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A scuba diving course as part of a holiday to Hawaii is a great way to either further your existing diving skills or take the first essential steps into exploring the marine world. Non-divers can become certified within a day and enjoy a safe first dive in a resort swimming pool followed by a dive at sea. There are a great variety of PADI courses available on the Hawaiian Islands and here we take a first look at what is available for both beginner and pro. Lets begin with a complete look at the full program and possible progression routes. I am a firm believer as a writer and researcher that we must be organised when exploring a complicated topic such as scuba diving courses, so we must put method before madness. Followers of my previous articles will know that I don't like to include a lot of unnecessary fluff so you will find quick bullet points of the essentials followed by a more in depth review. So with this in mind lets take a look at the chart below and from here you can decide what is appropriate further reading for you. Level 1 4 options - PADI Seal Team - Bubblemaker - Discover Scuba Diving - Skin Diver Specialty courses for personal interests - AWARE Coral Reef Conservation - Project AWARE Specialist - Digital Underwater Photographer Level 2 2 options - Open Water Diver - PADI Scuba Diver Specialty courses for personal interests - Altitude Diver - AWARE Fish Identification - Boat Diver - Digital Underwater Photographer - Diver Propulsion Vehicle Diver - Drift Diver - Dry Suit Diver - Emergency Oxygen Provider - Enriched Air Diver - Equipment Specialist - Multilevel Diver - National Geographic Diver - Night Diver - Peak Performance Buoyancy - Sidemount - Underwater Naturalist - Underwater Navigator - Underwater Photographer - underwater Videographer Level 3 Adventure Diver Specialty courses for personal interests - Deep Diver - Wreck Diver Level 4 Advanced Open Water Diver Specialty courses for personal interests - Cavern Diver - Ice Diver - Search and Recovery Diver - Semi-closed Rebreather - Tec Sidemount - Emergency Response Provider - Emergency First Response Instructor - Emergency First Response Instructor Trainer Level 5 Rescue Diver Advanced courses - Divemaster - Open Water Scuba Instructor and assistant Instructor - Specialty Instructor - Master Scuba Diver Trainer - IDC Staff Instructor - Master Instructor - Course Director Level 6 Master Scuba Diver So, as you can see there are plenty of options open to the diver and an even wider choice of specialty or advanced courses for further learning. Next we will keep things together for each level, so if you are a complete beginner take a look at what is suitable for you next in Level 1. Level 1 Seal Team - Fun for young divers, age 8 plus, in the safety of a pool Young adults will love this course that includes AquaMissions, which are a great introduction to skills such as using a torch underwater, taking digital pictures, buoyancy, navigation and wreck diving skills. Safe diving re-enforcement is the essential part of this program with an introduction to the equipment and basic skills in a friendly environment. Bubblemaker - A fun introduction to scuba, age 8 plus, that will allow young divers to take their first breathe underwater In no more than 2-metres depth of water children can take their first breaths underwater in an exciting Bubblemaker party with friends and family. This course has a particular focus on equipment made for children not adults and no pre-training is required. Discover Scuba Diving - A non-certified course to discover if scuba is for you The first step for most is the Discover Scuba Diving course that allows complete beginners to see what it is like to breath underwater in the safety of a shallow water pool. Here you can see what the scuba equipment looks like and learn the first skills in exploring underwater. If your chosen dive operation in Hawaii includes an open water dive as part of this program then it will count towards achieving the PADI Scuba Diver or Open Water Diver Certifications. Skin Diver - Advanced snorkelling techniques for confident swimmers This PADI certification will take you past simply peering down a the marine life and will teach you to make surface dives to interact with the aquatic life. Level 2 Open Water Diver - Get certified and begin a lifelong passion for the underwater wonders, age 10 plus This course is the most popular scuba course in the world and will see you gain certification with the option to begin learning online to save time and get into the Hawaiian waters as quickly as possible. The course consists of 3 parts: Online or classroom knowledge development of the basic principals of scuba, learning the basic skills in a confined water dive followed by open water dives to review your skills and explore. PADI Scuba Diver - This is a limited certificate for those short on time Suited to those short on time or who only intend to dive with a guide, this course will usually consist of 3 pool dives and 2 open water dives. Following completion you will be able to dive to 12 meters depth with an instructor, obtain air fills, rent scuba gear and continue your dive training to complete the PADI Open Water PADI certificate. Level 3 Adventure Diver - Discover a new set of scuba diving adventures Gain more confidence by increasing your skill set with a choice of 3 dives. You may fancy learning to wreck dive or want to gain the skills needed for underwater digital photography. Each dive contributes towards the first dive of the corresponding specialty course and will see you well on the way towards becoming a Master Scuba Diver. The choice of dives is extensive so there will be something to suit every interest and I have listed them here. Age 10 plus, Altitude Diver, AWARE Fish Identification, Boat Diver, Digital Underwater Photography, Dry Suit Diver, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Underwater Naturalist, Underwater Navigator. Age 12 plus, Deep Diver, Diver Propulsion Vehicle, Drift Diver, Multilevel Diver, Night Diver, Search and Recovery Diver, Underwater Videography, Wreck Diver. Level 4 Advanced Open Water Diver - Build upon the skills you have already learnt Extend the adventure and excitement with this next course that includes 5 adventure dives that introduce you to Deep water diving 18-30 metres, underwater navigation and then a choice of 3 more specialty areas that interest you. The course covers the practical aspects of deep diving, more ways to use an underwater compass, physical effects of deeper diving and navigation via kick-cycles & eRDP electronic Recreational Dive Planner. Level 5 Rescue Diver - A challenging but rewarding course This next step builds upon what you have learnt about preventing problems and how to manage them if they occur. Covering self-rescue, emergency management & equipment, handling stress in other divers & rescuing panicking divers and also rescuing unresponsive divers. Again, the PADI eLearing course will get you started before you land in Hawaii. Level 6 Master Scuba Diver - Become the best of the best in recreational diving By now the lifestyle of an adventure diver will be cemented and this certification will confirm the significant training and experience you have received. This is the highest level of non-professional education in the PADI system. Information sources Holidays to Hawaii PADI Kona Honu Divers
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