Once you hold a certification card, the next question is what to learn on your next trip. This guide to the PADI specialty courses Belize divers can take with White Sands Dive Shop on Ambergris Caye explains what a specialty is, which ones appear on our course list, how they connect to Advanced Open Water and how five of them add up to Master Diver.
It is written for certified divers who want more from a week of reef diving, whether that means longer dives, night dives or better photos. Your instructor is Elbert Greer, a PADI IDC Staff Instructor who owns and runs the shop.
Which PADI specialty courses can I take in Belize with White Sands Dive Shop?
Quick answer: Our Water Sports page lists Specialty Diver Courses alongside Enriched Air (Nitrox). The specialties named there are Nitrox, Night, Navigation, Deep, Boat, Drift, Multilevel and Photography, and our Advanced Open Water course also offers a Naturalist elective. Five specialty certifications count toward the Master Diver rating. Email Elbert to confirm which ones run during your dates.
What a PADI specialty course is
A specialty is a short course that trains you for one particular kind of diving. Where Open Water teaches the basics, a specialty goes deeper into a single skill, such as diving at night, using a compass or planning a deeper dive.
PADI describes its specialty courses as tools to help divers explore the areas that interest them, from deep diving to photography. The Night Diver course is pitched as a way to see the underwater world after sundown, and Drift Diver as a way to gain confidence diving in currents.
Every specialty earns its own certification card. Collect five and you are well on the way to the highest recreational rating, which we cover below.
PADI specialty diver courses on Ambergris Caye
Our course list and current prices on the Water Sports page names these specialties under Master Diver. Treat it as a starting point, and email Elbert to confirm which ones are running before you travel.
| Specialty | What it builds | Also part of Advanced Open Water? | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enriched Air (Nitrox) | Breathing air with extra oxygen to extend bottom time | No, a separate course | Divers doing several dives a day |
| Night Diver | Diving after dark with a light | Yes, core dive | Anyone curious about night life on the reef |
| Deep Diver | Planning deeper dives, limits and gas management | Yes, core dive | Divers eyeing walls and deeper sites |
| Underwater Navigator | Compass use and finding your way back | Yes, core dive | Buddy teams who want to lead their own dives |
| Boat Diver | Boat etiquette, terms and stowing gear | Yes, elective | Divers new to boat diving |
| Drift Diver | Diving in current and buoyancy control | Yes, elective | Divers who want relaxed current dives |
| Multilevel | Planning a dive across more than one depth | Yes, elective | Divers who want more time on sloping reefs |
| Photography | Taking better photos underwater | Yes, elective | Divers with a camera |
The descriptions in the middle column follow PADI’s course summaries. Naturalist, the elective about the plants and animals you see, appears on our Advanced Open Water list, so ask Elbert if you want it as a full specialty.
Nitrox specialty in Belize: the Enriched Air Diver course
Enriched Air Diver is the specialty on our list with its own detailed course plan. You need to be a certified diver, at least 12 years old and fit for diving. PADI says enriched air can extend your bottom time and shorten your surface intervals on repeat dives.
- Sign up for PADI eLearning and complete the knowledge part online, which takes about 3 hours. That portion is paid directly to PADI.
- When you finish, White Sands Dive Shop is notified that you are ready for the practical phase.
- On the island, you do a practical application session with one of our instructors.
- You then make two dives on our barrier reef using Nitrox 32.
Our Nitrox course on Ambergris Caye guide covers the eLearning sign up and the practical session step by step.
Specialties and Advanced Open Water
Advanced Open Water is the natural place to sample specialties. Our course gives you the experience of five specialty dives and the training to make them safely. It is not academically oriented; the point is time in the water with an instructor.
- Three core dives: Night, Deep and Navigation.
- Two electives of your choice: Naturalist, Drift, Boat Diver, Multilevel or Photography.
If you have not done Advanced yet, start there and use the dives to find out which specialty you enjoy most. Our Advanced Open Water course on Ambergris Caye guide explains how the five dives fit into your trip, and our night diving guide for Ambergris Caye shows what the night dive looks like.
Five specialties to Master Diver
Master Diver is the highest recreational dive rating, a sign of superior achievement and proficiency. Our course list says it requires five specialty certifications from the list above.
PADI sets the rest of the requirements. According to PADI’s page on how to become a PADI Master Scuba Diver, you must be at least 12, hold Rescue Diver or Junior Rescue Diver, earn five specialty certifications and log at least 50 dives.
Rescue Diver is the step most divers leave until last. Our PADI Rescue Diver course in Belize guide sets out what it involves and how long to allow.
How to choose your first specialty
Pick the one that matches the diving you already plan to do. A few rules of thumb help:
- Doing two or three dives a day? Enriched Air makes the most of each one.
- Want to see the reef after dark? Night Diver.
- Planning a full day trip to deeper walls? Deep Diver builds the planning skills.
- Always relying on the guide to find the boat? Underwater Navigator.
- Bringing a camera? Photography.
New to diving altogether? Begin with our PADI Open Water course on Ambergris Caye, then browse our guide to learning to dive and PADI courses on Ambergris Caye for the full path.
Who teaches your specialty course
White Sands Dive Shop is a 5 Star PADI Dive Facility on the beach in San Pedro, a PADI International Resort Association member and licensed by the Belize Tourism Board. It is owned and operated by Elbert Greer, a PADI IDC Staff Instructor. Read more about Elbert Greer, your PADI instructor.
Students remember how much he shows them underwater. Susan wrote that her dives with Elbert stood out “because you pointed out so many cool things to look at, not to mention the manatee.” Read the rest of the letters from Elbert’s dive students in their own words.
PADI specialty courses, Belize: your questions answered
Which specialties are on the White Sands Dive Shop course list?
Our Water Sports page names Nitrox, Night, Navigation, Deep, Boat, Drift, Multilevel and Photography. Email Elbert to confirm which ones run during your dates.
Do I need Advanced Open Water before a specialty?
PADI sets the prerequisites for each specialty. For Enriched Air you must be a certified diver, at least 12 years old and fit for diving, and Elbert will check your card when you book.
How does the Nitrox course work?
You complete about 3 hours of PADI eLearning at home, then do a practical session with one of our instructors and two dives on the barrier reef using Nitrox 32.
How many specialties do I need for Master Diver?
Five specialty certifications. PADI also requires Rescue Diver, a minimum age of 12 and at least 50 logged dives.
Where can I find specialty course prices?
Current prices for Specialty Diver Courses and Nitrox are on our Water Sports page.
Plan your specialty course with Elbert
Tell us your certification level, how many dives you have logged, the specialty you are interested in and your travel dates, and Elbert will plan the course around your trip. Email elbertgreer@fastmail.fm or call 011 (501) 226 2405.