PADI Professionals have a long and successful history of working with divers with disabilities. PADI's approach to diver education is (and always has been) inclusive: Everyone who meets a course's prerequisites is welcome to enroll. The PADI Adaptive Techniques Specialty course builds on that foundation by enhancing the training PADI Professionals receive, and preparing them for student-centered and prescriptive approaches when adapting techniques to meet diver needs.
PADI Divemasters or PADI Master Freedivers who have completed EFR Primary and Secondary Care course within 24 months are eligible to take the PADI Adaptive Techniques Specialty course.
The PADI Adaptive Techniques Specialty course focuses on increasing awareness of varying abilities, and explores adaptive teaching techniques to apply when training and diving with physically and mentally challenged divers.
The course consists of knowledge development, two confined water skill development workshops and two open water workshops. In addition, a subset of this course, PADI Adaptive Support Diver, will interest divers who want to learn how they can best support dive buddies who have physical or mental challenges.