PADI Specialty & Tec Certifications
PADI Specialties & Tec at Diver's Oasis
Looking for more details on the PADI Specialty Courses and Tec Courses offered at Diver's Oasis in Springfield, MO? You're in the right place!
Here's a list of the PADI specialty and tec certifications you'll find information about on this page (click the links to jump to each course's section!):
- EFR Primary and Secondary Care
- Cavern Course
- Self-Reliant Diver
- Sidemount
- Nitrox (Enriched Air)
- Search & Recovery Diver
- Peak Performance Buoyancy
- Night Diver
- Underwater Navigator
- Deep Diver
- Boat Diver
- Digital Underwater Photographer
- Master Scuba Diver
- Tec 40
- Tec 45
- Tec 50
Already know which PADI Specialty or Tec Courses you'd like to sign up for?
Emergency First Response Primary and Secondary Care Training
Course Information
The Emergency First Response® Primary Care (CPR) and Secondary Care (First Aid) course combines flexible online self-study and in-person training. It's your course at your pace. Practice a skill until you feel confident before moving on to the next one.
PADI eLearning®
Online training makes it easy to fit a CPR and first aid course into a busy schedule. Watch videos of different first aid techniques and learn what steps to take in an emergency. Study online or offline, using a computer or mobile device. Connect with your instructor if you have questions.
- eLearning time commitment: 2-4 hours
With Your Instructor
Learn eight essential skills for helping others in an emergency. Get hands-on experience administering CPR using a special manikin, practice bandaging and splinting, and apply your new skills in a role-playing scenario.
- Prerequisites: Desire to help others
- Total time commitment: 4-8 hours
- Minimum age: None
PADI Cavern Course Specialty
Course Information
Want to explore hidden secrets in caverns around the world? You'll need your PADI Cavern Diver certification!
Cavern diving is defined as any dive conducted within the light zone of a cave, which is the area near the cave's entrance where you can see natural light at all times. You'll go on a total of 4 dives during the course (1 in open water and 3 in the cave).
Requirements to participate in the PADI Cavern Diver Specialty Course:
- Advanced Open Water Certification
- Minimum age 18 years
- Liability Release
- Non-Agency Disclosure
- Safety of safe diving
- Medical Complete
You will also need the following equipment (in addition to your basic scuba gear):
- Cave Reel (150 to 400 ft) (You want a good reel for this)
- 7' Hose (Miflex or similar recommended)
- 2 Lights
- Cutting device
Enroll Today
Course Cost: $425
Park fees, personal expenses, and other costs will be the responsibility of the student.
PADI Self-Reliant Diver
Course Information
With proper training, equipment and the right attitude to accept the risks involved in independent diving, an experience diver can responsibly engage in dives without a buddy. Self-reliant diving is an adventure activity that is not for everyone, but does have its place. If you have the mental discipline and commitment to learn and follow self-reliant diving techniques, you'll bolster your skills and confidence when diving alone, in a dive pair or as part of a team.
You need to be a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver who is at least 18 years old and has 100 logged dives to enroll in the Self-Reliant Diver course. You'll also complete a skills assessment with your PADI Self-Reliant Diver Instructor before diving into the course.
Academic
Learning how to compensate for situations you would normally handle with a buddy is the focus of the Self-Reliant Diver course. This includes proper dive planning using air consumption rate calculations, life support system redundancy, and independent management of dive emergencies. During three self-reliant training dives, you'll practice:
- Performing an air consumption rate swim to gather information for later calculation.
- Switching to a redundant air supply system during simulated emergency situations.
- Swimming without a mask.
- Navigating to various points, including your exit.
- Using a DSMB
Requirements
- PADI Advanced Open Water Diver
- Minimum of 100 logged dives
- At least 18 years old
Materials & Equipment
- DSMB
- Redundant gas source, dive computer (depth, gauge/time)
- Surface signaling devices
- Knife/cutting tool
- Slate and pencil
Enroll Today
Course Cost: $370
Park fees, personal expenses, and other costs will be the responsibility of the student.
PADI Sidemount Specialty
Course Information
How to Earn Your PADI Sidemount Diver Certification
Complete your Sidemount Diver eLearning coursework online, then meet with a highly-trained PADI Instructor for training dives.
Step 1
PADI eLearning
PADI eLearning® makes it easy to fit scuba certification into a busy schedule. Study online or offline, using a computer or mobile device. Connect with your instructor if you have questions.
- eLearning time commitment: 2-4 hours
Step 2
With Your Instructor
First, you'll make a confined water dive to become familiar with sidemount diving equipment. Your PADI Instructor will also teach you sidemount diving skills including: frog kicking, attaching and removing scuba tanks as you enter and exit the water, unclipping a scuba tank and swimming with the tank in front of you, and how to switch second stages and manage your breathing gas when wearing two scuba tanks. When you’re comfortable with these skills, you’ll make three open water dives where you’ll practice your new skills, buoyancy control and problem solving.
- Total time commitment: 2-3 days
Enroll Today
Course Cost: $370
Park fees, personal expenses, and other costs will be the responsibility of the student.
PADI Nitrox (Enriched Air) Specialty
Course Information
Wouldn't it be great if you could just spend a little more time underwater and a little less time in between dives on your next scuba vacation? Good news! With the PADI Enriched Air (Nitrox ) Diver Specialty, you can!
This is PADI's most popular specialty, and with good reason. Enriched air (also called Nitrox or EANx) has more oxygen and less nitrogen than regular air. This lower nitrogen level in enriched air means that you will be able to dive deeper and spend more time beneath the surface, because you won't feel the effects of nitrogen buildup in your body as intensely.
You'll also be able to get back into the water faster because less nitrogen in your body means you won't need as much time between dives for decompression.
In the Nitrox PADI Specialty, you'll learn how to dive with nitrox, including how to use an oxygen air analyzer and how to modify your dive computer when you're using enriched air.
Enroll Today
Completing your self-paced PADI e-learning is the first step in earning your Enriched Air Diver Certification.
Once you've completed the independent study portion of the program, you'll work with a Diver's Oasis instructor to learn how to put your new skills into practice!
PADI Search & Recovery Diver Specialty
Course Information
Want to learn how to find lost items underwater and bring them back to the surface? The PADI Search & Recovery Diver Specialty will teach you what you need to know!
We promise that not only will you have loads of fun learning how to use the lift bag, you'll also be gaining useful skills. You never know when you or someone else may lose something in the water, and as a certified PADI Search & Recovery Diver, you'll know how to search for it and recover it!
In this course, you'll improve your underwater navigation skills while learning different techniques for running search patterns. Learn how to plan a search operation from start to finish, including how to use a lift bag to safely return objects to the surface.
Enroll Today
Completing your self-paced PADI e-learning is the first step in earning your Search & Recovery Diver Certification.
Once you've completed the independent study portion of the program, you'll work with a Diver's Oasis instructor to learn how to put your new skills into practice!
PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty
Course Information
Do you dream of floating through the water with ease and grace while scuba diving? Take the PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty to level up your floating and gliding skills!
When you're learning how to dive, it's normal to feel a bit out of control of your buoyancy at first. You may find yourself bobbing up and down, expelling extra energy and wasting air while you try to maintain an even, stable buoyancy below the water.
During the PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy course, you will build on the foundation that you established during your Open Water certification. As you learn how to improve your control over your buoyancy, you will be able to dive with less weight. You will also find that you go through less air while underwater.
Plus, with better buoyancy control, you will be able to glide through the water with less disturbance to the sea life around you.
Enroll Today
Completing your self-paced PADI e-learning is the first step in earning your Peak Performance Buoyancy Certification.
Once you've completed the independent study portion of the program, you'll work with a Diver's Oasis instructor to learn how to put your new skills into practice!
PADI Night Diver Specialty
Course Information
Have you ever wanted to explore the underwater world after the sun goes down? Learn how to do just that with the PADI Night Diver Specialty course!
A night dive is a dive that occurs without the presence of ambient sunlight. You will learn night dive planning, light use and selection, night navigation techniques, communications, and emergency procedures.
Introduce yourself to the whole new cast of critters that come out after the sun goes down, and see your favorite dive sites from a whole new perspective at night.
You will learn how to use a dive light, how to navigate underwater at night, and how to safely ascend and descend at night.
Don't miss out on this adventure of a course!
Enroll Today
Completing your self-paced PADI e-learning is the first step in earning your Night Diver Certification.
Once you've completed the independent study portion of the program, you'll work with a Diver's Oasis instructor to learn how to put your new skills into practice!
PADI Underwater Navigation Specialty
Course Information
Are you ready to move past beginner diver status, always following the dive leader, and learn how to navigate underwater on your own? The PADI Underwater Navigation specialty course will teach you the skills you need to find your way around when diving!
If you're not consciously aware of your own navigation, it's easy to lose track of where the boat is and get disoriented beneath the water. This course will teach you how to find the boat without having to rise to the surface, simply by using a compass and following the natural navigational cues that are all around you underwater.
You'll learn how to use a diving compass, how to maintain navigation over multiple turns, and how to approximate distances underwater.
Avoid long circles and loops underwater that lead to exhausting swims back to shore (or back to the boat) once you surface. Know where you're going at all times and become the trusted navigator that others want to dive with when you complete your PADI Underwater Navigation Certification!
Enroll Today
Completing your self-paced PADI e-learning is the first step in earning your Underwater Navigation Certification.
Once you've completed the independent study portion of the program, you'll work with a Diver's Oasis instructor to learn how to put your new skills into practice!
PADI Deep Diver Specialty
Course Information
Do you feel the lure of the deep calling you further down below the surface? Follow the call — take the PADI Deep Diver Course and learn how to dive to new depths with safety and confidence!
There’s just something exciting and mysterious about exploring deeper dive sites while scuba diving. Sometimes, it’s a wreck that attracts you below 18 metres/60 feet. On wall dives, it may be a giant fan or sponge. Whatever it is that's calling you further below the surface, the PADI Deep Diver Specialty course is the key to going deeper on your next dive.
During this course, you'll learn what nitrogen narcosis is and how to avoid it while deep diving. You'll learn how to manage your gas supply as you go deeper, as well as how to recognize your own personal limits while diving. By the end of the course, you'll be certified to scuba dive with confidence at depths down to 40 meters (130 feet).
Prerequisites:
- PADI Adventure Diver rating or higher
- Minimum age 15 years
Enroll Today
Completing your self-paced PADI e-learning is the first step in earning your Deep Diver Certification.
Once you've completed the independent study portion of the program, you'll work with a Diver's Oasis instructor to learn how to put your new skills into practice!
PADI Boat Diver Specialty
Course Information
Want to get more experience with diving from boats of all types? Become a boat diving pro with the PADI Boat Diving Specialty course!
This course is a core essential for any diver who's just starting out in scuba diving as it equips you with the skill that you will perhaps most frequently use throughout your diving career. Get familiar with diving from boats of all kinds, from small inflatables to giant live-aboards and everything in between.
You'll learn how to pack and stow your gear on any boat diving trip. You'll also learn boat diving etiquette and terminology, along with some tips and tricks for managing seasickness while on the boat.
The PADI Boat Diver specialty is designed primarily for beginner scuba divers with little-to-no boat diving experience. Seasoned divers may still benefit from the course by learning some of the ways in which different boats around the world do things differently. For those divers who already have a lot of experience with boat diving, we'd recommend trying out one of our other PADI specialities!
Enroll Today
Completing your self-paced PADI e-learning is the first step in earning your Boat Diver Certification.
Once you've completed the independent study portion of the program, you'll work with a Diver's Oasis instructor to learn how to put your new skills into practice!
PADI Digital Underwater Photographer Specialty
Course Information
What good is scuba diving if you can’t share your underwater experiences with your non-diving friends? The PADI Digital Underwater Photographer specialty course will teach you how to do just that!
Learn how to capture stunning images of your underwater encounters that you will then be able to share with friends or retain as memory keepsakes. Underwater photography is one of the most popular diving specialties, and the rise of digital underwater photography has made it easier and more fun than ever.
Learn how to use today's modern digital equipment, whether you use a point-and-shoot snap camera or a sophisticated D-SLR like the pros. You'll also learn how to use underwater photography lights (known as strobes), how to reduce backscatter and enhance color in your underwater photos, and how to choose the right photo equipment for the most beautiful underwater pictures possible.
Enroll Today
Completing your self-paced PADI e-learning is the first step in earning your Digital Underwater Photographer Certification.
Once you've completed the independent study portion of the program, you'll work with a Diver's Oasis instructor to learn how to put your new skills into practice!
PADI Master Scuba Diver
Certification Information
Are you ready to join the ranks of the elite PADI divers who have earned their Master Scuba Diver status? Less than 2% of divers earn their Master Scuba Diver card — be one of them!
Requirements to qualify for PADI Master Scuba Diver certification:
- PADI Open Water Diver Certification
- PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Certification
- PADI Rescue Diver Certification
- 5 PADI Specialty Diver Certifications
- Minimum 50 logged dives
Whether you want to go pro with your diving career or you just want recognition for the time you've invested and the skills you've gained while diving, the PADI Master Scuba Diver is for you. When you flash your Master Scuba Diver card, people will recognize your superior achievement and know that you are an experienced recreational diver.
Get Started Now
Ready to become a PADI Master Scuba Diver? Give us a call today to find out how we can help you earn this certification at Diver's Oasis!
PADI Tec 40
About the Course
Consists of seven knowledge development sections, four practical application sessions and four training dives. Designed for the diver transitioning from recreational diving to technical diving.
The PADI Tec 40 course is where you transition from recreational diving to technical diving. It's a natural progression from Tec Basics, or it can be your first tec diver course. It is the bridge between no stop diving and technical decompression diving. You will gain experience and begin building the knowledge and skills you need to continue your tec diver training. You will qualify to make limited decompression dives to 40 meters/130 feet and use up to 50 percent oxygen as a decompression gas.
To enroll in the Tec 40 course, you must meet these qualifications:
- PADI Advanced Open Water Diver, and PADI Rescue Diver recommended
- PADI Enriched Air Diver
- PADI Deep Diver or proof of 10 dives to 30 meters/100 feet or deeper
- 30 logged dives
- 18 years old
You also need to have a Diver Medical Form signed by a physician within the last 12 months.
Note that qualifying certifications from other diver training organizations may apply - ask your PADI Tec 40 Instructor.
Enroll Today
Course Cost: $650
Park fees, personal expenses, and other costs will be the responsibility of the student.
PADI Tec 45
About the Course
This is a course where you rise to the challenge and commit to becoming a technical diver. The PADI Tec 45 course extends your depth limit to 45 metres/150 feet. You will learn to plan and execute single and repetitive decompression dives using a single decompression cylinder with up to 100 percent oxygen. You will use double cylinders, which can be either back mount or sidemount diving configuration. Tec 45 is a prerequisite to Tec 50. There is also an option for divers to earn a Tec 45 Trimix Diver certification.
To enroll in the Tec 45 course, you must meet these qualifications:
- PADI Tec 40 Diver
- PADI Rescue Diver (Proof of CPR/First Aid training within the previous two years required)
- Minimum of 50 logged dives, with at least 10 dives deeper than 30 meters/100 feet
- 18 years old
You also need to have a Diver Medical Form signed by a physician within the last 12 months.
Note that qualifying certifications from other diver training organizations may apply - ask your PADI Tec 45 Instructor.
Enroll Today
Course Cost: $650
Park fees, personal expenses, and other costs will be the responsibility of the student.
PADI Tec 50
About the Course
As a Tec 50 diver, you’ll have the knowledge and skills to make extended range dives to a maximum of 50 meters/165 feet. You’ll know how to make dives with multiple decompression stops using two decompression gases. It's not easy to reach this level. Earning your Tec 50 certification opens the door to deeper diving expeditions. There is also an option for divers to earn a Tec 50 Trimix Diver certification.
To enroll in the Tec 50 course, you must meet these qualifications:
- PADI Tec 45 Diver
- PADI Rescue Diver*
- Minimum of 100 logged dives or 75 hours
- 18 years old
* If meeting this with a qualifying certification, provide proof of CPR/First Aid training within the previous two years.
You also need to have a Diver Medical Form signed by a physician within the last 12 months.
Note that qualifying certifications from other diver training organizations may apply - ask your PADI Tec 50 Instructor.
Enroll Today
Course Cost: $650
Park fees, personal expenses, and other costs will be the responsibility of the student.