Diving Medicine Courses

MTAC Dive Medicine Training

Diving medicine, also called undersea and hyperbaric medicine (UHM), is the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of conditions caused by humans entering the undersea environment.

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The Right Mix

It’s simple.  We have structured our diving medicine courses to make you comfortable in and around the water.  The courses are built to provide you in-depth SCUBA instruction and skills performance until it becomes second nature for you.  Then we give you the specific knowledge of dive related born injuries and illness, so at the scene, you function as a medical practitioner first, just one with the ability and comfort level to be effective in the water.

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2020 Dive Medicine Schedule

Our 2020 Dive Medicine Schedule has our two main courses, Open Water SCUBA Certification & Dive Medicine Level 1 Course and SCUBA Water Rescue Certification & Dive Medicine Level 2 Course, running back to back five times.  If you have already been SCUBA certified to the Water Rescue level, then you can still take the didactic content of each course to gain the knowledge of Dive Medicine. 

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It's the Florida Keys!

You can select these courses back to back which will give you evenings and a weekend or two to enjoy the Florida Keys unique ecosystem, activities and nightlife.  Do more diving, a fishing charter,  kayaking & paddleboarding or sightseeing.  The possibility for fun in the Keys is endless and your instructors are a wealth of knowledge for you to go to…they have all spent time in the Keys having fun.

Why MTAC For Dive Medicine Training?

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In the dive business for over 15 years and established three dive shops with locations in the middle and lower Keys and Key West.

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Our instructors have certified over 1000 students in SCUBA courses.
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Our lead instructor for this program has worked directly with military special ops experts that train medicine in austere conditions.
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Using a proven method of instruction, that was developed for military special ops in the dive environment.
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Experts in this field of austere medicine are brought in to teach the didactic content of these courses.
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Learn to dive, enhance your career, earn dive medicine CME and enjoy the Florida Keys!

Our Diving Medicine Courses

Enroll Now

Our Dive Medicine courses are listed below with a short description of each class.  Select the course that you are most interested in by clicking on the Book Now button.  This will take you to a more detailed description of the course, course schedules and how to prepare for the course.  You will also be able to select a second course at that time. Still have questions? Contact us today to discuss any questions or concerns. 


Dive Medicine Course FAQ

Do I have to be a medical professional, EMT, First Responder or have some other prerequisite to participate?

No, you do not have to be a medical professional but there is a base of knowledge in medicine that is needed for you to fully understand the didactic lessons of this course. The course is designed to teach medical professionals however. The SCUBA dive training is very similar to what we do everyday with our new diving customers. We do add some in-water practical assessment, diagnostic techniques and treatment exercises in the advance SCUBA Water Rescue and Dive Medicine Level 2 course.

How good a swimmer do I have to be to participate?

We am assuming that you are not a certified diver and that you would start with the first course, Open Water SCUBA Certification & Dive Medicine Level 1 Course. You have to be able to swim and meet the guidelines established by our dive certifying agencies. It is important to understand your objective in the dive medicine courses is to learn SCUBA and then to be able to function in a water well enough to save a person or to treat a person and prepare them for transport to a hospital or further care. Being able to swim is important.

You do not need to know how to swim for the maritime medicine or the wilderness medicine courses.

Do I need to provide any equipment?

All equipment is provided for our all of our courses. If you are starting with the Open Water SCUBA Certification & Dive Medicine Level 1 Course that as a part of the course price you will receive a student package that includes mask, snorkel, fins, UV performance rash guards, booties, reef-safe sunscreen, and more. Rental gear such as tanks, weights, BCD, wetsuits, regulator and gauges are also a part of the price of the course and not additional.

If you are taking the SCUBA Water Rescue Certification & Dive Medicine Level 2 Course then you do not receive the Student Package but we will have all of the equipment mentioned above for your use during the class.

Can I bring my own gear?

Yes you can and we encourage it, if it has been well-maintained and functioning properly. We have repair capabilities for most equipment as well but sometimes have to order the necessary parts to complete the repair. Please keep in mind that we have full service rental capability at each Capt. Hook’s location.

How much “homework” will there be each night?

The SCUBA portion of the course requires your participation in an e-learning program that you will work through prior to coming to the Keys. Your successful completion of that e-learning coursework will be the foundation of the course. When you arrive in the Keys, your in-water training begins and it is almost all practical application and instructor lead skills and repetition of those skills that develops your proficiency as a diver.

Our didactic instructors realize that you are in the Keys and want you to enjoy the evenings and weekends surrounding the course, so the classes are structured for you to get the most out of them while you are in them with lectures and practical exercises.

Can I bring my spouse/friend/family?

That is a significant reason why we thought the Florida Keys would be an excellent location to conduct these courses. There is something to do for the whole family and friends. For our students, you select and cover your own lodging, so your living arrangements are your own. Our training is however is full days Monday through Thursday with possible adjustments to avoid wind and rough seas. We try to allow for time for family and friends but most of that will come after course time.

Will I need to obtain transportation while I’m in the Keys?

Yes. You will. There will be movement between the lecture locations and launch locations for the scuba training.

Will I be qualified as a First Responder, EMT or some other provider upon completion?

If you take the combined SCUBA Water Rescue and Dive Medicine Level 2 course you will receive your SCUBA Water Rescue certification for week 2, which will allow you to dive anywhere in the world recreationally, and you will received 15 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Each physician should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.*

All courses provide CMEs that can be applied to qualifications for Diploma in Diving and Marine Medicine (DiDMM), Diploma in Mountain Medicine (DiMM) and Fellowship in the Academy of Wilderness Medicine (FAWM) to advance your medical qualifications.

*This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of the Wilderness Medical Society (WMS) and Capt. Hook’s MTAC. The WMS is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

How many students will be in class with me?

Our combined SCUBA and didactic courses are structured for 12 people due to size limits of our pool for training. You can take the didactic portion of th course only, in which we can add another 8 people to the 12.

How strenuous will the class be?

SCUBA diving portion will require some strength. You will have a 35 pound tank strapped to your back for your air as you move about (short distances) with fins on. There is a medical questionnaire that is required to be filled out with any instruction to make sure you are healthy enough to scuba dive. If you answer yes to any of the questions associated with the medical questionnaire you will require a release from your doctor. This does not mean you can’t take the course, it just means we have to be certain your doctor is good with you scuba diving. If you are pregnant, you will need to wait until after the birth to take the course.