moderate
4–6 hours total (classroom and pool combined)
Participants should have basic swimming ability and be comfortable in the water, with moderate fitness to handle pool and open water sessions.
Take your diving to the next level with the SDI Advanced Buoyancy course in San Francisco. Learn expert techniques in a dynamic setting designed for all skill levels.
You are the MASTER of your Fins!
Enhance your diving skills with this comprehensive course designed for both novice and experienced divers. Engage in classroom discussions and hands-on pool sessions to master buoyancy control, finning techniques, and emergency skills. This unique opportunity prepares you for advanced diving specialties while fostering teamwork and situational awareness in the water.
$200.00 Tuition
$50 SDI Registration Fees & App
$15 Online Booking Fees In Person & Phone Bookings do not incur an online booking fee.
Course Subtotal: $250.00 $265.00 w/ the Online Booking Fees
The payment of Course Fees guarantees TRAINING, not necessarily certification. Certification is EARNED only by successfully meeting all applicable standards and objectives.
DURATION:
OBJECTIVE: Whether you are a noob OW diver fresh from Certification, or more experienced and looking to move to more advanced or technical diving, this is the perfect place to gain better understanding and mastery before adding greater task loading. This course is either a requirement or a highly recommended prerequisite to many of our continuing education specialties, such as Deep, Navigation, Dry Suit, Sidemount, Altitude, Photo & Video, and Dive Guide/Master.
TECHNIQUES/SKILLS:
We will start by discussing the relationship between Weighting, Trim, Breathing and Finning Techniques and how each of these plays an important overlapping role in mastering your buoyancy. In the pool we will expand on these concepts and work on refining our buoyancy control through various drills. You will be refreshed on proper weighting, practice proper descent/ascent procedures (floor is lava!!), breathing techniques, and introduced to finning techniques that will help you become more efficient and controlled in the water. We will also introduce the concept of body awareness, and spatial/situational awareness so that you may improve your team/group dynamics. Depending on your needs or level, we have various challenges for you to improve and become a better diver.
DIVER PRE-REQS:
DIVER RECOMMENDATIONS:
GEAR REQUIREMENTS:
GEAR RECOMMENDED:
If you are bringing your own equipment, please have everything properly fitted and assembled BEFORE class as there will NOT be time available to fit/configure it during the session. Also please remember, regulators, alternates, and airsources should be serviced within the last 2 years.
Maintaining a calm and controlled breathing pattern helps refine buoyancy and reduces air consumption underwater.
Ensure your buoyancy control device (BCD) fits well to aid in easier adjustments during dives.
Work on different fin strokes to conserve energy and maneuver efficiently underwater.
These controlled environments are the best place to perfect skills before open water dives.
San Francisco Bay has a rich maritime history, hosting numerous shipwrecks that shaped its coastal development and now serve as dive sites.
Local dive centers promote sustainable practices like reef-safe sunscreen and limiting contact with marine life to protect fragile ecosystems.
Keeps you warm and comfortable in the typically cooler spring waters of San Francisco Bay.
spring specific
Provides real-time depth and time information, critical for safe buoyancy management.
Essential for visibility and efficient movement underwater during all sessions.
Enhances safety by allowing you to signal your position on the surface during open water dives.