About the Course

If scuba diving is like taking a scenic stroll around a park, a Diver Propulsion Vehicle (DPV) is like exploring a neighborhood on an (electric) bicycle. 

DPVs, also called underwater scooters, allow you to see more, conserve air and get from one place to another faster - with a huge smile on your face.

Take This Course If You Want to
  • See more in less time
  • Minimize long swims
  • Learn about different types of DPVs
  • Try something incredibly fun
Learn How to
  • Handle a DPV
  • Manage your depth
  • Avoid problems

DPV Diving: See More, Swim Less, Smile Big

Scuba diving with a DPV is some of the most fun you can have underwater. During the PADI® Diver Propulsion Vehicle course, you’ll be surprised how much you can see on one tank of air. Your instructor will show you different maneuvers and answer any questions you have.

More Info

 
Gifting and Sharing Courses

Want to share the experience or give the gift of endless adventure? You can now purchase PADI eLearning® and share it with a recipient of your choice! Whether you are purchasing the course as a gift or need to assign the it to family members – it’s super easy.

  1. Once you purchase your eLearning course, you can log-in to your PADI account to access the course.
  2. From your Dashboard go to Student Details and Manage Your Courses.
  3. You can then decide to Start the eLearning yourself or ‘Share the course’.
  4. To share the course, simply click on ‘Share the Course’ and enter the email address of the recipient you wish to share the course with.
  5. The recipient will receive an email to create or log-in to their PADI Account to start the course.
 
Medical Requirements

Scuba diving requires a minimum level of health and fitness. Chronic health conditions, certain medications and/or recent surgery may require you to get written approval from a physician before diving.

Avoid disappointment, download and review the Diver Medical form to ensure you won’t need a physician’s approval to dive before enrolling in a scuba course. Instructors, divemasters and dive shop staff are not physicians and should not be asked for medical advice; only medical professionals can give medical clearance to dive.

If you (or your physician) have questions about medical fitness to dive, contact the experts at Divers Alert Network (DAN).

 
Prerequisites & Minimum Age

Minimum Age: 12

Course prerequisites: (Jr.) Open Water Diver or equivalent entry-level certification

 
Choosing a Dive Shop

You can complete this course locally or while travelling. 

Choose a dive shop close to home to:

  • Support your local diving community
  • Meet dive buddies in your local area
  • Learn about your local ecosystem

Choose a dive shop away from home if you:

  • Plan to travel to a dive destination on holiday
  • Like to meet new people when travelling
  • Have the time to complete your course while on vacation
 
Frequently Asked Questions

Diving From a Boat

If the vessel is large enough, you can bring your DPV on a boat dive. Always contact the operator first to ensure they have enough room and a place to secure your equipment.

Before entering the water, speak to a crew member about entry and exit procedures. Most likely, they will have you enter the water first (without your DPV) and hand it to you once you’ve signaled you’re okay. After the dive, the procedure may be reversed - you’ll hand off the DPV to a crew member, then board the boat.

 
Other Costs & Equipment

This course requires both knowledge development and inwater training for certification. When you purchase PADI eLearning from our website, the cost covers the knowledge development portion only.

There is an additional cost to complete your certification with a PADI Instructor. The cost depends on class size, environment, and whether or not you need to rent equipment. Contact a PADI Dive Center or Resort for more information and pricing. 

In addition to basic scuba gear, you will need a DPV. Ask your PADI Instructor or local dive shop about renting or purchasing one.

 
Time Commitment

PADI eLearning: 2-4 hours

Entire course: 1-2 days

 
Available Languages
english
 
System Requirements

PADI’s online courses are designed to work on the browsers listed below. For the best experience, make sure your browser is up-to-date.

Chrome
Safari
Edge
Firefox

If you plan to be somewhere without internet access, use the PADI Training app to download course content and study offline. Content can be downloaded in small sections with a total file size of approximately 182 MB. When you get back online, upload your progress so you can resume your training right where you left off. 

The PADI Training app is available for Android™ and Apple® iOS devices. For the ideal experience, devices should be no more than three models old and running with the most current OS (operating system).

 
After this course

The first dive of the Diver Propulsion Vehicle Specialty course may count toward your Advanced Open Water Diver certification - ask your instructor about earning credit.

Your DPV Diver certification gets you one step closer to becoming a PADI Master Scuba Diver™. Only two percent of divers ever achieve this elite rating.

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Find out what it feels like to fly underwater. Gain the skills you need to dive confidently in a current.
Continuing-Education
Equipment Specialist
Learn how to make basic repairs and protect your equipment investment.