Wonder what the top Five PADI specialty courses are?

It's the start of the summer SCUBA diving season and many previously certified divers are looking to expand their diving knowledge and try some new experiences. One sure way to do this is through advanced or specialty courses.

According to PADI, the world's largest scuba diver certification organization, there are a large number of scuba diving specialty programs. Here's a look at the top five:

Enriched Air Diver: This is also commonly referred to as "Nitrox" diving. The concept is actually pretty simple - "nitrox" divers breathe a different mixture of air and nitrogen than what we all breathe on land. By changing the composition of the gas the diver puts in his tank, there is less risk of decompression sickness (also known as the bends). A side benefit of enriched air diving is that scuba divers can spend more time under the water and often the "Nitrox" in their tanks can make divers feel less tired and more energetic following a dive.

Dry Suit Diver: Dry suits allow divers to explore more challenging dive sites. The special  combination of a rubber outer shell seals out the colder water, keeping the diver not only warmer, but dry! This specialty teaches divers about using the right cold water scuba diving attire, which allows for the generally better visibility offered during the winter months especially at inland dive sites such as quarries, lakes, sinkholes and caves etc.

Deep Diver: Normal scuba diving training is designed to allow divers to dive safely to depths up to 60 feet. Anything deeper than that is typically considered a "deep dive". The Deep Diver course is designed to train divers to safely explore depths of between 60 and 130 feet. The course covers a variety of procedures and skills including how to manage your depth, deal with nitrogen narcosis, plan safety stops and deal with situations that can occur in deeper waters.Wreck Diver: Many divers who complete the "deep diver" course also choose to take the popular "wreck diver" specialty course. This course helps divers explore the fascinating world of underwater wrecks and submerged structures. The course teaches how to select the proper equipment for diving on wrecks, how to safely explore and enter wrecks, research and plan these popular dives. Wreck diving is quickly becoming one of the more popular activities in the United States due to the increase in the number of artificial reefs being created.

Wreck Diver: Many divers who complete the "deep diver" course also choose to take the popular "wreck diver" specialty course. This course helps divers explore the fascinating world of underwater wrecks and submerged structures. The course teaches how to select the proper equipment for diving on wrecks, how to safely explore and enter wrecks, research and plan these popular dives. Wreck diving is quickly becoming one of the more popular activities in the United States due to the increase in the number of artificial reefs being created.

Night Diver: It may sound scary or intimidating at first, but scuba diving at night has some very appealing features. The behavior of the marine life underwater changes at night. Critters that are darting back and forth during the day are suddenly more subdued and easy to observe. Some creatures come out ONLY at night. The course teaches proper use of dive lights, ropes, signal devices and how to safely scuba dive at night.