The PADI® Master Scuba Diver™ rating is considered the highest recreational diving level which is often referred to as the “Black Belt” of scuba diving. Master Scuba Divers sharpen abilities while learning new skills and log at least 50 dives before they attain their rating. The journey to attaining your Master Scuba Diver also builds confidence in and out of water as you take on life-transforming skills like the PADI Rescue Diver which encompass emergency response and diver rescue.  PADI Rescue Divers who have also completed 5 individual PADI Specialty Courses can apply for your PADI Master Scuba Diver rating.

If you aim to be the best of the best recreational diver, perhaps you would like to take on a personal challenge just to attain the rating or look forward to a life-transforming diving journey to better your confidence and skills, for yourself and to be a better dive buddy.

Are 5 Specialty Courses necessary: For the certification? Yes. To broaden your knowledge and skills as a diver? Absolutely!

Wherever you’re diving in the world, conditions can be unpredictable and the more skills and knowledge you have, the better equipped you are to deal with them.

Let’s take wreck diving as an example. The PADI Wreck Diver Specialty consists of 4 wreck dives and will give you the necessary skills to map a wreck, assess the wreck for potential hazards and penetration points and you’ll learn how to safely enter a wreck. However, wreck diving also relies on having excellent buoyancy skills, an ability to navigate and deal with low light conditions and what happens if there is some current too? By taking a range of PADI specialties you’ll start to see how they overlap and you’ll have a broader skill base to act accordingly – in a wide range of situations.

Master Scuba Diver - Wreck

Specialty courses also mean more time with a PADI Instructor. During your PADI training you’ll learn more from your instructor than just the content of the course – whether it’s just noticing how they use different finning techniques during your drift dives, or watching how regular their breathing bubbles are during a photography course, you’ll be absorbing knowledge every fin kick of the way!

Achieving your Master Scuba Diver rating exposes you to at least 5 different diving conditions which you otherwise may not have had the confidence to approach. Diving in different environments is all part of the learning curve and your diving education.

Knowing that you have a broad toolkit of tips and techniques will also give you increased confidence both in and out of the water. You’ll find you’re more comfortable during your dives and ultimately enjoy them even more.

During your PADI Rescue diver course you’ll learn about minimizing the risk of an accident by carefully assessing situations. During your specialty certifications you’ll also learn more about assessing conditions for safety, whether it’s deciding whether or not to dive a wreck, drift dive or night dive. Your ability to make the right decisions will become stronger and you’ll have the confidence to speak up.

It’s worth noting that the PADI Master Scuba Diver and PADI Divemaster are two very different courses. The PADI Divemaster is the first level for those who want to become a professional diver and the focus is on looking after other divers and assisting PADI Instructors during PADI courses. You can read more about the differences between these two courses here.

If you want to develop your own skills, become the best diver you can be and are not interested in a career in diving just yet (or at all) then PADI Specialty courses and the Master Scuba Diver rating are a great route for you to take.

The PADI Master Scuba Diver rating is in recognition of at least 5 Specialties which shows you have a much wider skill set than a Rescue Diver, however – it’s not a limit!

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There are currently over 20 different PADI Specialty courses to choose from as well as numerous Distinctive Specialties and Project AWARE courses for ocean protection. After you’ve reached Master Scuba Diver level, you can continue taking PADI Specialties to keep expanding your skills, and exploring new areas. Remember that you get back from diving what you put in and taking on new challenges is incredibly rewarding. And if you just want a black belt and bragging rights? Well, that works too! However for others it’s a personal journey and a fulfilling one!


Master Scuba Diver Challenge

If you are already a diver or considering to join the best of the best recreational divers, there is no better time than now. Start your 2019 PADI Master Scuba Diver Challenge journey today and you may win a trip to the Caribbean, Maldives or Thailand based on your location!


To locate a PADI Dive Centre in your area use the PADI Dive Shop Locator and find out what PADI Specialty courses they have available and how close you are to becoming a PADI Master Scuba Diver this year.

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