LAKE SUPERIOR DIVER-DISTINCTIVE SPECIALTY Aquatic Adventures of MI Distinctive PADI Specialty

Lake Superior is a body of water that can only be described in extraordinary terms. It is so large that some call it a sea. It contains 10% of all the earth's fresh surface water which is as much water as all the other Great Lakes combined, even throwing in two extra Lake Eries. Its size and location produces dynamic weather from the greatest lake effect snows on earth (the average annual snowfall in Michigan's Keweenaw exceeds 200 inches in places) to a phenomenon called “seiches” where sudden changes in winds or barometric pressure around the lake can result in water levels rising or falling as much as six feet along a coast in a short period of time creating waves on the lake over 40 feet in height.

The purpose of the PADI Lake Superior Specialty Diver Course is to familiarize you with the geophysical and historical background to largest of the Great Lake and to provide you with an appreciation of the unique challenges and opportunities that it offers to divers.

The goals of Lake Superior Diver training are:

• Demonstrate a basic understanding the role that Lake Superior plays in the overall hydrological system of the Great Lakes as well as an understanding of its historical role in the settlement and economic development of the United States.
• Visit the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center in Duluth Minnesota (duluth.daritimevc@usace.army.mil) or the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point, Michigan (http://www.shipwreckmuseum.com/).                 

• Two dives at two of the four underwater preserves (minimum of 4 total) on identified shipwrecks while demonstrating a basic knowledge of when and why the wrecks occurred along with the resulting circumstances to its passengers and crew wreck took place.

Course Standards:

Prerequisites:                                    PADI Advanced Open Water Diver, Great Lakes Wreck Diver

Minimum Age:                                  15 years

Ratios Open Water:                          8:1 is weather dependent    4:1 Minimum Ratios:

Depth Maximum Depth                  100 feet

Hours:                                                Recommended: 8 (2 Classroom; 6 Research)

Minimum Open Water Dives:         4

Materials and Equipment - Instructor and Student:

• Lake Superior Diver Course Instructor Outline (Instructor only)

• Student and Instructor equipment as outlined in the PADI Instructor Manual, General

  Standards and Procedures

• Purchase appropriate reference materials

• Download a scuba medical questionnaire (PDF)

 ***Please note that we have a Course Cancellation Policy in effect ***