Going with the flow is something we’ve all had to get better at doing this year. And becoming a PADI Drift Diver lets you take those skills to the next level, and just in time for World Rivers Day which is celebrated this Sunday 26 September. 

Drift diving can be both relaxing and exhilarating. The course teaches you how to enjoy going with the flow as you scuba dive down rivers or use ocean currents to glide along safely. It feels like flying – except that you’re underwater using scuba equipment. 

If you’re a PADI (Junior) Open Water Diver who is at least 12 years old, you can start your journey at home with the PADI Drift Diver eLearning course and then complete the specialty course with your local PADI Dive Centre or Resort.  

EXCLUSIVE: WIN a PADI Drift Diver eLearning course – click HERE to be in with a chance to win one of two eLearning courses from our friends at PADI to celebrate World Rivers Day!

Once you are certified as a PADI Drift Diver, you are ready to explore rivers, amongst other currents, all over the world. Here are some of the most remarkable river dive sites across the globe for you to seek adventure in. 

1. Valle Verzasca, Switzerland 

See a whole new side to Switzerland while doing a drift dive through the Valle Verzasca, which has some of the clearest diving in all of Europe. It is both an ideal place to learn to drift dive and still offers plenty of adventure for the more experienced divers. Exploring Valle Verde can be arranged through a range of PADI Dive Centres in the region and combined with mountain lake dives in the area as well. 

2. Rainbow River, Florida 

The clear, shallow and warm waters of Rainbow River in Dunnellon, Florida make it the perfect drift dive location for scuba divers, snorkelers and freedivers alike. PADI Dive Centres in the area can help organize pick up and drop offs so that you can drift down one of Florida’s most outstanding waterways. 

3. St Lawrence River, Canada

Drift diving in the St. Lawrence River can provide access to thousands of shipwrecks, including the RMS Empress of Ireland. Plus, the riverway is known to have surprisingly warm temperatures of up to 75 degrees Fahrenheit and have friendly visitors that include salmon, beluga whales, Greenland sharks and grey seals. If you plan it right, you can even dive between the two countries of Canada and the United States. 

4. Waikato River, New Zealand 

Zip by boulders and rainbow trout during a drift dive through the Waikato River on a guided dive with a PADI Dive Centre in the area. While the river water is likely to be a bit chilly, the drift dive ends at Hot Water Stream, where you can warm up and relax in a natural hot spring. 

5. Local Rivers Inspired by other PADI Drift Divers 

You don’t have to venture far to seek adventure with a drift dive. As Youtuber Scuba Jake explains on PADI’s recent Dive Stories Podcast, there is always something to discover beneath the surface—with rivers offering some of the most unique dive sites in the world. All you have to do is look below the surface and go with the flow. Your local PADI Dive Centre or Resort can give you additional insight on the best places near you.