Equipment Specialist

All good divers know that the correct maintenance of their diving equipment can make the difference between a fun and safe dive and a life threatening situation. Some maintenance tasks need to be carried out by a certified equipment technician, while other tasks can be carried out by the diver themselves.

The IAHD “Equipment Specialist” specialty course is developed to provide divers with extensive knowledge regarding the functioning of both mechanical and electronic dive equipment. This knowledge enables the diver to judge whether and why, items of equipment are (still) safe to use. In addition, the trainee will also learn how to make minor repairs to the equipment.

This is not a service engineer course. Such a course is the responsibility of the equipment manufacturer or importer. Neither will this course judge which brands of equipment are best. All modern dive equipment confirms to current standards and is as such, safe when used in the conditions for which it was designed. Following successful completion of the course, the trainee will be a certified IAHD “Equipment Specialist” and will receive the IAHD “Equipment Specialist” certification card.

The IAHD “Equipment Specialist” specialty course is comprised of the following modules:

Theoretical Knowledge:
During this part of the course you will learn how dive equipment functions. In addition to gaining in-depth knowledge regarding balanced and unbalanced regulators, the trainee will also learn what determines whether or not a regulator provides air or not. Various inflator systems will also be explained as will the functioning of various diver gauges and instruments. The trainee will learn which maintenance tasks they can perform themselves and which they should refer to a certified service engineer.

Practical Knowledge:
In this part of the course, you will, together with your instructor and using the knowledge gained in the theoretical section, practice performing the repairs which do not need to be referred to a certified service engineer.

Pre-Requisites:
• Certified IAHD “Ocean Ranger” or equivalent;
• Minimum 12 years of age;
• Signed Certificate of Understanding.