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Northwest Diving Institute

Description

Have you ever dropped something in the water? Are you looking for lost “treasure”? The PADI Search and Recovery Diver Specialty course will teach you effective ways to find objects underwater and bring them to the surface. Small, large or just awkward, there is a way to bring them up.

Find lost items and lift them to the surface. It’s fun to use the lift bag. Not only are these skills fun, but very practical and ultimately useful because eventually, you’ll lose something in the water. As a Search and Recovery Diver, you’ll know how to search for and recover it. What you'll learn:

• Search and recovery dive planning, organization, procedures, techniques and how to deal with potential problems.
• How to locate large and small objects using search patterns.
• How to use a lift bag and other recovery methods.
• Limited visibility search technique.

Many factors can affect the success or failure of any search and recovery conducted underwater. Those of particular importance are surface conditions, underwater visibility, depth, bottom topography, bottom composition, vegetation, accessibility, surge, tides, currents, accuracy of bearings, water temperature, pollution, and obstacles or hazards. The size, weight, and dimensions of the object to recover also play a huge role.

The search and recovery dive team cannot control these factors. There is, in fact, one aspect of an underwater search and recovery that can be controlled – organization. The other factors must be considered when the team plans a search and recovery, altering how they search and the recovery methods to accommodate them. Thus, the goal of this course is to teach student divers a systematic, methodical approach to the search and recovery of submerged objects. Student divers will develop the techniques involved in locating and retrieving lost articles, large and small, within recreational limits and while avoiding disturbing delicate marine life.

The mechanics of the search are truly an art; while the principles applied to the operation are firmly grounded in science. The best way to learn how to conduct search patterns and to use lifting devices is by doing it. This course philosophy therefore, emphasizes diving. Student divers will apply the knowledge they gain by reading the PADI Search and Recovery Diver Manual and watching the companion video on at least four open water dives searching for and recovering objects of different sizes in varying search area.

Type

Recreational (Specialty/Distinctive)

College Credit

1 Credit Hour(s)

Cost

$199.00 per person with the purchase of required student materials, otherwise add $19.90.

Prerequisites

Certified as a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver or have a qualifying certification from another training organization, and be at least 12 years old.

Documents Required

Proof of certification and Continuing Education Administrative Document, plus a physician's statement (if you have a medical condition that would affect your ability to dive).

Medical Clearance

All students participating in PADI confined and open water dives are required to have a current Medical Statement on file. If you answer YES to any of the listed conditions, you will also need to obtain physician's approval prior to the first water session. It is the student's responsibility to obtain proper medical clearance prior to diving and we cannot make exceptions.

Gear Provided

Lift bag and reel.

Gear Required

Mask, snorkel, fins, exposure suit (dry suit recommended), hood, gloves, compass, knife, tanks, regulator, BCD and weights.

Optimum Weighting

Not sure how much weight you need for this class? Click here to estimate your optimum weighting.

Gear Recommended

Lift bag, reel and slate.

Materials Required

PADI Search & Recovery Diver student manual.

Materials Recommended

Underwater Navigator course and materials.

Instructor

Al Schumer (Chuck Neudorf)

Format

Weekend

Comments

You should have good buoyancy and compass skills which you can get by taking the Peak Performance Buoyancy and Underwater Navigator courses.

Scheduled Class Sessions

Date	Time	Type	Location	Activity	Comments
Sat Aug 18, 2012	8:00 AM	Academic	Cove Three - Alki Beach	Knowledge Reviews and Discussion	Please set up gear beforehand and bring completed knowledge reviews to this first session.
Sat Aug 18, 2012	9:00 AM	Open Water	Cove Three - Alki Beach	Search & Recovery Dive 1	On this dive, we will accomplish the following tasks: search of an area 50 feet by 50 feet to find a small submerged object, search of an area 100 feet by 100 feet to find an object not more than 25 pounds, tie underwater the bowline, two half-hitches, and a sheet bend knot while wearing gloves, and safely rig and bring to the surface an object not more than 25 pounds using an appropriate lifting device.
Sat Aug 18, 2012	10:30 AM	Open Water	Cove Three - Alki Beach	Search & Recovery Dive 2	On this dive, we will accomplish the following tasks: use of the expanding square search for a submerged object in an area 60 feet by 60 feet, use of an appropriate lifting device to safely rig and bring to the surface an object found using the expanding square search pattern, return of recovered object to shore or boat, and continue the dive for fun and experience.
Sun Aug 19, 2012	8:00 AM	Open Water	Cove Three - Alki Beach	Search & Recovery Dive 3	On this dive, we will accomplish the following tasks: use of the jackstay search for a submerged object in an area 200 feet by 200 feet, use of an appropriate lifting device to safely rig and bring to the surface an object found with the jackstay search method, return of recovered object to shore or boat, and continue the dive for fun and experience.
Sun Aug 19, 2012	9:30 AM	Open Water	Cove Three - Alki Beach	Search & Recovery Dive 4	On this dive, we will accomplish the following tasks: organizing, planning and conducting a search and recovery dive with a dive buddy, choosing an appropriate search pattern and lifting method based on facts gathered about a lost object prior to a dive, return of recovered object to shore or boat, and continue dive for fun and experience

If you have additional questions about this class, please call us at (425) 502-7886 or send us an email.

The Northwest Diving Institute, a Washington state-licensed, PADI-certified scuba diving center, is the dive center for all your recreational, professional and technical scuba diving classes, lessons and equipment needs. Certified since 1972, our highly trained staff can take you from basic Open Water to Professional Instructor, on both open circuit and closed circuit systems, and in backmount and sidemount systems. We offer a full line of high-quality scuba diving equipment, lessons, rentals, educational materials, dive trips and air fills (including nitrox and trimix) at highly competitive prices.