The PADI Self-Reliant Diver Course  is designed to enhance a diver’s ability to dive independently with confidence and safety. This specialty course is ideal for those who want to develop advanced skills in self-sufficiency, whether diving without a buddy or strengthening their dive planning and problem-solving capabilities.

Knowledge Development: Learn the principles of self-reliant diving, including the importance of redundant equipment (e.g., backup air sources, dive computers), self-rescue techniques, and managing dive emergencies independently. This includes a classroom session covering planning, equipment setup, and situational awareness.

Practical Skills: Through confined water and open water dives, participants practice critical skills such as:

Performing redundant gas management with a pony bottle or other backup systems.

Navigating underwater independently using a compass and natural references.

Handling equipment failures and emergency procedures without assistance.

Calculating air consumption rates for precise dive planning.

Open Water Dives: The course includes three open water dives at Lake Wazee, Wisconsin’s deepest inland lake, with a maximum depth of 355 feet and exceptional visibility of 30-40 feet in summer. Divers will explore the lake’s unique features, such as remnants of the former iron mine quarry (e.g., haul roads, artifacts like chains and taconite pellets), massive boulders, and fish cribs, while applying self-reliant techniques. The lake’s clear waters and varied underwater terrain make it an ideal training ground for both novice and experienced divers