Specialty Courses

Introduction to Underwater Archaeology

Information on this course can be found here.

Boat Diver

This course exists to provide students with a basic knowledge of dive boats-proper boat diving etiquette, personal conduct, basic dive boat terminology, local boat diving laws and/or ordinances. The class concentrates on performing important boat diving skills-boat diving entries and exits, use of emergency and safety equipment, and in some cases, basic boating skills. Prerequisite: PADI Open Water Diver or higher. 2 boat dives.

Enriched Air (Nitrox) Diver

Information on Nitrox and Enriched Air can be found here.

Boat Diver

This course exists to provide students with a basic knowledge of dive boats-proper boat diving etiquette, personal conduct, basic dive boat terminology, local boat diving laws and/or ordinances. The class concentrates on performing important boat diving skills-boat diving entries and exits, use of emergency and safety equipment, and in some cases, basic boating skills. Prerequisite: PADI Open Water Diver or higher. 2 boat dives.

Drift Diver

The drift diver course will help the student gain an understanding of some of the skills, knowledge, and hazards of diving in strong currents. The different types of currents are discussed, as well as some of the specialized equipment and techniques used during drift dives. Prerequisite: PADI Open Water diver or higher. 2 dives required for certification.

Drysuit Diver

For you cold water divers, or for someone thinking about purchasing a dry suit, the Drysuit Diver course will serve as your introduction to the different types of drysuits, their construction, features, benefits, and operation. We also discuss how to make minor suit repairs, along with some of the important emergency skills needed to safely use this type of exposure suit. We have a pool session to get you acquainted with your suit, then we make two open water dives for certification. Prerequisiste: PADI Open Water Diver or higher.

Equipment Specialist

The Equipment Specialist course is designed not to make you a repair technician, but rather to improve your knowledge of how your equipment works, the theory behind it's operation, and how to perform routine maintenance and minor repairs. We also will be introducing some of the newest equipment carried at our store. We will also demonstrate for you how a regulator is overhauled, how a tank visual inspection is done, and other interesting topics. Prerequisite: PADI Open Water Diver or higher. No Dives required.

Multilevel Diver

The PADI Multilevel Diver course is designed to familiarize divers with the theory, skills, and knowledge needed to safely dive with either the PADI Wheel or modern dive computers. We discuss the theory behind dive tables, dive computers, and multilevel diving. We also give you the most recent guidelines for flying after diving, omitted decompression stops, and the PADI S.A.F.E. Diver Program. If you are a current computer user, or would like to know more about them before investing in a dive computer, call us to sign up today. Prerequisite: PADI Open Water Diver or higher, two dives required for certification.

Night Diver

During the PADI Night Diver course, you will experience one of the most fascinating types of diving. There is a natural curiosity and a chance to see animals that are normally active only at night. Plus, you get a different look at some of your favorite dive sites. The course consists of three dives, all done between sunset and sunrise. You will learn some of the basic procedures for diving with lights, navigation techniques, and general considerations when choosing dive sites at night. Prerequisite: PADI Open Water Diver or higher.

Underwater Naturalist

The purpose of the PADI Underwater Naturalist course is to create an awareness of the aquatic world, and evoke a sense of responsibility for the privilege of diving. We discuss the basics of underwater life, habitats, interaction with divers, but not as a biology class format. It is intended that the participant find out more about the aquatice world through independent study or through other educational programs. Particular attention is paid to dispelling myths about potentially harmful marine life such as sharks, eels, and jellyfish. Two dives are needed, with the only prerequisite being PADI Open Water Certification or higher.

Underwater Navigator

Where are we? Does this question get asked a lot when you're diving? You got a basic introduction to navigation during your first scuba course, but now it's time to take your navigation skills to a higher level. During the Underwater Navigator course, you will gain confidence in your navigation skills so that you will conserve air, time and avoid buddy separation. We perform three open water dives, with navigation skill development the primary goal. You will learn how to estimate distances underwater, how to use natural references when navigating, and how to perform more complex compass routes during each succeeding dive. Plus, the PADI Nav-finder will be used to help you make simple course maps so that you can relocate a favorite dive spot or treasure over and over again. Prerequisite: PADI Open Water Diver or higher.

Underwater Photographer

One of the most creative PADI Specialty Diver courses is that of Underwater Photographer. You will be introduced to the world of taking photographs under water using some of the latest still photo equipment available. Don't let this phrase fool you, though, since the principles of light, shadow, film, and exposure control will apply to any camera system, whether it is a simple disposable camera in a housing, or a top-of-the-line amphibious camera system. Don't worry, though, since all the top underwater photographers spent a lot of time and film learning how to take better underwater pictures. The two dives done for the course will let you use wide-angle, macro and standard lens equipment. Prerequisite: PADI Open Water Diver or higher.

Deep Diver

The purpose of the PADI Deep Diver course is to familiarize divers with the skills, knowledge, procedures, techniques, and hazards of diving between depths of 60 to 130 feet. This is not a course for learning how to do decompression dives. We do, however, talk about proper equipment for deep dives, review the symptoms of nitrogen narcosis, decompression sickness, and flying after diving recommendations. The Recreational Dive Planner is brought up as a review, since this is one of the primary backup devices all divers should use. The three dives done for certification are all at varying depth, gradually acclimating the participant to different and deeper depths. This course is also strongly recommended for anyone interested in the PADI Wreck Diver Course. Prerequisite: PADI Advanced Open Water or equivalent, and 20 logged dives if not a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver.

Ice Diver

This PADI Specialty is designed and intended to be a safe, supervised introduction to diving under the ice. The whole adventure of ice diving is an exercise in teamwork, since the entire diving outing depends on everybody taking part. Topics include proper hole cutting techniques, line handling, essential equipment, and most importantly, emergency procedures for divers off tether. Once certified as a PADI Ice Diver, you will enjoy the company of not only your classmates, but also the other certified ice divers who don't let a little thing like cold weather and "hard water" get in the way of having a good day diving! Prerequisite: 18 years of age, PADI Advanced Open Water Diver or equivalent, 20 logged dives if not a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver and three dives needed for certification.

Search & Recovery Diver

Search and Recovery diving is when methodical search patterns are used to locate some missing object and recovery procedures are used to bring the object to the surface. As a recreational diver, there is sometimes the need for locating a lost wallet, car keys, etc. The ability to recover objects underwater will not only make you a more confident diver, but it will also provide you with a taste of what professional divers do for a living. This course serves as an introduction only; it is not going to turn you into a police diver or public safety diver. Rather, we as recreational divers will use the skills taught in this course to further our diving knowledge, and use it for personal enrichment. Four dives are done, and the prerequisite is PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certification or equivalent and 20 logged dives if not a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver.

Wreck Diver

During the PADI Wreck Diver course, you will make four open water dives, each with a purpose to help you be more confident when making future wreck dives. You will learn such techniques as navigating on a wreck, mapping wrecks, how to use lines for penetration, actual wreck penetration techniques, anti-silting procedures, proper equipment for wreck diving, and where to find more historical information on various shipwrecks. This course is one of most popular at our facility, since the area around our location (Lake Michigan and Lake Superior) offer some of the best preserved and oldest shipwrecks to be found anywhere. They are all at various depths, so even beginning wreck divers will find dive sites well within their limitations. Prerequisites: PADI Advanced Open Water Diver or equivalent, 20 logged dives if not a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver, and PADI Deep Diver certification is strongly recommended. Be sure to check out our Dive Adventure Travel and Lake Michigan Charters sections for more information on our wreck diving trips.

Oxygen First Aid Provider

The Underwater Connection is proud to be a Diver's Alert Network Sponsor, and as such we also offer the DAN/PADI Oxygen First Aid Course. This course is designed to help fulfill DAN's mission statement of having oxygen available at every dive site and someone trained in it's use present as well. During this course, we review basic diving physiology, how nitrogen forms bubbles, and how these bubbles contribute to diving emergencies. The use of oxygen as a temporary treatment is part of the classwork, along with a discussion of the different types of oxygen delivery equipment that is avaialble today. We actually use oxygen equipment during practice sessions, to make you more confident when a diving emergency does arise. There is no prerequisite for this class other than being CPR certified, which can be done during our Emergency First Response Course.