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Jumping Back In: Everything You Need to Know About Scuba Refreshers and More

A male scuba diver sitting on the edge of a boat about to jump into the water and attend his scuba refresher course.

Have you been out of the water for a while? You’re not alone. Life can get in the way of a lot of things, and scuba diving is no different. So whether travel restrictions, health issues, personal obligations, or even a bad dive experience have kept you from wetsuiting-up, it’s not too late to jump back in.

We will detail everything you need to know, from scuba refresher courses to gear maintenance, so your re-entry to the underwater world is as smooth as possible. 

What Is a Scuba Diving Refresher Course?

A refresher course is a program designed to re-establish comfort and refresh safety skills for divers who have been out of the water for a long time. Scuba refreshers are intended to give both you and the dive shop piece of mind that you remember how to stay safe scuba diving. 

In a refresher, you will review all your basic skills under supervision from a certified dive instructor. This mini-course takes place before and during your first re-entry dive and is typically followed by subsequent fun dives. 

Keep in mind that a scuba refresher is only for open water certified divers and higher. It is also not a certifying course but designed to review what you already have learned.

When You Should Consider a Refresher

You should consider taking a refresher course if you have not been diving in a long time. What is a “long time,” you may ask? Well, it varies depending on your skill level. It can be just a few months for inexperienced divers or up to a year for those with more dives or training.

After a year, if you are not a professional diver or have extensive and proven dive experience, it is highly recommended you complete a refresher course. In fact, after long periods out of the water, most shops will refuse to take you diving without one. 

Mandatory or Optional? When You Need a Refresher

A scuba refresher course is only considered mandatory by individual dive shops. While rules vary, shops typically require you to take a refresher course if you’ve been out of the water for more than six months to one year. 

At this point, dive shops will not – and should not –  take you diving without taking a refresher. The exception to this is when you have many logged dives or are a dive professional.

However, some circumstances may lead you to consider a refresher course even when it’s not mandatory. These include:

  • A newly certified open water diver who is still very nervous or diving in an unfamiliar environment
  • Any diver who experiences a serious injury or health condition that wants to get back into diving
  • A diver with a lot of logged dives who has been out of the water for many years
  • Anyone who has forgotten their safety procedures or feels uncomfortable diving

Additionally, if you haven’t gone diving in many years or even decades, you might want to consider re-doing your open water course. While your certification never expires, changes in gear and procedures have evolved, and you may need more re-training than a refresher could cover. 

What’s Covered in a Scuba Diving Refresher

A scuba refresher course will cover many essential scuba skills and topics such as:

  • Equipment setup and familiarization
  • Buddy check procedures
  • Mask clearing and removal
  • Buoyancy skills
  • Emergency ascent skills
  • Safety rules 
  • Stress management

Besides these essentials, you and your instructor will spend extra time on areas you aren’t entirely comfortable with. The nice thing about a refresher course is that you can tailor it to your individual needs. 

Since it’s not a certification course, there is no set checklist of objectives you must meet. For example, if you can quickly demonstrate mask clearing, your instructor can move right along to something else that you may struggle with. Forgot how to send up an SMB or blow bubble rings? Ask your instructor!

Scuba Diving Refresher Tips

Divers who have been inactive for a while might be nervous about returning to diving. Luckily a refresher allows you to ask lots of questions and regain confidence underwater. However, there are a few things you can keep in mind going into your refresher course that could help:

  • Keep breathing: This is the #1 rule of diving for a reason. Not only will a continuous breathing pattern keep you calm and in control, but it is the best way to prevent dive injuries. 
  • Remember to equalize: It’s easy to forget to clear your ears while descending if you haven’t been underwater for a while. But it’s crucial you equalize early and often to prevent ear injuries. If you’re having trouble equalizing, you can slowly ascend a few feet and try again. 
  • Drink lots of water: Dehydration and diving don’t mix. So be sure to drink plenty of water before and after your dives. You may even consider bringing an electrolyte beverage onboard. 
  • Avoid alcohol: Many divers love to enjoy a beer or two after a day of scuba diving, me included. However, try to avoid drinking the night before a dive, as it can increase your chances of decompression sickness. It’s also generally not fun to dive hungover. 
  • Equipment maintenance: If you haven’t been diving in a while, neither has your gear! Servicing gear, such as regulators, keeps you safe and at ease. This will be explained more in detail later in this guide. 
  • Have fun!: Scuba diving is a blast, and you’ll be glad you’ve returned. Your refresher course instructor can help answer any other questions you may have to put your mind at ease.

Cost of a Scuba Refresher

The cost of a scuba refresher course varies depending on your location and the dive shop you pick. Generally, a refresher can cost anywhere from $20 to $100. Usually, it is only slightly more expensive than a fun dive. 

In places where they do two dives per trip, you can often do a refresher for your first dive and a fun dive for your second dive. 

Scuba Skills Review vs. Scuba Refresher Course

A scuba skills review is another name for a scuba refresher course. If you look at the leading dive organizations such as PADI, SSI, and BSAC, they all have their version of refresher course or skills review. Their certifying agency determines the review program offered by each shop. For information on the different agencies’ refresher courses, check out their websites.

Unofficial Refreshers 

If you aren’t required to take a refresher course but still have some uncertainty diving, you can organize an unofficial refresher. In this case, you will want to be sure to schedule a fun dive with a certified instructor, not a divemaster, and let them know ahead of time what you would like to work on. 

Since an unofficial refresher is not conducted according to course standards, some skills or knowledge be omitted, and other skills or knowledge that are not required may be added at the diver’s request. 

There is also more flexibility in the setting. For example, an unofficial refresher can happen just offshore or even in someone’s private pool instead of a dive organization’s facilities. 

Gear Considerations When You Return to Diving

If you have your own gear, it’s always essential that you take excellent care of it. Dive gear that is neglected or stored improperly is susceptible to damage. This damage can be superficial but can also cause your equipment to malfunction underwater. 

For scuba gear safety, it is good practice to have your gear serviced on a yearly basis. This is especially true for your regulators, as they are life-sustaining equipment. If you own air tanks, you should also have these tested yearly.

Looking to add to your gear kit before heading back into the water? Find our detailed list of list of dive gear, including suggestions of what to own vs. what to rent.

Basic Dive Gear Maintenance

We consider your mask, fins, boots, wetsuit, and other small pieces basic dive gear. To make sure they last you a long time, it is important to always rinse each piece of equipment in clean, freshwater after use. Also, you should wash wetsuits in a different tank because some divers pee in their wetsuits, and detergent is necessary to clean these properly. 

Saltwater can cause deterioration of your gear through corrosion. For example, your mask strap may start having tears in it, eventually causing it to break. While you need to clean your equipment after every dive, take extra care to clean it well if you know you will store it for a while. 

When diving frequently, it’s easier to keep an eye on minor wear and tear issues. However, before bringing your equipment out of storage and back into the water, it is crucial to inspect for any damage that may affect performance. 

Scuba Regulator Maintenance

The regulator is, without a doubt, the most critical part of your equipment. It allows you to breathe compressed air from your tank! Therefore, you should service your regulators every year or as soon as they start showing signs of wear and tear or malfunction. Here are some signs your regulator may need to be serviced:

  • Air is leaking from your regulators:  This happens because the rubber and silicone seats and seals deteriorate over time, creating an incomplete seal.
  • Your first stage filter is clogged up or has developed a white or green coloring: This can cause the pressure from the tank to send dirt through the filter. A green color is a sign of contact with salt water, meaning that there is potential for damage to the inside components as well.
  • The rubber from your hoses is coming off: This type of damage can create an incomplete seal.
  • Your regulator is free-flowing: This can happen because dirt or debris has made its way in or some internal parts are damaged and need to be replaced.
  • Wet breathing from your regulator: This is usually caused by damage to the diaphragm.

Explore our Best Scuba Regulators recommendations

Scuba Tank Maintenance 

Scuba tanks can be made from aluminum or steel. Unfortunately, these are both subject to rusting if water gets inside. This process is more apparent in steel tanks than aluminum and can eventually render your tank useless. Additionally, an internally wet tank can cause damage to your regulator by contaminating the air inside. 

Your tanks should have a visual inspection every year and a hydrostatic test every five years. The hydrostatic test can determine if metal fatigue has occurred. In some cases, this means the tank is rendered useless.

Explore our Best Scuba Tanks recommendations

BCD Maintenance

The BCD is another essential part of your equipment. It controls your buoyancy underwater and therefore also your safety. Signs that your BCD needs servicing are:

  • The bladder is leaking, causing your BCD to deflate over time slowly: This can occur because something sharp has damaged the BCD, or saltwater has corroded the inside of the bladder. When this happens, you will be unable to maintain neutral buoyancy. 

To prevent a leaky BCD bladder, rinse the inside of your BCD with fresh water to get rid of the salt after every dive. Then, inflate and hang it to dry. 

  • The inflator hose is self-inflating, causing you to be positively buoyant: A self-inflating inflator hose is a severe problem that can cause dangerous ascents and be potentially life-threatening. This malfunction usually happens when sand or salt builds up on the inflator hose, causing the inflate button to jam. 

If this ever happens underwater, immediately disconnect the LPI hose from the inflator hose. Without an air supply, it can no longer self-inflate. If you cannot disconnect the LPI hose, locate and open your dump valve and start your ascent to the surface.

  • Broken dump-valve strings: This is a common problem for older BCDs because of wear and tear. It is vital to replace broken dump valve stings because dump valves are a safety measure for emergency deflation. When working, they let you quickly descend away from danger or slow down a dangerous ascent.

Explore our Best BCD recommendations

Dive Computer Maintenance

These days dive computers are heavily relied on by the majority of scuba divers. As with any piece of scuba equipment, you must rinse your dive computer in freshwater after each dive to prevent salt damage to this. You should also check your battery level before every dive. A dive computer with a dead battery can’t tell you much underwater.

Also, you should service your dive computer at least every two years. While many of us will only bring our computers to the shop for a new battery, certified technicians can also ensure proper calibration and sealing. If you’re returning to diving after a long time away, your computer is probably due for servicing. 

Ensuring You Are Healthy for Diving

When we go diving, our bodies are under increasing pressure, compounding our health issues on land. Therefore, it is essential to properly read and fill in the medical form supplied by the dive shop. Some illnesses or conditions can even become life-threatening underwater.

As a certified diver, it is your responsibility to weigh the health risks associated with scuba diving. While some chronic conditions can disqualify you from participating in this activity entirely, temporary illnesses must also be considered.

If you’re currently sick and taking over-the-counter medication, you might not be able to dive until you recover. For example, the use of decongestants can increase your heart rate and put you at an increased risk of ear damage while diving. 

Be sure to check with a doctor or DAN if you have any questions about your health and scuba diving.

Dive Medical Checklist

Every dive shop in the world will have you fill out a dive medical checklist to ensure you’re safe to dive. In most cases, if you check yes to any of the conditions listed, you will need to get a dive medical and clearance from a doctor before you’re allowed to dive. These checklists will include conditions such as:

  • Pregnancy
  • Taking prescription medications
  • Asthma
  • Lung disease
  • Behavioral health problems including panic attacks and claustrophobia
  • Epilepsy or seizures
  • Severe motion-sickness or seasickness
  • A history of dive accidents
  • Recent head injuries
  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Diabetes
  • High blood pressure
  • Heart disease or history of heart attacks
  • Sinus or ear surgeries
  • Bleeding or blood disorders
  • Ulcers
  • Colostomy or ileostomy
  • Recreational drug use or alcoholism

If you haven’t been diving for a while or your health condition has changed, be sure to read the medical waiver thoroughly. Also, remember honesty on this form is essential for your safety. If you suspect you will check “yes” to any conditions on the form, consider pre-emptively getting a dive physical to prevent any last-minute disappointment. 

Dive Physicals

Similar to a regular physical examination, a doctor will assess your overall health and address any specific concerns you may have. The main difference is this assessment is focused on ensuring you are safe to scuba dive. Your doctor will be checking that diving would not put you at an increased risk of death, unconsciousness, impaired judgment, disorientation, impaired mobility, or decompression sickness. 

If you have checked “yes” to any condition on the dive medical form, you will need proof of your dive physical and written clearance from the doctor to go diving.

You can check with your general practitioner to see if they conduct fit-to-dive medicals. However, not all doctors have the necessary knowledge of scuba diving to make an accurate assessment. Check out DAN’s Physician Referral Network for a list of scuba-knowledgeable doctors in your area.

Diving After Recovering from COVID-19

As dive operations around the world re-open in the new normal, the question of COVID-19 and diving is very relevant in considering who is fit to dive. Of course, if you’re currently positive for COVID-19, do not go diving and avoid exposing others to the virus. However, what if you had the virus and are now recovered?

Recommendations vary depending on your location and the severity of your case. However, according to DAN’s COVID-19 information, the consensus is as follows:

  • Asymptomatic divers who have tested positive for COVID-19 should wait at least 30 days from their first negative test, then apply for a fit-to-dive clearance.
  • Symptomatic divers should wait at least 30 days from their first negative tests, plus 30 days with no symptoms. After these 60 days, they can apply for fit-to-dive clearance.
  • Divers hospitalized for COVID-19 should wait at least 90 days before applying for fit-to-dive clearance. 
    • If the diver experienced pulmonary symptoms, their dive physical should include pulmonary function testing, a peripheral oxygen saturation exercise test, and a CT lung scan.
    • If the diver experienced cardiac problems, their dive physical should include a cardiac evaluation with an echocardiography and exercise test. 

While getting back in the water is exciting, your health should come first. Since COVID-19 can have serious and long-term effects on the heart and lungs, a dive medical is necessary before returning to scuba diving. 

Scuba Refresher FAQ

Do I Need a Scuba Refresher?

You may need a scuba refresher if you haven’t been diving in 6-12 months. While dive shops have different policies, the general rule is if you cannot remember all the steps of assembling your gear and scuba safety procedures, you need a refresher. 

How Often Do I Need to Recertify for Scuba?

Your open water diver certification never expires. 

However, if you haven’t been diving in 10 years or more, you should consider redoing your course.  Over the past decade, there have been many changes to dive gear and procedures, and a refresher may not be enough to get you caught up.

Do I Need To Take a Test During My Scuba Refresher?

No, there is no test for a scuba refresher. Since a refresher is not a certifying course, there’s no such thing as a scuba refresher quiz. So don’t let fear of tests keep you from rejoining the dive community!

How Long Does a Scuba Refresher Take?

A scuba refresher is a one-dive review, usually with some time in the dive shop or on the boat discussing dive procedures and answering any questions you may have. 

Get Ready to Scuba Dive!

From all of us at Watercraft Watch, welcome back to scuba diving! Don’t forget to ask lots of questions, service your dive gear, and get a dive checkup if you need one. We hope you enjoy your scuba refresher course and feel more comfortable in your return to the underwater world.

About the Author Alex Dryjowicz

Alex Dryjowicz is an avid writer, blogger, and professional scuba divemaster. A nomad at heart, she spends her time bouncing between the world’s best diving destinations while calling a ridiculously oversized backpack home. She is thrilled to be here at Watercraft Watch, sharing her insights into all things scuba diving.

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