Streamlined Diving for Maximum Efficiency
Struggling with bulky, inefficient dive gear? The SDI Basic Hogarthian Skills Diver Course helps you streamline your setup for safer, more efficient diving. You’ll master the backplate, harness, and wing BCD, ensuring proper assembly and in-water skills. This course gives you the confidence to dive with a cleaner, more efficient configuration, reducing drag and improving control. Perfect for divers who want a minimalist, high-performance setup for sport diving!

What You’ll Learn
✔️ Proper Assembly & Configuration – How to set up a backplate, harness, and wing BCD.
✔️ Essential In-Water Skills – Buoyancy control, trim adjustment, and team diving techniques.
✔️ Streamlined Equipment Use – Reduce drag and maximize efficiency.
✔️ Out-of-Air Emergency Drills – Using a long hose regulator setup.
✔️ Specialized Finning Techniques – Frog kicks, backward kicks, and helicopter turns.
✔️ Deploying an SMB – Maintain buoyancy while sending up a Surface Marker Buoy.
Course Prerequisites
- SDI Open Water SCUBA Diver certification (or equivalent).
- Minimum age: 18 (or 15 with parental consent).
- Divers must be certified as an SDI Deep Diver or provide proof of deep diving training (e.g., SDI Advanced Adventure Diver) to dive below 60 ft.
What is Hogarthian diving, and why should I learn it?
Hogarthian diving is a minimalist and efficient approach to scuba diving that focuses on streamlined gear configuration, safety, and teamwork. This backplate and wing BCD course helps you refine your setup for better buoyancy control, reduced drag, and a more effective dive experience.
Do I need special equipment for this course?
Yes, you’ll need a backplate and wing BCD, a long hose primary regulator setup, a backup second stage on a bungee necklace, fins suitable for advanced kicking techniques, and an SMB with a finger spool. If you don’t own this gear, rentals are available.
How is this course different from a standard Open Water course?
Unlike traditional scuba courses that use jacket-style BCDs and shorter regulator hoses, this course teaches the Hogarthian gear configuration, emphasizing trim, buoyancy, efficient finning, and team-based diving.
What are the prerequisites to enroll?
You must be an SDI Open Water SCUBA Diver (or equivalent), be at least 18 years old (or 15 with parental consent), and have deep diving experience if you plan to dive deeper than 60 feet.
How many dives are required to complete the course?
Who teaches this course?
The course is taught by SDI-certified instructors who specialize in Hogarthian diving. Each instructor is trained to help students improve their efficiency and safety underwater.
Will this course help me transition to technical diving?
Yes! The Hogarthian configuration is widely used in technical and cave diving, so this course is a great introduction to more advanced diving techniques.
How long does the course take to complete?
The course structure allows for flexibility, but it typically consists of one academic session and two open water dives, which can be completed in one or two days depending on scheduling.