Hello, Divers!

This is Tanque speaking! I am an SDI Course Director and the instructor responsible for Sandmar Private Diver in Arraial do Cabo! I have already shared some podcast episodes about diving online, as well as a few videos on my passion for diving. Although I truly enjoy doing this, running one of Brazil’s leading professional training centers—and the largest in Rio de Janeiro—has left me with absolutely no time. Not for talking about diving itself, but for the post-production work that comes with media creation!

This first post on our website is an attempt to get back to producing content on the subject I love so much. But it is also a way to organize my thoughts for potential future podcast episodes!

I want to start by talking about something that really surprised me when I first arrived in Arraial do Cabo—or rather, when I first started interacting and working with a local dive shop. Unlike in São Paulo, where divers have more time to prepare for courses on weekends without feeling like they’re missing out on their vacations, here most of our divers are tourists. They come from afar, eager to enjoy their vacation on the beach and in the ocean. This was a completely different dynamic from what I was used to, and, at first, I felt lost. However, having worked as a technology professional for over 20 years, I relied on my analytical skills to adapt and evolve!

To explain better, let me describe what I observed when I arrived here:

  • The vast majority of clients seek a short diving experience, a one-day dive known as the "baptism dive."
  • Some divers look for certification courses, but they want them completed in just one weekend (two days).
  • Many divers take these fast-track courses but never get the chance to properly practice the skills they should have learned. As a result, they either become incompetent divers or don’t even consider themselves divers, opting for baptism dives (!) instead of certified dives.
  • Dive professionals with extensive practical experience but little to no theoretical knowledge about diving.
  • Unmotivated professionals with little or no career planning beyond their role as Dive Masters—better described as "Dive Guides"—many of whom are unaware of the possibility of career advancement in diving.

Each of these points deserves a dedicated (or multiple) posts, but today, I will focus only on the Open Water Diver course!

I must start by saying that I find it disrespectful to call this course "basic." The Open Water SCUBA Diver course is nothing short of a marvel—a culmination of expertise from multiple diving agencies. This course condenses an immense amount of knowledge into a concise and precise format, covering so many aspects of diving that professionals could spend years studying and mastering each of them. The course was designed using accident statistics, psychological studies, and even legal insights to incorporate critical survival techniques for autonomous divers. Many of these techniques may never be used again by certified divers in their future dives or even in advanced specializations. But if these techniques are not properly learned and mastered, they can have serious consequences—not today, not tomorrow, but possibly years down the line when a diver finally finds themselves in a challenging situation. And if they took a rushed, low-quality course without an instructor who truly understands the long-term impact of poor training, the results could be disastrous!

Take a simple example: Flooding and Clearing a Mask. This exercise is a nightmare for diving instructors because it sometimes takes a while for students to master. A rushed course without enough practice time means that many divers never actually learn the skill. The pressure to complete the course quickly forces instructors to accept any attempt at clearing a mask, moving on too fast, and leaving students feeling uncertain or, worse, convinced that the skill is unimportant and can simply be avoided in the future.

This creates a snowball effect. That diver is now certified! And since they can blend in with weekend divers, no one will question their abilities. Imagine this diver decides to pursue further training, such as a deep diving course. Surely, they’ll get another chance to practice mask clearing, right? Wrong! This technique is not covered in the deep diving course—or in any other specialization—because Open Water certification is the prerequisite for all of them. That means this diver will never have to demonstrate their mask-clearing skills again unless they choose to go professional. And even then, only if they train at a serious Dive Center that cares about professional standards. Unfortunately, what I’ve seen here is that many aspiring dive professionals seek Dive Centers offering "work-for-certification" exchanges. These centers often provide little to no real training since the candidates didn’t pay for the course. They are simply given a "Dive Master" title without receiving the proper education, often without even officially registering with the diving agencies—or if they do, they never renew their membership. But that is a topic for another post!

And this is just one skill. There are 17 techniques in the Open Water course, each with at least two variations. Can you name them? And you, as a professional, do you know where to find them documented?

The lack of practice, time pressure, the rush to certify students due to fear of refund requests (which, by the way, stems from a misunderstanding—clients pay for the course, not for automatic certification), online complaints, and the overall lack of instructor preparation all contribute to a widespread issue: incompetent divers. These divers lack confidence in their training, have a negative experience, and often give up on the sport altogether. Some even go so far as to book a baptism dive instead of using the skills they should have mastered in their course!

But all is not lost for divers who find themselves in this situation! There are two solutions, depending on your time, budget, and how much you value your own safety.

For those who feel they learned nothing and still see baptism dives as their best option, the best choice is to retake the full course. Yes, it is possible! Here at Private Diver, we work with SDI certification, and I have personally worked with much larger and more famous agencies. However, several "red flags" led me to prefer SDI, and I’m happy to share why:

  • SDI evolved from TDI, the world's largest technical diving agency. This means that advanced techniques and strict standards are integrated from the very first course, encouraging divers to be truly independent instead of just checking off a list of exercises.
  • SDI instructors are required to certify only if they believe the student would be a competent dive buddy for their closest loved one. While subjective, this standard ensures instructors take their responsibility seriously and focus on quality training.
  • SDI allows instructors to maintain their individuality, unlike big corporations that enforce a one-size-fits-all teaching style. This means experienced instructors can refine their techniques and even contribute to SDI’s global training standards.

There are many other advantages, but these are the ones that come to mind as I write this! The key takeaway is that if you choose to retake your course, we at Private Diver, backed by SDI, offer the best learning experience for you! But as I’ve made clear, we do not guarantee certification—we guarantee the best training! If you earn it, certification will be the natural result of your effort.

The second alternative is for those who feel they can dive but lack confidence in certain skills. In this case, the Inactive Diver or "Refresh" Course is the solution! This fully customizable course allows you to work directly with your instructor to address any difficulties, reinforce essential techniques, and regain your confidence as a diver.

And if you haven’t taken your course yet but want to enter the world of diving—avoid shortcuts! Sometimes, adding just one extra day to your stay here in the Diving Capital can make you a more competent diver, inspire you to bring friends into the sport, explore the world with new eyes, and maybe even become a professional diver one day!

The choice is yours, and we’re ready to help you achieve your dreams!

Best regards, and see you next time!

 

Vinícius “Tanque” Santos
SDI Course Director - 35135