Retrieve lost items that have fallen overboard or over a dock. Learn effective swimming patterns and using a lift bag for heavy objects.

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.

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.

The first dive of this PADI Specialty Diver course may credit as an Adventure Dive toward your Advanced Open Water Diver certification – ask your instructor about earning credit.

Besides your basic scuba equipment, you’ll need a compass and underwater slate. At Aquasub, we have all the gear you may need for the course plus other gear that may help with your searches, such as a dive light, marker buoys, lines and reels.