So you’ve got your Open Water Diver cert… congratulations! You’ve now earned your license to dive literally all around the world. From the tropics of the Caribbean to the frigid, icy waters of the poles, you’re free to explore (within recreational limits!). But… those polar regions might be really cold. Might even require a drysuit! And those beautiful Cozumel beaches have quite a current ripping past them. Do you know how to dive in drifts and tides?

Advanced certifications are not about earning badges or bragging rights - they’re about expanding your skillset and ultimately keeping you safer. No diver enters the water expecting an emergency - that’s why we train, so that when one happens you’ll be prepared. As the saying goes, “There’s old divers, and there’s bold divers… but there ain’t no old, bold divers.”

Safety is paramount to a successful dive, and the only way to increase it is through repetitive training and learning. Luckily, most modern dive agencies (like SSI) offer a myriad of different dive specialties and courses. From learning to dive in different conditions, with different animals, and even with different divers, there’s a course out there for you to expand your knowledge base and ultimately make you a better, safer diver.

What’s your favorite dive specialty??