SDI was created in 1998 and grew out of the success of our sister company TDI, which specializes in the more advanced disciplines of dive training.
Both students and instructors have embraced the no nonsense approach that the SDI training system offers. We have streamlined the course materials to let students study the essential academics with an emphasis on practical diving skills learned in both the pool and open water environments. SDI is the only scuba training and certification agency to require students to be taught with modern dive computers from the onset of training.
SDI course materials are state-of-the-art; the materials are lavishly illustrated with photography and graphics. The SDI elearning classes are laid out in an easy to follow format with quizzes and a final exam
SDI Courses
At Adirondack Scuba, we teach SDI Courses that we feel are essential to making you a great diver. Courses are available through out the year. In upstate NY, we are limited by our short summer season for in water courses! Contact the shop if you would like a private or small group class on your time schedule. Classes can also be taught when you join us on our trips!
Computer Nitrox
Nitrox is a valuable course that you can take anytime. The primary benefits are increased safety margins and extended no-decrompression times. The class can be taught without any in water skills as long as you have demonstrated to us that you can control your buoyancy. The SDI class can be done on an individual basis anytime.
Deep Diver
SDI’s Deep Diver Course is a must for any diver wishing to explore a little more, go a little deeper, and learn the risks and benefits associated with deep diving. Many interesting sights lay just beyond open water diver training limits such as: beautiful wall dives, shipwrecks, and critters that don’t come into the shallows.The purpose of this course is to provide the necessary training to plan and execute dives that are beyond the depth range experienced during an SDI Open Water Scuba Diver course, specifically beyond 18 metres/60 feet and to a maximum depth of not greater than 40 metres/130 feet. By the end of the course your knowledge, awareness, and comfort level with deep diving activities will have increased.
Night & Limited Visibility
Many divers find that night diving is their favorite type of diving. As with all specialty diving applications, procedures are different than those associated with open water diving. The purpose of this course is to acquaint the open water diver with the procedures, techniques, and potential hazards associated with diving at night, or in limited visibility. Becoming familiar with the use of dive lights, and night diving techniques such as navigation, buddy system procedures, communications, buoyancy control, and interacting with nocturnal aquatic life, the diver can safely enjoy night diving.
Navigation
Divers are intensely fascinated by navigation… It allows them to make their way back to a special spot discovered on an earlier dive. They use the tricks and techniques of navigation to find an ideal exit point at the end of a dive without the need for an uncomfortable surface swim.Your SDI Underwater Navigation Specialty course will help you overcome the obstacles inherent to finding your way underwater. You will learn how easy and simple navigation can be and how it will help you both above and below the surface. During this course, you will review natural aids such as sand ripples or reef formations, which can accurately predict your route. Tools such as mechanical or digital compasses are a surprising challenge to the novice but we will help you unravel the challenge and teach the practical skills and techniques you’ll need to use them effectively.
This course is designed to give students a greater understanding and experience on how to properly navigate underwater using both natural and compass navigation.
Advanced Adventure
If you’ve taken your Open Water Scuba Diver course and are now ready to expand your knowledge but would like to see what is out there first, then the SDI Advanced Adventure Diver course is for you! The SDI Advanced Adventure course will give you an overview of five different SDI specialties. Two of the required specialties are the Deep Diver and Navigation Diver specialties which are the foundation of continuing diver education.
Dry Suit Diver
The SDI Dry Suit Diver Course will open up a whole new world of diving to you. Many of the diving environments around the world are better experienced in a dry suit. Why? These areas have an abundance of marine life waiting to be seen and photographed – they just happen to be a little colder! Dry suits are also used in tropical water during the cooler months.This course allows the student to develop the knowledge and skills to properly use a dry suit. It will discuss the types of dry suits, accessories, maintenance and how to make basic repairs.
Solo
At one point or another, many divers have found themselves alone during a dive, whether it was intentional or not. SDI’s Solo Diving is the practice of self reliant scuba diving without a “dive buddy.”Solo diving, once considered technical diving and discouraged by most certification agencies, is now seen by many experienced divers and some certification agencies as an acceptable practice for those divers suitably trained and experienced. Rather than relying on the traditional buddy diving safety system, solo divers should be skilled in self-sufficiency and willing to take responsibility for their own safety while diving.
Being one of SDI’s most popular courses, the Solo Diver course stresses proper dive planning, personal limitations, and accident prevention, as well as the benefits, hazards, and proper procedures for diving solo. You will also learn the additional equipment that is required for solo diving including its proper usage and assembly. This is the perfect course for underwater photography and underwater video divers as well as those diving with their children or buddies that may not be very experienced in scuba diving.
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Advanced Diver
The SDI Advanced Diver Program was created to make truly “Advanced Divers.” During the course, your Instructor will take you through four complete SDI, TDI, or ERDI specialty courses (for example; Deep, Navigation, Night and Limited Visibility, Photo, Nitrox, Intro to Tech, etc.) covering all the skills and subjects, so that by the end you will feel comfortable to conduct dives of a similar nature. Once you have logged your 25th dive (these can include any and all training dives), visit your local SDI facility with your logbook and verification of completing four SDI, TDI, or ERDI specialties and you will be awarded the SDI Advanced Scuba Diver certification.
By earning the SDI Advanced Scuba Diver certification you will have increased abilities and comfort in the water and be ready for the next step, SDI Rescue Diver.
Equipment Specialist
This course is designed to give an in-depth look at how dive equipment works. It will cover general repairs and maintenance of various types of exposure suits, BCD’s, regulators, and other accessories.
Ice Diver
Ice diving can be a serene and beautiful aspect of scuba diving. As a winter activity, ice diving offers the opportunity to enjoy sport diving year round. Diving under ice presents hazards not common to the open water diver, and special training is required. The purpose of this course is to acquaint the diver with the hazards associated with ice diving, as well as how to plan and execute an ice dive.
Wreck
Wreck diving can be one of the most exciting aspects of sport diving, however every effort must be made to maximize safe diving techniques. The SDI Wreck Diver Course will discuss the equipment and techniques commonly employed while wreck diving. This course may be taught as a non-penetration, 2 dives required, or as a limited-penetration course, requiring 3 dives. Limited-penetration is defined as a swim through or within the ambient light of entry point.
Rescue Diver
The SDI Rescue Diver Course is designed to develop the knowledge and necessary skills to effectively perform diver rescues and assist and administer the necessary first aid in the event of an emergency. You will learn skills such as how to perform self rescues, buddy rescues, recognize and calm potential panic divers, administer proper first aid to divers that have experienced dive related injuries, conduct effective search patterns and manage accident scenes. After the SDI Rescue Diver Course you can enroll in the SDI Master Scuba Diver Development Program or start in the professional ranks and sign up for the SDI Divemaster Course.
Master Scuba Diver
The SDI Master Scuba Diver Development Program was created to make true master divers. The program requires a new open water diver to complete four SDI, TDI, or ERDI Specialties, the SDI Rescue Diver Course, and log 50 dives. SDI feels a diver will be a true master scuba diver after these steps accomplished.
Dive Master
The SDI Divemaster Course is the first professional level certification. During the course you will learn how to work with divers, lead certified divers, and act as a dive guide showing divers underwater dive sites and the marine life that inhabits those dives sites. You will increase your knowledge about physics and physiology as well as increase your proficiency with your scuba and snorkeling skills.
Instructor
The SDI Open Water Scuba Diver Instructor (OWSDI) course is designed to teach current Divemasters or Assistant Instructors certified with a recognized dive training organization the knowledge to effectively function as an open water scuba diver instructor. This program is divided into two sections, an instructor development course (IDC) and an instructor evaluation course (IEC).