January 01, 2023
PADI Drift Diver Course
Please meet Tom, your diving buddy, at the Dive Base Academy of Sindbad Club! Tom has been diving with the Dive Base Academy for four years. He has completed many PADI courses with us and has become very familiar with numerous dive sites and underwater wonders of the Red Sea.
Tom will take you on an exciting tour to familiarize you with our diving courses at the Dive Base Academy in Hurghada. Tom will be your trusted host introducing the various exciting diving venues the Red Sea offers.
If you have any questions about our diving courses or dive sites of the Red Sea, please, ask Tom!
Enjoy!
What can you tell us about drift diving, Tom?
There are many diving venues in the Red Sea near Hurghada that is made for textbook drift dives. It's where you enter the water near a reef and let yourself go by the flow of tides or currents. It's called 'drifting'. It's a sensational and very relaxing way of diving. When you do it well, you consume less air in your tank.
One fine example is Shaab Sabina. This site is a natural drift dive. Once dropped on an exquisite coral garden, you 'surf' on the current towards a labyrinth of coral formations. Meanwhile, the lights reflecting from the waves above, play over a sandy seabed.
What does it take to follow the Drift Diver Course, Tom?
This is a specialty course. You must have a PADI (Junior) Open Water Divers certificate (or equivalent entry-level certification) or higher and be at least 12 years of age. Of course, you also need parental approval when you're under aged.
What do you learn when you follow the course, Tom?
The course teaches you how to go with the flow as you dive near a reef, using the current. The instructors acquaint you with drifting without struggling with buoyancy and without being focused on monitoring your gauges every ten seconds.
The course takes two dives. I practiced buoyancy control, buddy communication and navigation. I also learned how to handle a surface marker buoy they call DSMB and how to use other drift diving safety equipment like floats, lines and reels.
When I had successfully ended the course, I was able to master appropriate procedures and drift diving techniques. One crucial aspect they teach you at the Dive Base Academy is not to lose sight of your buddy once and to float group-wise with the current.
What impressed you most, Tom?
It’s fascinating that the current doesn’t dictate you, but that you ‘surf’ the current underwater effortlessly. It’s like being gently carried away by tidal flows and currents. It's sheer relaxation and exhilaration.
It's a beautiful means of diving. Now, if that sounds exciting, the Drift Diver course is tailored to your preference!