Handicapped Scuba Association Instructor Training class

Recently, several members of Dive Operations and the Dive Immersion Program went through the Instructor certification class for the Handicapped Scuba Association (HSA). This class introduced existing Dive Masters and Instructors to the skills and challenges required to certify people with disabilities as Open Water Scuba divers. The Dive Immersion Program has several groups of guests with paraplegia, quadriplegia, and visual impairments that dive with us on a regular basis so it is imperative that the staff be prepared to accommodate these guests and make their dives enjoyable.

Freediving Training

Elliott Jessup conducted a freediving course for team members of the Dive Immersion Program (DIP) and Dive Operations. Freediving offers a natural diving experience where you are unconstrained by SCUBA equipment. Using only a mask, snorkel, fins, weight belt and ONE breath, divers are able to dive to remarkable depths for extended periods of time.

ScubaPro Protech Regulator Clinic

At the Georgia Aquarium, every single one of the regulators used not only undergoes a monthly inspection, but is also rebuilt once a year. Selected individuals (staff and highly qualified volunteers) participated in the two full days of the ScubaPro training clinic to teach them to work on and rebuild regulators.

Rescue Diver Training

Rescue Diver is a valuable certification level for any diver. Being familiar with steps to take in an emergency situation can make all the difference when an incident occurs. Whether it is how to get an unconscious diver from the bottom to the surface or how to deal with puncture wounds, the rescue diving course is an invaluable class.

Dr. Richard Pyle

Dr. Richard Pyle: Back to the Future in Underwater Exploration: An Old Technology Comes of Age

Dr. Pyle came to the Georgia Aquarium to speak with us about a new rebreather he and Poseidon are developing. Currently, rebreathers are primarily used by technical divers. However, the rebreather that Dr. Pyle presented was created for recreational diving as it is "user friendly". In other words, non-technical divers with less expertise of rebreathers can use the same technology that technical divers have been using in the past.

Freedive Course

One of the many courses we teach in Dive Operations to staff and volunteers is freediving. There's much more to it than just holding your breath for as long as you can. There are breathing techniques, positioning and form, and lots of practice.