Dear Fellow Diver, A few years back I watched something interesting unfold on a liveaboard dive boat. Before an afternoon group dive, the divemaster and another crew member went in, returning about 45 minutes later. The divemaster announced a treasure hunt for the next dive: They’d hidden three markers, and each could be redeemed for a prize. Needless to say, there was a rush for the gates when the next dive started. I wasn’t making the dive and I was intrigued to notice three divers huddled together rather than joining the clamor of 20 or so other divers hustling to get in. Eavesdropping, I discerned that one of them was a PADI Search and Recovery Diver, and together, they were planning their search. The trio was one of the last teams to splash, but just over an hour later, they surfaced with ALL the markers. And they did this despite 10 other buddy teams searching with a head start. Furthermore, we learned they’d found all three in about 15 minutes and stayed down to enjoy the reef. Maybe they should have been more sporting and left a couple for someone else to find, but what they did makes a strong point: when you’re looking for something underwater, knowing what you’re doing makes all the difference. Whether it’s a lost piece of dive gear, helping clean debris during a Project AWARE beach cleanup or scoring prizes at a fundraiser treasure hunt (please be a good sport), you’re more likely to come up with what you went in for when you know which search pattern to use and how to use it. Another point about search and recovery is that it is directly and indirectly rewarding. It’s directly rewarding because it’s a fun challenge and something different to do underwater, like a treasure hunt or beach clean up. It’s indirectly rewarding when your search has a specific purpose, such as retrieving an elderly person’s lost prescription sunglasses or the brand new rod and reel an angler accidentally dropped over the side. You’re doing something kind for another person, and you’re being an ambassador for diving. And, it goes without saying that if you hang around water long enough, you’ll have to search for something that you or a fellow diver accidentally deep-sixes. (In my years of diving, most of my underwater searches have been for lost dive gear and boat hardware.) Besides learning how to search, if the object is too big to swim topside, you also need to learn ways to safely raise it to the surface. You learn both search patterns and how to recover objects in the PADI Search and Recovery Diver course, which is the Specialty of the Month. Sign up with your local PADI Dive Center, Resort or Instructor. Trust me: You will use what you learn not just once, but many times. Sincerely, 
Drew Richardson PS - Search and recovery is a lot more fun with a friend. Why not bring a buddy with you?
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