Looking for a PADI Kayak diver course
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You would be best to contact PADI directly to find out. They could tell you who teaches it.
That would be what is called a "Distinctive Specialty". Very few people beyond the Instructor who developed the course teach Distinctive Specialties.
These are not courses that PADI develops, but are courses that individual instructors develop following specific guidelines for a course syllabus.
That would be what is called a "Distinctive Specialty". Very few people beyond the Instructor who developed the course teach Distinctive Specialties.
These are not courses that PADI develops, but are courses that individual instructors develop following specific guidelines for a course syllabus.
There is plenty of information on the web concerning diving from kayaks including several people here with various experiences with kayaks and diving. There is not a course for everything, some things you just have to figure out.
What exactly are your concerns?
I took a course in basic (not SCUBA related) kayaking way back. Then I practiced. The world of kayaks has changed with the advent of the modern roto-molded PE sit-on-top (SOT) kayaks. I currently own four kayaks from 10 feet to 15 feet in length, two are rigged for diving, two for fishing. I have been kayak diving in both lakes, streams and warm ocean waters (Destin Pensacola, Panama City, WPB to FL and Keys and Texas coastal) beginning back in the late 90s.
Kayak diving is a lot of work but also a lot of fun and quite rewarding. So is fishing from the them. I strip my SCUBA gear down to the absolute minimum for kayak diving. I do not use an octopus, no pony bottles, no complex or redundant gear, no weight integrated BCs. Tie everything down or put it below in a hatch. Put your gear on and take it off in the water, always stay tethered including your SCUBA.
If you can find a local kayak course (community colleges, adult education, local clubs etc. just learning the basics of rolling, paddling, maneuvering and common watermanship skills helps a bunch. Then just apply your SCUBA, stir and dive. Easy.
The best SOT kayak ever made, and many will agree with me, for SCUBA (or fishing or whatever) is the long discontinued OK Scupper Pro TW. "The SCUBA kayak" is the OK Scrambler, a fat little barge but stable and fun. SIS (sit-in-side) kayaks are NOT suitable for SCUBA diving use.
N
What exactly are your concerns?
I took a course in basic (not SCUBA related) kayaking way back. Then I practiced. The world of kayaks has changed with the advent of the modern roto-molded PE sit-on-top (SOT) kayaks. I currently own four kayaks from 10 feet to 15 feet in length, two are rigged for diving, two for fishing. I have been kayak diving in both lakes, streams and warm ocean waters (Destin Pensacola, Panama City, WPB to FL and Keys and Texas coastal) beginning back in the late 90s.
Kayak diving is a lot of work but also a lot of fun and quite rewarding. So is fishing from the them. I strip my SCUBA gear down to the absolute minimum for kayak diving. I do not use an octopus, no pony bottles, no complex or redundant gear, no weight integrated BCs. Tie everything down or put it below in a hatch. Put your gear on and take it off in the water, always stay tethered including your SCUBA.
If you can find a local kayak course (community colleges, adult education, local clubs etc. just learning the basics of rolling, paddling, maneuvering and common watermanship skills helps a bunch. Then just apply your SCUBA, stir and dive. Easy.
The best SOT kayak ever made, and many will agree with me, for SCUBA (or fishing or whatever) is the long discontinued OK Scupper Pro TW. "The SCUBA kayak" is the OK Scrambler, a fat little barge but stable and fun. SIS (sit-in-side) kayaks are NOT suitable for SCUBA diving use.
N
I know this is an older thread...
Nemrod, if you read this could you elaborate on "....always stay tethered ...." I think I understand the part of keeping the gear tethered... but do you tether yourself? Meaning tie yourself to the kayak?
Or meaning when you dive you pull the kayak behind you all the time like a huge float and never anchor it or tie it to a mooring?
And to be more specific, I am trying to find out about that latter part really and may ask that in a separate thread (if I don't find it, still searching). But why not ask here:
The part I am really curious about is: What to do with the kayak during the dive and should or should you expect it and the gear on it still being there when you return if you "park it" (moored or anchored properly). (e.g. by/on a wreck) I am not wondering about proper anchoring or mooring... I am wondering about theft of or on an unsupervised "small, easily hidden boat" or about an unscrupulous operator claiming the mooring to himself. and his way bigger and way more important boat .. or... you know anyone of those things that you could think up that might get you worried about your ride home still being there upon surfacing...
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