PADI Specialties

Increase your awareness of divers’ varying abilities, and explore adaptive techniques to apply while diving or freediving with a buddy with a disability. Learn More

Underwater photography is one of the most popular diving specialties, and with so many underwater cameras to choose from, it has become easier and more fun than ever to capture images of your underwater scuba adventures. The PADI Digital Underwater Photographer course gets you going quickly, whether you use a point-and-shoot camera or a sophisticated dSLR like the pros.

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Reef Check Training
Reef Check is a global organisation combining education and research to help protect reefs and oceans. As a Reef Check surveyor you can contribute to reef conservation efforts and dive for minimal costs while helping with surveys! At the successful completion of this course you will be awarded with Reef Check International EcoDiver card. As a Reef Check EcoDiver and a Reef Check UAE volunteer you will be able to participate in monthly survey dives which will help us understand the threats our local marine ecosystems are facing by collecting valuable data. Upon completion of the course you will also join a team of thousands of volunteer Reef Checkers around the world so you may choose to apply your new skills elsewhere because Reef Check is operational in over 90 countries worldwide! If you are interested in knowing more about our marine environment, collecting data from our local reefs and getting more out of your dives, this course is exactly what you are looking for!

Please get in touch with us to find out when our next course will be held.

 

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Join us in learning more about the globally recognised Reef Check program and our upcoming Reef Check training course! In 2019, Al Mahara Diving Center recognises the need to continue our Reef Check UAE monitoring efforts. You will survey dives while learning about Reef Check from the certified team on board. Saadiyat Reef is a beautiful and diverse local reef in our backyard in Abu Dhabi. Come join us for a day of citizen science and fun! Learn More

It happens: People accidentally drop things from docks, off boats or even while scuba diving. If you’ve ever lost something in the water and wanted to go find it, then the PADI Search and Recovery Diver Specialty course is for you. There are effective ways to search for objects underwater that increase your chances of success. And there are good and better methods to bring up small, large or just awkward items. Search and recovery can be challenging, but a whole lot of fun. PADI (Junior) Advanced Open Water Divers who are at least 12 years old can enroll in the Search and Recover Diver course. PADI (Junior) Open Water Divers with a PADI Underwater Navigator certification also qualify. Learn More

Don’t miss a dive due to minor issues with your scuba diving equipment. Whether it's a missing o-ring, wetsuit tear or a broken fin strap, the PADI Equipment Specialist course teaches you to manage basic repairs and adjustments. You'll also learn more about how your gear works, making you more comfortable with it and better prepared to take care of your investment. If you’re at least 10 years old and certified as a PADI (Junior) Scuba Diver or higher, you can enroll in the Equipment Specialist course. Learn More

Knowing how and when to use emergency oxygen is a great skill to have and means you’re ready to help others should the need arise. Becoming a PADI Emergency Oxygen Provider lets you breathe easy knowing that you can recognize scuba diving illnesses treatable with emergency oxygen, and are prepared to offer aid. There are no prerequisites, age restrictions or water sessions required for this course – it’s open to everyone. Scuba divers, snorkelers and anyone who is around divers – boat crew, lifeguards, etc. – will benefit from having this training. Learn More

Whether purpose-sunk as an artificial reef for scuba divers, or lost as the result of an accident, wrecks are fascinating windows to the past. Ships, airplanes and even cars are fascinating to explore and usually teem with aquatic life. Each wreck dive offers a chance for discovery, potentially unlocking a mystery or spying something others have missed. The PADI Wreck Diver Specialty course is popular because it offers rewarding adventures while observing responsible wreck diving practices.

If you’re at least 15 years old and have earned a PADI Adventure Diver certification or higher, you can enroll in the Wreck Diver Specialty course.

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The lure of the deep. There’s something exciting and mysterious about exploring deeper dive sites while scuba diving. Sometimes it’s a wreck that attracts you below 18 metres/60 feet, and on wall dives it may be a giant fan or sponge. Whatever it is, to scuba dive with confidence at depths down to 40 metres/130 feet, you should take the PADI Deep Diver Specialty course. If you’ve earned the PADI Adventure Diver rating or higher, and you’re at least 15 years old, you can enroll in the Deep Diver course. Learn More