You have now obtained your 'Autonomous Diver' certificate and even made several (certified) dives. You are also thinking about going on vacation somewhere to go diving, or you want to get specialty certifications, but you are not sure what you will like. That is why this WOSD 'Advanced diver' course exists.

During the WOSD 'Advanced Diver' course you will receive additional theoretical information and you will also make several dives that let you experience what else you can experience in the underwater world. You will improve your buoyancy control, you will learn to work with a signal balloon, you will gain additional navigation knowledge and you will dive during darkness.

Some of these parts are pieces of WOSD specialty courses so that, after this course, you know even better what your interests are and therefore you can enjoy the underwater world even more. After successfully completing this course, you will receive the WOSD certificate 'Advanced diver'.

The WOSD "Advanced Diver" course consists of the following sections:

Theoretical knowledge:
In this section, we take a closer look at the topics mentioned above. You will learn a small basic of the different subjects so that you can safely conduct the practical skills.

Practical skills:
In this section you will learn, together with your dive instructor, in an open water environment how to perform what you have learned. You will use the various techniques discussed in the theory part.

Pre-requisites:

• Certified as a WOSD "Autonomous Diver" (Diver level 2) or equivalent;
• Minimum 14 years of age;
• Competent swimmer (swimming diploma not necessary);
• Approved medical statement;
• Signed Certificate of Understanding.

About 70% of our Earth is covered with water suitable for diving. Unfortunately for the diver, the water temperature is not always 30 degrees Celsius everywhere. Due to the colder water we cool down quickly and the dive time is often shortened.

By diving with a dry suit we cool down many times slower. This allows us to extend the dive time. With a dry suit we can also make dives in water where you normally cannot dive with a (semi) wet suit because this is not responsible.

During the WOSD specialty course 'Dry suit diver' you will learn which types of dry suits there are and what the advantages and disadvantages of each type of dry suit are. You will also learn which additional parts can be attached to a dry suit. During the practice dives you learn how to prevent and possibly solve the emergency situations that can arise with a dry suit. After successfully completing this specialty course you will receive the WOSD certificate 'Dry suit diver'.

The WOSD "Dry Suit Diver" course consists of the following sections:

Theoretical Knowledge:
In this part you will learn which dry suit is most suitable for you, how to dive with it and how to maintain it

Practical Skills:
In this part you, together with your dive instructor, will learn how to perform what you have learned in an open water location. You will use the various techniques that have been discussed in the theory part.

Pre-requisites:

• Certified as a WOSD 'Supervised Diver' (Diver level 1) or equivalent;
• Minimum 12 years of age;
• Competent swimmer (swimming diploma not necessary);
• Approved medical statement;
• Signed Certificate of Understanding.

Every diver knows that proper maintenance of his diving equipment can mean the difference between a pleasant, safe dive and a life-threatening situation. This maintenance is not only performed by an authorized service technician, but also by the diver himself.

The WOSD 'Equipment Specialist' specialty course is designed to provide a more in-depth knowledge of the functioning of the mechanical and partially electronic parts of diving equipment. The purpose of this is to understand the importance and operation of the diving equipment so that you know whether and why the equipment (still) functions safely. In addition to this, minor faults in the equipment can be resolved by yourself.

This course is not a mechanic training. You need a certificate from the manufacturer (importer) for this. This course is also not about which equipment is better or worse. All modern equipment meets established standards and are therefore all safe in their class. After successfully completing this specialty you will receive the WOSD certificate 'Equipment Specialist'.

The WOSD "Equipment Specialist" course consists of the following sections:

Theoretical Knowledge:
In this part you will learn how diving equipment functions. Not only do we take a closer look at the functioning of balanced and unbalanced regulators, but we also explain which forces determine whether a regulator gives air or not. In addition, we discuss various types of inflator systems and explain the functioning of diving instruments. It is also explained when you can do something about your diving equipment yourself and when you should leave this to an authorized service technician.

Practical Skills:
In this part you will, together with your diving instructor, carry out some small repairs that you can do yourself if you get a malfunction with your diving equipment. You will use the knowledge that has been discussed in the theory part.

Pre-requisites:

• Certified as a WOSD 'Ocean Ranger' or equivalent;
• Minimum 12 years of age;
• Signed Certificate of Understanding.

WOSD Master Scuba Diver is the highest non-professional diving certification a diver can earn at WOSD.

The WOSD Master Scuba Diver certification is a sign that the diver has developed extensive training and experience in the major (diving) specialties. It is not for nothing that these specialties are also a mandatory pre-requisite to achieve the first professional WOSD level (Dive Leader).

WOSD Master Scuba Diver is not a specific specialty course, but is a process in which knowledge and experience are brought to a high level.

To apply for the WOSD Master Scuba Diver certification, the diver must meet the following requirements:

• Certified as a WOSD "Autonomous Diver" (Diver level 2) or equivalent;
• Certified as a WOSD 'Underwater Navigator' specialty diver or equivalent;
• Certified as a WOSD 'Night Diver' specialty diver or equivalent;
• Certified as a WOSD 'Multi-level Deep Diver' specialty diver or equivalent;
• Certified as a WOSD 'Equipment Specialist' specialty diver or equivalent;
  (At least 3 of the above certifications must be WOSD certifications)
• At least 40 logged dives (excluding training dives);
• Minimum 16 years of age;
• Competent swimmer (swimming diploma not necessary);
• Approved medical examination (not older than 1 year);
• Signed Certificate of Understanding.

Diving to a depth of more than 20 meters is only reserved for divers certified for a 'deep diving' specialty (up to 40 metres) or divers who have specialised in technical diving involving special mixtures of 3 or more different gases. be used as breathing gas (up to and including 100+ metres). Dives to a greater diving depth are characterized by a relatively short bottom time.

Another way to safely extend the dive time during a dive between 20 and 40 meters is to make this dive as a “multi-level deep dive”. This uses a technique that ensures that the tissues already lose nitrogen during the dive so that you do not exceed certain limits, which means that the dive time can also be longer in a safe way.

During the WOSD specialty course 'Multi-level deep diver' you will learn how to make a deep dive between 20 and 40 meters in a simple and safe way. In addition, you will learn how to safely extend your dive time from greater depths without the need for a decompression stop. After successfully completing this specialty course you will receive the WOSD certificate 'Multi-level deep diver'.

The WOSD "Multi-level Deep Diver" course consists of the following sections:

Theoretical knowledge:
In this part you will learn what happens to the human body when we dive deeper. We take a closer look at saturating and desaturating the body tissues. In addition, you will learn how to safely extend a dive to a greater depth without being required to make a decompression stop.

Practical skills:
In this part you, together with the dive instructor, will learn how to perform what you have learned in an open water location. You will use the various techniques necessary to make a safe deep dive and to make a safe multi-level dive.

Pre-requisites:

• Certified as a WOSD 'Autonomous Diver' (Diver level 2) or equivalent;
• Minimum 15 years of age;
• Competent swimmer (swimming diploma not necessary);
• Approved medical statement;
• Signed Certificate of Understanding.

The setting of the sun doesn’t mean that you can’t dive anymore. However, many divers think that similarly to land, there is nothing to experience underwater. The contrary is true. In many places the underwater life is much more active that during the day. Many fish, such as eels, morays and lobsters hunt under cover of the darkness. Additionally, you will see much more because your eyes are focused on that part that is illuminated by your dive lamp. In this way, even a dive site where you think you have seen it all, becomes an interesting site again.

During the WOSD specialty course “Night diver” you will learn both how to simply and enjoyably extend your dive fun long after sunset and by using the right dive lamp and also how you can dive in water with limited visibility. After having successfully completed this specialty course, you will receive the WOSD certificate “Night diver”.

The WOSD "Night Diver" course consists of the following sections:

Theoretical knowledge:
In this part you will learn what changes in the underwater life at night. You will also learn which dive lamp is most suitable and how to properly service this lamp.

Practical skills:
In this section you will learn, together with your dive instructor, in an open water environment how to perform what you have learned. You will use the various techniques discussed in the theory part.

Pre-requisites:

• Certified as a WOSD "Supervised Diver" (Diver level 1) or equivalent;
• Minimum 12 years of age;
• Competent swimmer (swimming diploma not necessary);
• Approved medical statement;
• Signed Certificate of Understanding.

Every diver basically just wants to be underwater and to enjoy the underwater flora and fauna or other dive sites such as a wreck. Unfortunately, we have a limited air supply and dive time, and we often must end a dive earlier that we would ideally like to. The last thing we want to do is waste time underwater searching for the dive site, so that there is even less time to enjoy the dive. By utilizing navigation techniques, we are more aware of our location underwater and therefore able to determine which direction to swim in. As a result, we can quickly find the site where we want to dive and therefore enjoy the dive to the full.

In the WOSD specialty course 'Underwater Navigator', you can learn how to navigate, easily and safely, using both natural objects and compass techniques. After successfully completing this course, you will receive the WOSD certificate ‘Underwater Navigator’.

The WOSD "Underwater Navigator" course consists of the following sections:

Theoretical knowledge:
In this part of the course, you learn how to use natural objects combined with a dive compass, to navigate effectively underwater. You will also learn how to use triangulation to locate a specific object. Additional analogue and digital tools are also covered.

Practical skills:
In this section you will learn, together with your dive instructor, in an open water environment how to perform what you have learned. You will use the various techniques discussed in the theory part.

Pre-requisites:

• Certified as a WOSD "Supervised Diver" (Diver level 1) or equivalent;
• Minimum 12 years of age;
• Competent swimmer (swimming diploma not necessary);
• Approved medical statement;
• Signed Certificate of Understanding.