Winter is a perfect time to turn your attention to your dive kit with the PADI Equipment Specialist course. When the weather outside is cold and the water temperature hasn’t begun to warm up, you can spend the time getting your kit in excellent condition and ready for the year’s diving to come. If you’re not sure where to begin when it comes to kit maintenance, the Equipment Specialist course will be perfect for you.

Diving requires life support equipment to keep you alive underwater, so we want to leave the main regulator servicing and cylinder inspection to qualified technicians. This doesn’t mean you can’t learn more about how these vital pieces of life support equipment work though, and how to make simple repairs and adjustments that could help you avoid missing dives.

Working through the PADI Equipment Specialist Touch digital manual you will come across diagrams and videos showing you the inner workings of your regulator. These are great at explaining how these work, but nothing beats hands-on experience, and that is exactly what the classroom day will give you. Working closely with your instructor you’re going to be taking apart different makes and models of both first and second stage regulators. This allows you to see the inner workings, and by the end of the day, you will be able to explain how it functions. 

With both first and second stage regulators in your hands, it’s also much easier to see how simple repairs and adjustments using basic tools can save a dive in the event of a small issue arising. Torn mouthpieces or damaged hoses can be changed, and minor adjustments can be made that mean you won’t miss out on the dive you’ve been waiting for ages to take. 

The course not only looks at regulators but goes into much more detail on all aspects of your dive kit including cylinders, BCDs, dive computers and more. With a full day of hands-on experience including changing o’rings, replicating mask straps and changing batteries as well as disassembling and reassembling different dive kit you will finish the day with a greater understanding of your own gear. You’re then ready to go home and prepare your dive kit for the season to come.

Greg – PADI Master Instructor and Equipment Specialist Instructor