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Courses in Tasmania
Diver Propulsion Vehicle
Course code: SDI-08
Extend your recreational range without allowing speed to outrun control, gas, battery endurance, or the buddy team.
The SDI Diver Propulsion Vehicle course develops the knowledge, planning discipline, equipment familiarity, and in-water control required to use a DPV safely in non-overhead environments. Training covers DPV selection and preparation, battery care and endurance, pre-dive checks, entries, surface handling, orientation, controlled descents and ascents, tandem procedures, buddy communication, range and turn planning, air-consumption awareness, vehicle failure, propeller and entanglement hazards, environmental responsibility, exits, and post-dive maintenance. The objective is not simply to operate an underwater scooter, but to integrate the DPV into a conservative recreational dive plan while maintaining buoyancy, depth, awareness, and team contact.
Standards verification note: Standards verification note: This section has been checked against the current 2026 SDI Standards and Procedures, Part 3, Section 12 — Diver Propulsion Vehicle. The course is conducted in a non-overhead environment and requires two open-water dives with complete instructor briefings and debriefings. The maximum open-water ratio is 2 students per instructor, with reduction at the instructor’s discretion. Minimum prerequisites are SDI Open Water Scuba Diver or equivalent and age 18, or 15 with parental consent. Each dive plan must include and log the surface interval, maximum no-decompression time, gas or air consumption, battery endurance, turn point, ascent and exit considerations. Certification requires satisfactory completion of the academic work, required equipment checks, surface and underwater DPV use, descent, monitoring, ascent, exit, post-dive procedures, dive logging, and mature judgment.
Quick Course Overview
• Certification scope
Use a diver propulsion vehicle in non-overhead recreational environments similar to training, within existing certification and no-decompression limits.
• Required training
Two open-water dives with complete instructor briefings and debriefings.
• Core focus
DPV selection, preparation, handling, battery endurance, range planning, gas monitoring, buddy procedures, failures, hazards, ascent and exit control, and maintenance.
• Maximum ratio
2 students per instructor in open water; our centre delivers this course privately for dedicated coaching and equipment support.
• Environment limit
Training is conducted in open water without an overhead environment.
• Practical outcome
Plan and conduct controlled DPV dives while keeping the vehicle, battery, breathing gas, buoyancy, depth, buddy, turn point, and exit strategy aligned.
Training Options
Premium one-on-one training only
Private delivery provides direct assistance with DPV setup, focused handling practice, flexible pacing, deliberate site selection, and close management of battery, range, gas, buddy, and environmental considerations.
Private 1 on 1 Cost
$1,400 AUD
Note* This course is offered privately due to the DPV equipment, supervision, site-selection, logistics, and safety-management requirements. Date options are confirmed after suitability and conditions are reviewed.
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Prerequisites
• SDI Open Water Scuba Diver or equivalent.
• Minimum age 18, or 15 with parental consent.
• Required administrative and medical documentation completed before open-water training.
• Suitable buoyancy, trim, gas awareness, buddy skills, fitness, and recent diving competence for the additional speed and task loading of DPV use.
Course Format
Learning materials
SDI DPV eLearning or the current SDI DPV student manual and Knowledge Quest, completed before or alongside instructor-led training.
Knowledge development
Pressure, ascent and descent considerations, decompression review, DPV types and features, accessories, battery life and safety, maintenance, transport, gas consumption, battery endurance, turn planning, vehicle failure, propeller hazards, entanglement, and buddy procedures.
Equipment preparation
Select and inspect the DPV, verify battery status and controls, confirm tow and attachment arrangements where applicable, secure accessories, complete scuba checks, establish signals, and agree team roles and contingencies.
Two open-water dives
Complete suitable entries, surface use, orientation, controlled descent, underwater touring, tandem procedures where used, monitoring of the DPV and breathing gas, controlled ascent, exit, and post-dive care.
Dive planning
Calculate and log surface interval, maximum no-decompression time, planned depth, gas or air consumption, battery endurance, turn point, separation response, disabled-DPV response, ascent, safety stop, and exit.
Assessment
Complete all academic, equipment, planning, open-water, post-dive, logging, awareness, and judgment requirements safely and effectively.
What You Will Learn
Select, prepare, inspect, transport, operate, and maintain a DPV suitable for recreational open-water diving.
Control the DPV at the surface and underwater while maintaining buoyancy, trim, depth, body position, speed, direction, and environmental awareness.
Plan range conservatively using breathing-gas consumption, battery endurance, no-decompression limits, turn point, current, conditions, and a realistic return or exit strategy.
Maintain buddy contact and communication, use agreed positioning and signals, and complete tandem procedures where appropriate.
Respond to loss of propulsion, reduced battery performance, separation, propeller obstruction, entanglement, depth change, and other foreseeable problems without losing control of the ascent or exit.
Use a DPV with courtesy and low environmental impact around other divers, marine life, fragile bottom features, and reduced-visibility areas.
What's Included
- Required learning materials | SDI DPV eLearning or current academic materials, as confirmed at booking.
- Private professional instruction | One-on-one knowledge development, planning, equipment preparation, complete briefings and debriefings, direct coaching, and performance evaluation.
- Two open-water dives | Required DPV training covering surface and underwater use, descent, touring, monitoring, buddy procedures, ascent, exit, and post-dive care.
- Training DPV | Use of a suitable diver propulsion vehicle for the planned training environment, as confirmed at booking.
- Core dive support | Use of tanks, air fills, weights, and specifically confirmed centre equipment where required and available.
- Certification | Assessment, remediation where required, dive logging, and SDI DPV Diver certification processing after successful completion.
What's Not Included
- Personal scuba equipment including mask, snorkel, fins, boots, exposure protection, BCD, regulators, dive computer, compass, cutting devices, DSMB, reel or spool, torch, and preferred accessories unless specifically confirmed.
- A personal DPV if you prefer to train on your own unit; suitability, service condition, controls, attachments, battery condition, charging arrangements, and compatibility must be approved before training.
- DPV servicing, repairs, replacement parts, battery replacement, charging outside planned course use, or damaged or lost equipment.
- Equipment hire outside confirmed inclusions, non-standard gases, nitrox fills, additional cylinders, optional additional dives, boat fees, site fees, permits, or third-party charges unless confirmed.
- Travel, accommodation, meals, hard-copy materials where digital materials are supplied, and anything not listed in the final booking confirmation.
Why Train With Us
Recreational DPV training informed by thousands of real dives—not simply learning the trigger and completing two laps. • Thousands of recreational and technical dives behind our coaching | Our team brings substantial practical experience to DPV handling, range decisions, gas management, buddy procedures, equipment integration, and contingency planning. • Private one-on-one delivery | Receive dedicated feedback on setup, body position, buoyancy, speed, direction, awareness, buddy contact, turn planning, failures, ascent, and exit procedures. • The DPV is taught as part of the whole dive | We connect battery endurance and vehicle performance with breathing gas, no-decompression time, current, team position, navigation, return strategy, and environmental conditions. • Real Tasmanian conditions | Develop judgment for cold water, exposure protection, current, variable visibility, thermal load, shore access, and the practical factors that change DPV range. • Equipment support under one roof | Access DPV guidance, suitable accessories, cylinders, air and gas services, configuration support, and progression into technical DPV training through our SDI/TDI 5-Star Dive Centre. • Control before increased range | We prioritise stable, repeatable operation and honest readiness feedback before encouraging faster, longer, or more complex DPV dives.
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