Ready to Mix It Up? Specialty Courses to Suit Anyone's Fancy

One of our favorite aspects of diving is that there really is no finish line when it comes to learning, exploring and refining one’s skills. And we believe there is no better way to progress in your diving abilities than to enroll in one of our PADI specialty courses. Whether you want to try your hand at underwater photography, you want to be a more self-reliant diver by improving your navigation skills, or perhaps you want to learn more about the species endemic to our area like goliath groupers, sharks, sea turtles, or even seahorses… We have specialties that run the full gamut of interests.

With so many choices, we know it can be overwhelming to pick. To help us narrow it down, we had the opportunity to check in with our accomplished Kyalami PADI instructors to hear from each of them on which specialty is their favorite to teach and why.

Instructor Brandon Cannon can often be found on the sidewalks of Phil Foster Park, gearing up alongside students,ready to explore the world-famous Blue Heron Bridge dive site.

Instructor Brandon confessed he has a soft spot for the PADI Seahorse Specialty Course, sharing “seahorses are indeed a magical sight to behold! Their unique appearance, graceful movements, and fascinating biology make them a beloved creature of the sea. Spotting them at the Blue Heron Bridge is so special. They are not as common as other marine life. Seeing one in the wild is a special treat that requires a bit of luck and patience.

Their horse-like heads, prehensile tails, and upright swimming posture set them apart from other fish. They look like tiny, underwater dragons! Seeing a seahorse in its natural habitat is a reminder of the incredible diversity and beauty of the ocean. It's a truly magical experience that can leave a lasting impression.”

Wow, Brandon - well said. Your love and passion for the delicate marine-life of Blue Heron Bridge is evident in your words. Thank you for educating us on this unique specialty course!

Seahorse Diver

Seahorse Diver is a PADI specialty that helps you learn more about these delicate, beautiful critters. We are very fortunate to have a local dive site where we can reliably find seahorses year-round.

Instructor Meme Edwards shared her favorite specialty is Peak Performance Buoyancy. The reason she picked this course is that she has seen just how much it helps people feel better underwater and improves their overall confidence. She also noted that it usually results in a diver being able to drop some weight so they can truly feel “gravity free.” Meme likened the course to “a breathe class” as you learn to fine-tune your buoyancy not only with your BCD, but also with your lungs. This allows you to build on the skills developed in Open Water.

She went on to share that “once you learn to control your buoyancy you can have more fun in every other specialty.” According to Meme, Peak Performance Buoyancy is arguably one of the most important courses, as it truly sets the foundation for successful progression in all other aspects of diving.

Peak Performance Buoyancy

Instructor Meme with one of her advanced students, hovering effortlessly above the reef. Buoyancy is a critical skill that is improved upon with any advanced certification, but Peak Performance Buoyancy can also be taken as a specialty course independently.

We checked in with Ken Ward who has been a PADI instructor for over 33 years, 12 of which he has spent with us at The Scuba Club. He shared: “some folks would think that I prefer to teach the 5 most popular PADI specialty courses: Enriched Air (Nitrox Diver), Deep Diver, Drysuit Diver, Peak Performance Buoyancy or Wreck Diver … and while I have certified many in these specialties, I would not say any of these are my favorite.”

Ken continued . . . “Or even during this spooky season, Underwater Pumpkin Carver (yes this is a real specialty, and I have taught it many times!).”

He finally declared: “my favorite class is actually not even a specialty at all, but rather, it’s teaching Discover Scuba Diving (DSD)! I love showing new divers my underwater world, seeing how their faces light up in excitement seeing an octopus or a spotted eagle ray for the first time. It’s the best part of my job.”

Thank you for sharing with us, Ken! But before we move on, we had to ask once more about the underwater pumpkin carving . . . because, well, spooky season. We think Ken’s photos speak for themselves!

Next we checked in with our VP of education, Shaun Gallant, who shared his favorite specialty is our most popular one - ENRICHED AIR - “Because it is a great upgrade for people’s diving!” He went on to say that “Enriched air is safer, it allows you to have a longer dives with shorter surface intervals and results in an overall improved diving experience.” Shaun also believes that after multiples days of repetitive diving, nitrox just makes you “feel better.” Considering all these benefits, we often wonder why anyone would chose NOT to become Nitrox certified?

Enriched Air Nitrox (EAN)

Instructor Shaun Gallant hanging at 90ft with a massive goliath grouper. With EAN, divers can enjoy more bottom time at these depths which usually translates into more quality time spent with wildlife.

Finally, we caught up with one of the newest additions to our instructor family, Alexis Koh - who many refer to as Lex - to see which specialty was her favorite. Lex shared she loves to teach: Search and Recovery. When asked why, she gave us a few of the perks: “its useful as either a professional or a recreational diver, and helps you build up skills that can be applied to every single dive.”

She went on to share: “it’s one of the more hands-on courses for divers looking to overcome a new challenge, encouraging students can get creative in problem solving based on the situation they are presented with.” She concluded with: “it’s perfect for any diver who wants to get a solid foundation for the Rescue course.”

While Lex may be new to the Kyalami Family, she comes to us with a wealth of experience as a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer, and we are so excited to have her join us!

Search & Recovery

Instructor Lex loves teaching our students to be more self-sufficient in the water, preparing them for more advanced courses like Rescue. PADI Search and Recovery is a course that is both practical and rewarding.

Taking a specialty course allows you to work 1:1 (or in small groups) with an instructor, who really becomes more like a mentor. It is where many of our students see the greatest growth and it allows them to fine tune their skills while increasing their confidence as a diver. Diving is a complex activity with many paths to go down - and we are here to support you along that journey.

With so many fantastic specialties - and the finest instructors in the area - we know the hardest part for most is simply choosing which class to enroll in next! Give us a call to learn about current promos with courses and to hear the full list of course offerings.

Hope to see you out there refining some dive skills on one of our boats soon!

Safe Diving,

Grace