Search & Recovery specialty

The Search & Recovery specialty teaches you how to find lost items on the seabed. This training focuses on systematic patterns like the jackstay or compass method. You use these techniques when a diver loses gear or a boat drops an anchor.

Professional divers often work in low visibility. You might search at depths of 15 m or 30 m while fighting heavy surge. Most students practice finding small objects in silt because mistakes happen fast here.

Always check your compass calibration before starting a grid. A 5-degree error ruins your entire search pattern after 20 m of travel. Don’t rush the process. Slow movements prevent you from kicking up sediment and losing sight of the target.