Shore & Beach Diver

Imagine arriving at the coastline, feeling the ocean breeze, and knowing you have the skills to enter the water safely and confidently—without depending on a boat. The Shore & Beach Diver course is designed to give you exactly that freedom.

This specialty teaches you how to understand and manage the unique conditions of shore diving, so you can explore incredible dive sites directly from land. As you build these skills, you begin to feel more independent, more prepared, and more in control of every dive.

What You Will Learn

Site Assessment

Learn how to read the ocean before you even enter the water. You’ll understand waves, surge, currents, and entry points—so you can make smart, safe decisions every time.

Entry & Exit Techniques

Develop the confidence to handle surf zones, rocky entries, and sandy beaches. You’ll master how to enter and exit the water smoothly while managing your gear.

Navigation Skills

Use both compass navigation and natural references like shoreline features and bottom contours to return precisely to your exit point.

Logistics & Dive Planning

Learn how to organize equipment on shore, use dive flags or floats, and plan your air consumption to safely return after a surface swim.

Course Requirements

Open Water Diver certification (or equivalent)
Minimum age typically between 10–18 (parental consent required for minors)
Includes knowledge development and at least 2 shore dives

Why Take This Course?

This course opens the door to a more flexible and accessible way of diving:

• Save money by avoiding boat charter costs
• Dive on your own schedule when conditions are ideal
• Gain confidence handling real ocean conditions
• Build skills toward advanced diving certifications

Dive Freely. Dive Smart. Dive From Shore.

With the right training, the shoreline becomes your gateway to endless underwater adventures—giving you the confidence to dive safely, independently, and whenever the ocean calls.

Who this course is for:

• The certified diver looking for more information to perform dives proficiently from the shore/beach, various types of entries and exits.

Course prerequisites:

• SDI Open Water Scuba Diver, SDI Junior Open Water Diver, or equivalent
• Minimum age 18, 10 with parental consent

What you can expect to learn:

The SDI Shore and Beach Diver Course takes an in-depth look at all of the following and more:

• Dive planning
  • Map of shore
  • Compass review
  • Navigation
• Emergency procedures
  • Surface emergencies, no scuba
  • Scuba emergencies
  • Rescue procedures
  • Review of lifesaving skills
• Shore diving procedures
  • Set-up
  • Navigation aids
  • Land marks
  • Site assessment
  • Special procedures, i.e. keeping the water in fin pockets to wash off feet in sand
• Diving procedures
  • Use of the dive flag
  • Float handling and line attachment
  • Surf zone considerations
  • Buddy procedures
• Things to do off the beach
  • Underwater collecting and hunting
  • Photography
  • Wreck diving

Some of the required skills you will have to demonstrate include:

• Site selection
• Dive planning
• Assess current site conditions and potential changes
• Navigation review
• Surf procedure practice
• Descend
• Compass check and underwater compass use
• Natural navigation check and underwater use of natural navigation techniques
• Float control
• Ascend
• Return to beach
• Exit

What’s in it for you?

Upon successful completion of this course, graduates may engage in diving activities without direct supervision of the SDI Instructor* so long as the following limits are adhered to:

• The diving activities approximate those of training
• The areas of activities approximate those of training
• Environmental conditions approximate those of training

*Note: Junior divers (ages 10-14) must participate in Shore and Beach diving activities with a parent, guardian, or dive professional.

Also, the SDI Shore and Beach Diver certification counts towards a single specialty rating to achieve the SDI Advanced Diver Development Program.

SDI Shore and Beach Diver minimum requirements:

• Complete all open water requirements efficiently
• Demonstrate mature and sound judgment concerning dive planning and execution