
More than any other specialty, Navigation provides a wide variety of activities a diver can do in his or her own backyard. More than that, navigation provides a sense of confidence and added safety no matter what body of water you are diving in.
When diving in the ocean, you have the added ability to negotiate currents, limited visibility, and other factors that could affect your dive. You have the flexibility to enjoy your dive, but always know that you can get back to the shore or boat without having to surface for directions. This makes all dives safer. Your new navigational skills will provide a whole world of potential, for they will open up new dive sites and possibilities you never would have had the ability to experience before.
- Knowledge.
How to use a compass, reciprocal headings, squares, triangles and hexagons. Measuring distance underwater and special navigation situations.
- Skills.
In the 'dry run' and ocean dives you will learn:
- Natural navigation
- Compasses and navigation
- Combining natural and compass navigation
- Special navigation situations
- The sport of navigation
- Equipment.
A good quality compass is all that is required extra to your usual scuba equipment.
Deep diving can be an exciting and challenging adventure. Diving at greater depths opens up new wrecks, walls and other dive sites not available at shallower depths. It also provides a great sense of adventure to many divers, and satisfies our human curiosity that makes us wonder what lives in those dark waters below us.
- Knowledge.
Your Deep diving specialty instructor will cover planning, equipment, any increased hazards and repetitive deep diving. You will also learn skills about air consumption, computer recommendations and being a responsible diver.
- Skills.
You will learn and practice a variety of techniques, such as using specialised equipment, planning and conducting dives, buddy assistance and emergency situations specific to deep diving - all in the open water under an Instructor's guidance and supervision. You will also have the opportunity to refresh and practice your buoyancy control, all with the guidance of a dive leader.
- Equipment.
For comfortable and enjoyable deep diving, specialised equipment is necessary. You will learn about the following equipment:
- High-performance regulators
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) and spool
- Heavier-lift buoyancy compensators
- Warmer exposure suits
- Dive computers
- Primary and backup lights
- Communication equipment
- Descent/ascent lines
- Backup tanks
Wreck diving offers the diver with a unique and diverse diving experience, unlike the natural habitats of the reefs, and sea-grass beds. Wrecks offer an intriguing view of the past, a glimpse of civilisations that can only be experienced by the wreck diver. Wreck diving is a skill that can enhance a lifetime of underwater experiences. The possibilities are virtually unlimited with new wrecks being discovered or sunk as artificial reefs every year
- Knowledge.
Discovery of wrecks, types of wrecks (artificial reefs, heritage, contemporary), researching the wreck and dive planning and exercising the dive plan.
- Skills.
Further develop buoyancy control and learn new fining techniques. Learn about reels and tie-offs and safely diving a wreck. This course does not teach wreck penetration.
- Equipment.
The following equipment is required when wreck diving.
- A reel
- Two cutting devices
- Primary and secondary lights
- High performance regulators (for deep wrecks)
Diving with the percentage of air greater than 21% is considered Nitrox diving. The benefits of diving with this type of gas is that you may get longer bottom times, or potentially safer dives if use Nitrox and dive as if on 'normal' air.
- Knowledge.
You will learn what is Nitrox, the misconceptions associated with it, and the benefits and limitations of Nitrox. Also, you will learn about the physics and physiology of Nitrox, equipment for Nitrox diving and planning Nitrox dives.
- Skills.
Although there are no new diving skills necessary for Nitrox diving, you will develop theoretical skills involving air consumption rates, partial pressures, equivalent air depths and maximum operating depths. You will also develop skills in advanced use of dive tables and Nitrox dive computers.
- Equipment.
Some of the specialised equipment is necessary for Nitrox diving and you will learn about
- Air analysers
- Nitrox Scuba tanks
- Nitrox regulators
- Nitrox dive computers
- Nitrox dive tables
Diver Stress & Rescue is a course recommended after you have been diving for a while and have completed a few specialties, because it helps you gain more confidence and makes you a better buddy. It is the final course after 4 specialties that leads to the rating of Master Diver.
- Knowledge.
You will learn the signs of stress, and how to deal with stress in yourself and other divers before the dive, during the dive and after the dive. Also, you will learn about different personality types and the common actions of each type in stressful situations.
- Skills.
You will learn skills and techniques to help you and other divers prevent and overcome common stressors associated with diving. You will also learn self aid and buddy aid skills for potentially stressful and/or rescue situations.
- Equipment.
You will learn about how your equipment can help you to stay relaxed and enjoy every dive, what equipment is required in various rescue situations and how to use your equipment properly in the event of a rescue.