Exhibit or Aquarium Diver Specialty

[Dr Neil]

Besides the Scientific Diver Certification route, does anyone know of an agency that has a specialty for exhibit or aquarium diving?

 

[Hallmac]

SSI has a certification for it, as far as a specialty course goes, Not at this moment.

 

[scubamarketing]

PADI has a distinctive specialty frequently called "Habitat Diver". Since it's a distinctive specialty, each instructor has to apply to teach it with their own outline.

 

[diversteve]

How close are you to the Baltimore Aquarium? Atlantic Edge - Aquarium Diver Certification #17138

 

[paddler3d]

Atlantic Edge does the PADI speciality and part of that is you get to dive a couple tanks in the Ray Tray and the ACR.

 

[RJP]

How close are you to the Baltimore Aquarium? Atlantic Edge - Aquarium Diver Certification #17138

Their program is a fun day - very worth it. (Less so for the card itself.)

 

[Thalassamania]

The question is, "why do you ask?" If you are looking for an "experience" it really does not matter, if you are looking to become an "aquarium diver" chances are that you, as a result of OSHA, AAUS and institutional rules, will have to become a fully credentialed research diver.

 

[paddler3d]

The aquarium has 14 dive teams that are manned by 100% volunteer divers. They come from long and far. I believe the Captain of Tue A makes the drive down from just South of the George Washinton bridge. A few folks on my team come up from VA, one being from Fredericksburg. If your willing to commit one day every other week, try out to become a volunteer diver.

 

[muddiver]

A recreational scuba agency "specialty" certification does not cut it to get into a working aquarium program. You have to be trained by that organization under the guide lines of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences or trained by another AAUS organization and accepted by resciprosity into the aquarium program.

If the aquarium you are doing your PADI Specialty through is allowing people to dive their exibits on just a PADI class, than they are really standing on thin ice from a liability and an OSHA regulation stand-point.

You can justify your stance to swim in an aquarium "because PADI said so" all you want, but you are going to loose in a court of law and to OSHA.

 

[Thalassamania]

The aquarium has 14 dive teams that are manned by 100% volunteer divers. They come from long and far. I believe the Captain of Tue A makes the drive down from just South of the George Washinton bridge. A few folks on my team come up from VA, one being from Fredericksburg. If your willing to commit one day every other week, try out to become a volunteer diver.

I'd sure hate to be in the administration there where there to be an accident ... amateur volunteers have as much place there as they would on a commercial diving job - none what-so-ever.