Learning to maintain your dive gear and deal with equipment malfunctions in the field is a vital skill set. From replacing a blown O-ring to proper cleaning and maintenance of regulators and BCDs, the skills you’ll acquire in the PADI Equipment Specialist course can be literal dive-savers, especially if you’re diving independently with a buddy rather than with professional dive support.

Benefits

Scuba diving is not just a gear-intensive sport—it is 100 percent gear-dependent, and without properly functioning gear your dive trip becomes a snorkeling excursion at best, or an emergency situation at worst. The benefits of basic gear repair and maintenance knowledge also go beyond the ability to manage equipment malfunctions. You’ll learn how to properly clean and care for all of your dive gear, which will significantly extend the life of your equipment so you can enjoy diving with your kit for years to come.

What You’ll Learn

The PADI Equipment Specialist course starts with a knowledge-development program through PADI eLearning. This will cover many of the basics, like how your dive equipment works and how to properly maintain your gear.

During the in-person sessions, your instructor may recommend that you bring your own equipment or they may provide equipment that you can use as you learn about how the gear functions and how to perform minor maintenance procedures.

You’ll also practice solving common gear problems that divers may face in the water, and you’ll assemble your own save-a-dive-kit with items like spare O-rings, spare second-stage mouthpieces, fin and mask straps, and other items that you can keep in your dive bag for these situations. There are no prerequisites for taking the PADI Equipment Specialist course other than an Open Water (or Junior Open Water) Diver certification.