SDI DPV COURSE
Diver Propulsion Vehicle (DPV) Course in Jacksonville, Florida
Go Farther. Stay Streamlined.
Learn to use an underwater scooter with control, awareness, and purpose. The SDI DPV Diver course introduces proper setup, handling, trim, team procedures, battery planning, and what to do when things do not go as planned.
Cost: $350 (due on first day of class)
Open Water Certified Required | 2 Training Dives | SDI Certification | Small Class Sizes
Course price includes SDI eLearning, certification card, instruction dives, and use of DPV for class. Students provide personal gear and are responsible for gas fills and site entry fees.
WHAT IS THE DPV DIVER COURSE?
Cover More Ground Without Just Going Faster
A Diver Propulsion Vehicle, or DPV, is an underwater scooter that helps divers cover more distance with less swimming effort. DPVs are not just for technical divers. They can be a great tool for recreational divers exploring long spring runs, larger wrecks, reefs, current-affected sites, or shore dives where the swim alone can take energy away from the actual dive.
The SDI DPV Diver course teaches more than how to hold a trigger and go faster. You’ll learn how to set up and inspect a DPV, maintain streamlined trim while under propulsion, control speed and turns, plan around gas and battery limits, communicate as a team, and respond to common equipment or team issues.
At Precision Depth Diving, DPVs are also part of what we do every day. We repair, rebuild, troubleshoot, and upgrade scooters, so your training includes practical insight into how these machines work, what commonly causes problems, and
how to care for them between dives. We’ll share best practices for transport, charging, storage, pre-dive checks, post-dive maintenance, and recognizing issues before they become expensive repairs.
Thinking about buying a DPV? We can also help you make a more informed decision before making a major investment. During training, we can talk through the differences between common scooter styles, battery capacities, towing configurations, runtime expectations, and what may make sense for the type of diving you actually plan to do.
.png)
Cover more of a lake, wreck, reef, or shore-dive site without spending the entire dive finning from place to place.
Explore Farther
Reduce Workload
Save energy for navigation, photography, awareness, and enjoying the dive itself instead of fighting distance or current.
Understand Your Equipment
Learn not only how to operate a DPV, but how to inspect, care for, and choose one with a clearer understanding of the investment.
READY TO GO FARTHER?
GET CERTIFIED ON YOUR SCHEDULE
Complete the eLearning at your own pace
Meet with an instructor for a focused session on DPV setup, battery planning, care and maintenance, team procedures, and selecting the right scooter for your diving goals
Complete two instructor-led open water training dives focused on trim, propulsion technique, speed control, turns, towing, and responding to common DPV issues
Training With a Buddy?
DPV diving is built around team awareness, spacing, communication, and planning. Book with your regular dive partner, choose a preferred training timeframe, and we’ll coordinate a small-group session where you can practice the procedures you will use together on future scooter dives.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. This is an SDI recreational specialty course for certified Open Water divers. DPVs can be useful for recreational diving too, including larger reefs, wrecks, long spring runs, current-affected sites, and shore dives with long surface or underwater distances.
You must be an Open Water Scuba Diver or equivalent and at least 15 years old. Students under 18 need parent or guardian consent. However, we do recommend that divers have some experience diving and are comfortable in the water, have good trim and buoyancy, and are ready to take on the challenge and fun of DPVs.
The course includes two instructor-led open water DPV training dives, along with SDI eLearning, planning, briefings, and debriefings.
No. DPV rental is included with the course, so you can learn on an appropriate training scooter before deciding whether owning one makes sense for you.
During the course, we will also talk through common DPV styles, battery capacity, runtime, handling characteristics, maintenance needs, and what may fit the type of diving you actually plan to do. That way, you can make a better-informed decision before investing in your own scooter.
Yes. DPV rental is included with the course, so you do not need to own a scooter to participate. We provide an appropriate training DPV and walk you through setup, handling, care, and pre-dive checks as part of the course.
Your certification applies to recreational DPV diving within your existing certification level, experience, site rules, and the limits of your dive plan. Different scooters have different power, handling, battery, and towing characteristics, so training and experience should match the equipment you use.
No. This course does not qualify a diver to use a DPV in caves or other overhead environments. Cave DPV use requires separate, specialized training and appropriate cave-diving qualifications.