Here’s how it works:

 You can earn your Specialty, Advanced, and Master Diver certifications by either completing an Advanced Program, or customize your levels by partaking in the “Specialty of the Month” Program.
 

Advanced Program

This is a con-ed class that includes 4 specialties of various topics.  The most common, for example, is DEEP, WRECK, NAVIGATION, and NIGHT/LIMITED VISIBILITY.  These are “bundled” together in a several session program, along with the appropriate dives.  This is a quicker method of earning your different levels, since they are all pre-planned, and combined together.   This is perfect for the diver who wants to complete their advanced certification all at once.

 Mac’s “Specialty of the Month” Program

    With today’s busy schedules, we realize that committing to a multiple-session class format is challenging.  That is why we developed a way that you can earn different diver levels at your own pace and budget! 

We offer over a dozen one-night specialty classes.  When you complete the required number of specialties, along with the appropriate dives, you earn the different diver ratings.  This is what we call our

“Specialty of the Month” program!

 Check out our list of specialties below and the Mac's Calendar to see what is coming up!
 

NAVIGATION Specialty

Have you ever asked yourself, "How does my instructor manage to find the way back to the boat?"

If so, the NAVIGATION Program is what you need to learn this skill for yourself. 

The NAVIGATION Program will teach you to navigate with a compass and how to apply natural navigation skills. You will also learn to estimate distances, navigate different search patterns, find your way to different marking points, and be able to get back to the exit point at any time.

If you want to know more about NAVIGATION, you can buy the manual or the DVD even without signing up for the course.

NAVIGATION Specialty Course Content:

• Natural Navigation

• Compass Navigation

• Combining Natural and Compass Navigation

• Special Navigation Situations

• The Sport of Navigation

The primary goal of any SSI Specialty course is to teach you important skills in a fun environment. All courses are taught using home study, short academic sessions, and in-water training. 

Combine other specialties while taking the NAVIGATION course! NIGHT/LIMITED VISIBILITY or BOAT DIVING are great add-ons.  Both courses put your navigation skills to the test. The possibilities are limitless!

For more information about SSI Specialty Programs contact Mac’s Sports today!

DEEP DIVING Specialty

 "Depth attracts a lot of divers, as deep dives provide this certain kick.”

Dive in places where only a few have explored before! Get the experience of diving on a wreck below 100 feet/30 metres! To do these dives safely, you need the right skills and the right knowledge.  This is exactly what the DEEP DIVING Specialty provides you.

Without proper training, this kind of diving is an uncontrollable safety risk. To plan your dives properly you must first know about all of the potential risks involved in DEEP DIVING. SSI’s DEEP DIVING course will provide you with the skills, knowledge and experience required to make these types of dives safely and comfortably. 

If you want to learn more about DEEP DIVING, you can buy the manual or the DVD even if you don’t want to sign up for the course.

DEEP DIVING Specialty Course Content:

• Your Total Diving System & Deep Diving

• Planning Your Deep Dive

• Your Deep Dive

• Potential Hazards

• Repetitive Deep Diving

The primary goal of any SSI Specialty course is to teach you important skills in a fun environment. All courses are taught using home study, short academic sessions, and in-water training.

Combine other specialties while taking the DEEP DIVING course! WRECK DIVING or PERFECT BUOYANCY are great add-ons.  Both courses will be used in your deep diving adventures. The possibilities are limitless!

For more information about SSI Specialty Programs contact Mac’s Sports today!

ENRICHED AIR NITROX Specialty

 Have you ever dreamed of having longer no-decompression limits to take pictures or explore a wreck? Did you ever want to be safer from the potential risk of decompression sickness while diving?

Nitrox is the key. Due to the reduced fraction of nitrogen in your breathing gas, your body will have less work, and the desaturation times will be reduced.   This means more bottom time for you!  You will also feel less fatigue after the dive, less surface intervals between dives, and overall increased safety.

In your ENRICHED AIR NITROX program you will learn all the necessary rules for planning dives with Nitrox and using Nitrox in a safe way. An important key point in the entire program is analyzing your own tank prior to any Nitrox dive.

If you want to learn more about ENRICHED AIR NITROX, you can buy the manual or the DVD even if you don’t want to sign up for the course.

ENRICHED AIR NITROX Specialty Course Content:

• Introduction to Nitrox

• Nitrox, Your Body and the Underwater World

• Your Total Diving System and Nitrox

• Planning Your Nitrox Dives

The primary goal of any SSI Specialty course is to teach you important skills in a fun environment. All courses are taught using home study, short academic sessions, and in-water training.

Combine other specialties while taking the ENRICHED AIR NITROX course! WRECK DIVING or DEEP DIVING are great add-ons. The possibilities are limitless! 

For more information about SSI Specialty Programs contact Mac’s Sports today!

NIGHT / LIMITED VISIBILITY Specialty

 "Diving at night means excitement, adventure and fascination all at the same time"

The underwater world is a new and mystical world for us. While diving at night, you can discover a different side of this world, and you can experience it from a completely different view.

It is an unbelievable feeling to discover the mysteries held underwater when the sun goes down. With the right equipment and a powerful torch there is a lot to discover. Night diving is a whole new way to experience the underwater world.

“Limited Visibility” diving is where the distance that you can see clearly is reduced.  This Specialty will get you the confidence and skills to allow you to experience diving in more areas, and comfortable in less than “postcard” clarity.

If you want to learn more about NIGHT AND LIMITED VISIBILITY, you can buy the manual or the DVD even if you don't want to sign up for the course.

NIGHT / LIMITED VISIBILITY Specialty Course Content:

• Night vs. Limited Visibility Diving

• Special Equipment

• Preparing For The Dive Dive

• Advanced Techniques

The primary goal of any SSI Specialty course is to teach you important skills in a fun environment. All courses are taught using home study, short academic sessions, and in-water training.

Combine other specialties while taking the NIGHT / LIMITED VISIBILITY course! NAVIGATION or UNDERWATER DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY are great add-ons. The possibilities are limitless!

For more information about SSI Specialty Programs contact Mac’s Sports today!

BOAT DIVING Specialty Course

“BOAT DIVING is what it’s all about- relaxing on the boat, soaking up the sun, and
sharing great times with great friends!”

Most of the diving you will do while on vacation will take place from a dive boat.

In your BOAT DIVING SPECIALTY COURSE you will learn the right boat diving safety techniques, how to prevent motion-sickness, how to choose the right diving operator when planning your vacation, and what to consider when traveling with your Total Diving System. Taking a BOAT DIVING program prior to your vacation guarantees you will be ready.  This course also prepares you for diving in our local waters on your own private boat, or one of the many boat charters that Mac’s Sports sponsors. 

If you want to learn more about BOAT DIVING, you can buy the manual or the DVD even if you don't want to sign up for the course.

BOAT DIVING Specialty Course Content:

• Selecting Your Dive Boat

• Preparing For Your Trip

• Traveling On Your Boat

• Diving From Your Boat

• Finishing Your Boat Trip

The primary goal of any SSI Specialty course is to teach you important skills in a fun environment. All courses are taught using home study, short academic sessions, and in-water training.  

Combine other specialties while taking the BOAT DIVING course! DEEP DIVING or WAVES, TIDES, and CURRENTS are great add-ons. The possibilities are limitless!

For more information about SSI Specialty Programs contact Mac’s Sports today!

PERFECT BUOYANCY Specialty

 
"Every diver wants to be a "good diver.”  Perfect buoyancy control is the first step in this direction.”

Improving your buoyancy control skills is highly recommended. Every diver who wants to improve their skills, and at the same time learn how to protect and preserve the environment should take a PERFECT BUOYANCY course.

Nearly every diver who wants to dive on great spots on vacation is requested to do a Check-Dive and buoyancy control is one of the essential skills that have to be performed. This isn't done to stress you out at the start of your vacation. It is done to protect the reefs you will be diving around. The destruction and harm caused by divers with weak buoyancy skills is having an impact on reefs worldwide. Additionally, perfect buoyancy control is a prerequisite for nearly all Specialty Courses.

PERFECT BUOYANCY Specialty Course Content:

• The Equipment for Buoyancy Control

• The Basic Knowledge of Buoyancy

• Controlling your Buoyancy in the Water

• Perfect Buoyancy Control as an Active Contribution to the Underwater World

The primary goal of any SSI Specialty course is to teach you important skills in a fun environment. All courses are taught using home study, short academic sessions, and in-water training.

Combine other specialties while taking the PERFECT BUOYANCY course! DIGITAL UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY or WAVES, TIDES & CURRENTS are great add-ons. The possibilities are limitless!

For more information about SSI Specialty Programs contact Mac’s Sports today!

DRY SUIT DIVING Specialty

Why stop diving just because “the water is too cold”?  Jump in a dry suit, then in the water, and keep diving practically all year long!

If you want to dive during the fall and winter in the colder climates, DRY SUIT DIVING is the course you should take. Visibility at these times of the year is usually excellent, so it's a great time to get out there. 

In your DRY SUIT DIVING program you will learn about the advantages of dry suit diving, different suits, valves, thermal underwear and dry suit accessories. During the 2 mandatory dives, you will apply correct dry diving techniques and demonstrate the correct care and maintenance of a dry suit.

If you want to learn more about DRY SUIT DIVING, you can buy the manual or the DVD even if you don't want to sign up for the course.

DRY SUIT DIVING Specialty Course Content:

• Why Dry Suits?

• Types of Dry Suits

• Dry Suit Valves

• Thermal Underwear Selection

• Dry Suit Accessories

• Dry Suit Techniques

• Maintenance of Dry Suits

• Dry Suit Repairs

The primary goal of any SSI Specialty course is to teach you important skills in a fun environment. All courses are taught using home study, short academic sessions, and in-water training.

Combine other specialties while taking the DRY SUIT DIVING course! EQUIPMENT TECHNIQUES or WRECK DIVING are great add-ons. The possibilities are limitless! 

For more information about SSI Specialty Programs contact Mac’s Sports today!
 

WRECK DIVING Specialty

 "Diving on wrecks means diving in the past – and it is always related with a certain thrill…"

It is an unbelievable experience to see a big ship from a bird’s perspective and to glide towards the captain’s bridge. But there are also tragedies related to wrecks. Diving on wrecks is exciting and there are some potential risks too, but with the right training, WRECK DIVING will become a great adventure.

During the WRECK DIVING SPECIALTY COURSE you will learn where and how to get background information on wrecks, how to locate wrecks and how to prepare for a wreck dive. You will also learn safety techniques and specialty equipment, how to navigate around the structure, and more.  During the 2 mandatory dives you will apply the correct wreck diving techniques, as well as, evaluate and avoid the potential risks while diving on wrecks.

If you want to learn more about WRECK DIVING, you can buy the manual or the DVD even if you don't want to sign up for the course.

WRECK DIVING Specialty Course Content:

• Selecting a Wreck

• Wreck Diving Equipment

• Locating the Wreck

• Diving the Wreck

• Advanced Wreck Diving

The primary goal of any SSI Specialty course is to teach you important skills in a fun environment. All courses are taught using home study, short academic sessions, and in-water training.

Combine other specialties while taking the WRECK DIVING course! UNDERWATER DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY or DEEP DIVING are great add-ons. The possibilities are limitless!

For more information about SSI Specialty Programs contact Mac’s Sports today!

DIGITAL UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY Specialty

Today, diving and photography with a digital camera system have become very easy.

Many of you may already have a digital camera system and a proper underwater housing. As such, it’s likely you are asking yourself how to take better pictures. Now a structured program is available to answer your digital underwater photography questions, which means more fun and satisfaction in diving.

The DIGITAL UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY Program can be learned in the pool/confined water or directly in the open water.

If you want to learn more about DIGITAL UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY, you can buy the manual or the DVD even if you don’t want to sign up for the course.

DIGITAL UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY Specialty Course Content:  

• Your Entry to the Underwater Photography Your Digital Camera System 

• Using your Camera System 

• Taking digital pictures under water

• Composition of your underwater pictures

• Editing your digital pictures

The primary goal of any SSI Specialty course is to teach you important skills in a fun environment. All courses are taught using home study, short academic sessions, and in-water training.

Combine other specialties while taking the DIGITAL UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY course! PERFECT BUOYANCY or SHARK DIVER are great add-ons. The possibilities are limitless!

For more information about SSI Specialty Programs contact Mac’s Sports today!

SHARK DIVER Specialty

 "If the Sharks die, the Sea dies!”

SSI and SHARKPROJECT have decided to actively support the positive image of sharks by founding the SHARK DIVER Program.

Experience the fascination of sharks in an unforgettable way! Divers and non-divers have the chance to find out more about sharks and to learn the correct techniques when meeting sharks. Dives are optional in this program and therefore it is a perfect “vacation-prep-specialty” before your diving trip starts. You will be able to apply the knowledge you have gained to future shark dives.   You can also join Mac’s on one of our Disney DiveQuest experiences, or trips to the Caribbean and dive with the sharks yourself!

SSI is donating 10% of the income from SHARK DIVER Specialty Programs to shark preservation. As a participant in the program, you are making an active contribution to help secure the survival of sharks.

SHARK DIVER Specialty Course Content

• Fear-cination Shark 

• Biology 

• Ecology 

• Diving with Sharks 

• Different types of Sharks

The primary goal of any SSI Specialty course is to teach you important skills in a fun environment. All courses are taught using home study, short academic sessions, and in-water training.

Combine other specialties while taking the SHARK DIVER course! DIGITAL UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY or WAVES, TIDES & CURRENTS are great add-ons. The possibilities are limitless!

For more information about SSI Specialty Programs contact Mac’s Sports today!

COMPUTER DIVING Specialty

 "Have you ever been standing at the dive site asking yourself how to correctly set your brand new computer?”

A lot of divers have been in this situation and would have done anything to avoid it. This is exactly why COMPUTER DIVING is such an important course. It is your chance to learn and understand diving computers.

Learning how to plan your dive with a table is extremely important. It is how you develop an understanding of the decompression theory. But in real life, divers do not dive a table profile. The modern diver does multi-level diving which means that the dive incorporates different depth levels. These kinds of dives can only be planned with a special type of table or a dive computer. Dive computers make diving safer and easier if you know how to set and use it correctly.

COMPUTER DIVING Specialty Course Content:

• The equipment and preparation for multi-level-dives

• Medical aspects of multi-level-dives

• Dive Computers in comparison to dive tables

• Emergency management and procedures in multi-level-diving

The primary goal of any SSI Specialty course is to teach you important skills in a fun environment. All courses are taught using home study, short academic sessions, and in-water training.

Combine other specialties while taking the COMPUTER DIVING course! ENRICHED AIR NITROX or EQUIPMENT TECHNIQUES are great add-ons. The possibilities are limitless!

For more information about SSI Specialty Programs contact Mac’s Sports today!
 

EQUIPMENT TECHNIQUES Specialty

 “Your Total Diving System is like your buddy underwater.  You need to be able to rely on it at any time!”

Diving is more fun and more comfortable in your own equipment. The EQUIPMENT TECHNIQUES program teaches you how to choose the right equipment for your needs. You will learn how to fit, adjust, maintain and make small repairs right on the spot.

If you own your total dive system, as most do, parts of this specialty is assembling everything, and learning new and creative ways to reduce the drag and clutter of all of the “dangling stuff”.  In addition to streamlining your gear, you will also learn what to put in a well-prepared diver’s dry-box repair kit, and how to use it to maintain most every piece of your system.

If you want to know more about EQUIPMENT TECHNIQUES, you can buy the manual or the DVD even without signing up for the course.

EQUIPMENT TECHNIQUES Specialty Course Content:

• Your Total Diving System: The Basics

• Your Total Diving System: Scuba Equipment

• Your Total Diving System: Specialty Training and Accessory System

• Traveling With Your Total Diving System

The primary goal of any SSI Specialty course is to teach you important skills in a fun environment. All courses are taught using home study, short academic sessions, and in-water training.

Combine other specialties while taking the EQUIPMENT TECHNIQUES course!  WRECK DIVING or PERFECT BUOYANCY are great add-ons. The possibilities are limitless!

For more information about SSI Specialty Programs contact Mac’s Sports today!
 

WAVES, TIDES & CURRENTS Specialty

 “Have you ever dreamed of gliding with the current and watching turtles, spotted eagle rays or dolphins swim with you at the same time?“

Adequate training in current diving is they key to this kind of experiences and therefore WAVES, TIDES & CURRENTS training is a must for any ambitious diver.

Anybody who dives should know and understand how to handle water movements. This can be the waves when entering from shore, or the rip current in a channel next to an island, or the current on a drift or anchored boat dive.  

There are many things to learn about currents such as: If the current is blowing against the diver, how much current can a diver deal with? How does the diver move effectively in the current? How can somebody determine the strength of a current and plan the dive accordingly? WAVES, TIDES & CURRENTS can help you answer all of these questions. It is taught in conjunction with a minimum of 2 open water dives.

WAVES, TIDES & CURRENTS Specialty Course Content:

• Equipment for Waves, Tides and Currents

• Basics of Waves, Tides and Currents

• Procedures for Shore Dives

• Procedures for Boat Dives

The primary goal of any SSI Specialty course is to teach you important skills in a fun environment. All courses are taught using home study, short academic sessions, and in-water training.

Combine other specialties while taking the WAVES, TIDES & CURRENTS course! BOAT DIVING or DEEP DIVING are great add-on’s. The possibilities are limitless!

For more information about SSI Specialty Programs contact Mac’s Sports today!
 

DIVER STRESS & RESCUE Specialty

  “Be prepared for those unexpected emergencies."

Stress is a major contributor to rescue situations and diving accidents. Through this course you will learn accident prevention, as well as how to handle problem situations if they occur.

The program is about avoiding, recognizing and solving problems on the surface and under water.  You will participate in academic and in-water training sessions in the pool, as well as go on the required open water dive. As a prerequisite for certification you need to have a valid CPR & First Aid certification.  

If you want to learn more about DIVER STRESS & RESCUE, you can buy the manual or the DVD even if you don't want to sign up for the course.

DIVER STRESS & RESCUE Specialty Course Content:

• What Is Stress?

• Stress In Diving: Causes And Prevention

• Detecting And Dealing With Stress

• Accident Management

• Skills Needed To Deal With Panic And Rescues

• Conditions That Complicate Rescues

The primary goal of any SSI Specialty course is to teach you important skills in a fun environment. All courses are taught using home study, short academic sessions, and in-water training.

Combine other specialties while taking the DIVER STRESS & RESCUE course! NAVIGATION or WAVES, TIDES, and CURRENTS are great add-on’s. The possibilities are limitless!

For more information about SSI Specialty Programs contact Mac’s Sports today!
 

SPEAR-FISHING Specialty

“Have you ever dreamed of catching that huge Black Grouper, or mounting that 20 pound Hogfish on the wall?“

Specialty training to get “the big-one’s” will teach you techniques of how to do it, and stay safe at the same time.  This is why taking the SPEARFISHING SPECIALTY COURSE will benefit you.  

Anybody who loves to fish, and provide food for themselves or others should take this class. 

There are many things to learn about underwater hunting, such as which fish can be hunted and what are the proper laws and regulations.  You will be introduced to many different techniques of how to find the fish, and the best way to capture them.  Included is a very thorough seminar on the equipment needed, and what is best suited for your needs

SPEARFISHING Specialty Course Content:

• Equipment for Underwater Hunting

• Basics of Finding and Stalking the Fish

• Diver Safety  

• Advanced Spear-fishing Techniques

The primary goal of any SSI Specialty course is to teach you important skills in a fun environment. All courses are taught using home study, short academic sessions, and in-water training.

Combine other specialties while taking the SPEARFISHING Specialty course! BOAT DIVING or WRECK DIVING or DEEP DIVING are great add-on’s. The possibilities are limitless!

For more information about SSI Specialty Programs contact Mac’s Sports today!

DAN Diver's Alert Network Classes

DAN Basic Life Support and First Aid course

This includes CPR- First Aid & AED.  The cost is $65.
(good for OSHA requirements at work as well)

This program is a lay provider course, designed to teach basic life support and first aid in five to six hours. Basic Life Support, or BLS, includes airway management skills such as the log roll and recovery position, one rescuer cardiopulmonary resuscitation and additional skills like caring for a choking patient, controlling bleeding and caring for a patient in shock. The first aid portion of this program includes key skills such as illness and injury assessments, bandaging and splinting skills and emergency moves.

This program meets current American Heart Association and International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) guidelines on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiac Care. It is an instructor-led program featuring skills demonstrations, both in video and live, and skill practice with manikins.

 Current CPR-FIRST AID certificate required to take the DEMP program below

Diving Emergency Management Provider Program

It is a rare event when a dive emergency is a single event. More often than not, separate small problems compound to create a larger problem.

Divers and dive professionals interested in understanding first aid care for dive emergencies can now take the Diving Emergency Management Provider course from a DAN Instructor. This single program integrates the knowledge and skills from several DAN Training Programs.

The Diving Emergency Management Provider course includes:

• Oxygen First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries
• Advanced Oxygen First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries
• First Aid for Hazardous Marine Life Injuries
• Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) for Scuba Diving

After reviewing the skills and knowledge development portions of this program, the students then participate in an integrated scenario where they get the opportunity to bring together all of the skills they learned in each of the segments into a single scenario.

Cost is $225 books and materials included.

 As you can see, these are heavy courses.  As an added bonus for taking the DEMP program, we are teaching the  On Site Neurological Assessment for Divers at no charge for the course to those who take our DEMP program,  books extra ($29.95)  Without taking the DEMP program the cost is $65 plus books.

 On-Site Neurological Assessment for Divers

Approximately two-thirds of divers with decompression illness have evidence of damage to the nervous system. These signs are often vague and can go unrecognized by the diver. This can cause them to be dismissed as insignificant or not dive-related.

This program focuses on how to obtain essential information about a diver involved in a dive emergency and what information to relay to emergency medical services.

Only medical professionals should diagnose medical conditions. The information you gather while performing a neurological assessment will be useful to help the dive physician understand the extent of the injury and how it has changed in the time it took to get the diver from the dive site to definitive care.
 

SCUBA SKILLS UPDATE (Refresher Class)

Recapture the feeling of total confidence after a long period without diving by updating the skills learned in your Open Water Diver course.

Knowledge. Your Scuba Skills Update Dive Leader will review the knowledge you learned in your Open Water Diver class as well as cover any new material. You will review dive planning, dive tables and dive execution to keep you safe during future diving activities.

Skills. In the Scuba Skills Update you will have the opportunity to practice and review the scuba skills you learned in your open water diver class and learn techniques that may have changed. You will have the opportunity to refresh your memory and motor coordination, as well as practice your self-aid skills - all under the guidance of a dive leader in our indoor heated pool!

Equipment. The scuba skills update is a great opportunity to re-learn your current equipment, or the perfect time to learn about and adjust your new equipment with the guidance of a dive leader.

With this type of preparation you will be able to experience more relaxed dives.

After getting refreshed in our pool, join Mac’s on a dive to one of our local fresh-water springs, boat dives off the coast of the Gulf, East Coast, Florida Keys, or on one of our more exotic trips!
 

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