PADI Self-Reliant Diver Course in Komodo
Redundant gas, your own gas plan and the calm to solve a problem alone: the PADI Self-Reliant Diver specialty trains experienced divers to depend on themselves — and makes them better buddies. Three training dives in Komodo National Park, where the conditions reward solid planning.
PADI 5★ IDC Dive Resort · Resident Course Director · Labuan Bajo
Self-Reliant in Komodo at a glance
Training dives
Each one planned, executed and debriefed as a self-reliant dive.
Logged dives
Plus Advanced Open Water: this is a specialty for experienced divers.
Theory, assessment, dives
Knowledge development and skills assessment, then the training dives.
Divers per instructor
Individual feedback on every plan and every drill.
How the PADI Self-Reliant Diver course works
Knowledge development, a skills assessment, then three training dives with redundant equipment.
Self-reliant diving is not diving alone for the sake of it. It is the ability to plan a dive from your own gas consumption, to carry a fully redundant gas source, to navigate and ascend without relying on anyone, and to manage a problem calmly when no buddy is within reach — a situation every underwater photographer, guide or travelling diver has known.
In Komodo, where a current can separate a team in seconds, these skills are not theoretical. The course also teaches when self-reliant diving is appropriate and when it is not, within PADI limits and the park's rules.
Knowledge development
Risk, planning and the equipment that makes independence possible.
- Risks and limits of self-reliant diving
- Measuring your consumption rate (SAC / RMV)
- Gas planning: reserves, turn pressure, contingencies
- Redundant equipment: gas source, mask, cutting tools, SMB, timing devices
Skills assessment
Your instructor checks the core skills before the self-reliant dives begin.
- Swim and stamina evaluation
- Buoyancy, trim and hovering
- Configuring and streamlining the redundant gas source
- Pre-dive checks performed alone
Three training dives
In Komodo National Park, each dive planned and led by you.
- Navigation and dive execution without a buddy
- Switching to the redundant gas source, simulated failures
- Self-rescue and problem management alone
- Certification as PADI Self-Reliant Diver
Your two Self-Reliant days
Theory and assessment first, then the training dives on the daily boat.
From your gas plan to your first self-reliant dive
Times and sites may change with tides, conditions and instructor assessment.
Already diving with a pony or a sidemount rig? Bring it: the course adapts to the configuration you actually dive with.
PADI Self-Reliant Diver price
One price for the training, the dives, the certification and the Komodo National Park fees.
PADI Self-Reliant Diver Specialty
Knowledge development, skills assessment and 3 training dives
- Knowledge development with your PADI Instructor
- Skills assessment and individual gas-planning session
- 3 training dives in Komodo National Park
- Komodo National Park fees for the dive day
- Standard equipment and dive computer
- Redundant gas source for the course, arranged when you book
- PADI Self-Reliant Diver certification on completion
Accommodation is not included; rooms at the resort can be added with any course.
What's included
2 days · 3 dives
Everything the course requires
- Knowledge development
- Skills assessment
- 3 training dives
- PADI Instructor
- Standard equipment
- Dive computer
- Redundant gas source
- Komodo National Park fees
- Lunch and snacks on board
Who can take the Self-Reliant course
An advanced specialty: the PADI prerequisites are strict, and we apply them.
Certification
PADI Advanced Open Water Diver or equivalent from a recognised agency.
Experience
At least 100 logged dives. Bring your logbook: your instructor reviews it before the course.
Age and medical
18 years or older. Complete the diver medical form honestly; a doctor's clearance is required when indicated.
Skills assessment
The course starts with an in-water assessment. A diver who does not meet the standard is offered a refresher or extra practice first.
Why train Self-Reliant with Dragon Dive Komodo
Dragon Dive Komodo is a PADI 5 Star IDC Dive Resort in Labuan Bajo, led by resident PADI Course Director William Baillet. The training dives are made on real Komodo sites, in current, with a maximum of 4 divers per instructor, and the redundancy equipment is available at the resort.
Self-Reliant is also the natural step before the PADI Tec 40 course we teach: the same gas-planning discipline, the same redundancy mindset, one level earlier.
After your Self-Reliant course
Where independent divers go next in Komodo.
PADI Tec 40
Limited-decompression dives to 40 metres with redundant equipment — the logical next step.
PADI Sidemount Diver
Two independent cylinders: the most complete redundancy for a self-reliant diver.
PADI Deep Diver
Train to 40 metres on Komodo's deeper sites, with full equipment included.
Daily dive trips
Put your planning to work on the park's best sites with our daily boats.
FAQ — PADI Self-Reliant Diver in Komodo
What is the PADI Self-Reliant Diver specialty?
A specialty for experienced divers that teaches you to plan and carry out dives without depending on a buddy: redundant gas source, gas planning from your own consumption rate, navigation, self-rescue and problem management alone. It also makes you a more aware and reliable buddy.
What are the prerequisites?
PADI Advanced Open Water Diver or equivalent, 18 years or older, at least 100 logged dives, and a skills assessment at the start of the course.
How many dives and how long is the course?
Knowledge development, a skills assessment and three training dives in Komodo National Park, over two days.
What equipment do I need?
A fully redundant gas source (pony cylinder or sidemount configuration), a backup mask, two cutting tools, a surface marker buoy and two timing or depth devices. Sidemount configurations are in stock at the resort; other redundancy items can be rented or brought — ask when you book.
Does Self-Reliant certification allow me to dive alone in Komodo?
The certification trains you to be independent within PADI limits; it does not override the rules of the dive operator or of Komodo National Park. On our boats, dives remain guided, with a maximum of 4 divers per guide. The skills make you safer in every situation, including when you lose contact with your buddy.
Is Self-Reliant a good preparation for Tec 40?
Yes. Gas planning, redundancy and problem management alone are exactly the habits technical diving requires. Many divers take Self-Reliant, then Sidemount, then PADI Tec 40 with us.
Are Komodo National Park fees included?
Yes. Komodo National Park fees for the dive day are included in the published price, as for all our courses and day trips. The price covers the training, the dives and the certification.
Ready to become a self-reliant diver in Komodo?
Send us your dates, your certification level and your number of logged dives. We confirm the course and the equipment you need.
