Having full control of your buoyancy in a variety of situations will dramatically improve your diving! The more you’re able to glide effortlessly, the less energy you’ll be needlessly waisting moving around. Perfecting your buoyancy skills will not only help you conserve air but also allows you to easily observe aquatic life without disturbing their surroundings. You’ll also be everyone’s fravourite dive budy, fully in control of your movements and aware of your positioning in the water.

The PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy Course is particularly helpful for new divers and a great next step after completing the Open Water Diver Course. Our experienced instructors will help you build on the buoyancy skills you learned as a new diver and elevate them to a new level!

During this course you’ll learn a variety skills to aid your buoyancy, including how to:

• Determine the exact weight you need while diving

• Trim your weight system and scuba gear so you’re perfectly balanced in the water.

• Streamline your dive style to save energy, move smoothly through the water, and use air more efficiently

• Hover effortlessly in any position – vertical or horizontal.

• Advanced finning techniques.

Our local waters are very cold which is why most divers in Vancouver will use a drysuit. Using a drysuit dramatically affects your buoyancy in the water so here at Rowand’s Reef we specialize in teaching you how to use your drysuit to maximize your buoyancy and get the most out of cold water diving.

Rowand’s Reef has over 50 years of experience certifying new scuba divers. Whether it’s helping you take your first breaths underwater or giving you the tools you need to take your diving to the next level, we’re here to help and support you through your diving journey!

Whatever your experience, our instructors will work with you to ensure your confidence, comfort, and readiness. Our low Instructor-to-student ratios allow maximum contact time and our top-of-the-line rental equipment will ensure that your dives are successful and enjoyable.

Our mission at Rowand’s Reef is to provide world-class scuba training, making sure that our students have the knowledge and skills they need to be safe out in the water while also having a great time!

A drysuit is a sealed suit worn when scuba diving instead of a wetsuit to keep you warm in colder water. It works by trapping a layer of air within the suit which acts as an insulator and also helps with your buoyancy. Your body stays dry underneath the drysuit and you can also wear thermals to stay even warmer. In British Columbia, the water gets cold so you will find the vast majority of divers using a drysuit.

Because of our low water temperatures, we highly recomend that you take this course in a drysuit. They will keep you nice and warm, ensuring more comfort and enjoyment in the water. If you are not already drysuit certified then you can gain your PADI Drysuit Certification as an addition part of this course. This can be added to your package in the Sign Up section below.

However, while we recommend it, you don't have to wear a drysuit if you don't want to. For those who aren't as interested in drysuit diving, we have warm 14/7mm wetsuits available for use in the ocean. These wetsuits will keep you warm in the cold waters for the most part and can be requested in place of the drysuit for use on your course.

At Rowand's Reef, we carry the Aqua Lung Fusion range of drysuits. These suits contain the latest in drysuit technology and allow for a customized fit with added flexibility and buoyancy control in the water.

The Open Water dives will take place at our regular diving hotspot Whytecliff Park. Located just a 30-minute drive from our store, this dive site has been a favorite amongst local dive shops and divers for over 30 years! With easy access to a large sheltered bay, it provides ideal depths and protection from currents. You can also find a variety of local marine life hiding among the sandy seabed including crabs, starfish, jellyfish, sea cucumbers, fish, and lots more!