Search & Recovery Course

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.

The path to becoming a PADI Search & Recovery diver consists of two steps:

1. PADI eLearning: 2-4 hours.
2. Participate in 4 open water dives over 2 days.

PADI eLearning® on your own, from the comfort of your home, read, watch videos, and take quizzes at your own pace to develop knowledge of scuba rescue procedures, before you work with one of our PADI Instructors. 

Complete 4 open water dives are required to complete the PADI Search & Recovery diver course, with Go Dive training, these take place at the National Diving Centre at Stoney Cove in Leicestershire.

These dives usually take place over a single weekend.

You will learn:

• 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.

As well as these dives being an opportunity for you to show your instructor your mastery of the skills and procedures, you will also gain more experience diving and the basics of how to look after other divers . 

On successful completion of these dives, you will be a PADI Search & Recovery diver.

We will provide all the equipment you need for the training.

To enrol on a PADI Search & Recovery course you need PADI (Junior) Open Water Diver (or qualifying entry-level certification) 12 years or older.

 eLearning Course - See Price List.

This is the PADI Search & Recovery Course offered by Go Dive Training. It typically takes place over a single weekend, the open water dives are held at Stoney Cove.