Deep Dive Specialty
This course teaches you how to plan and safely complete dives to depths between 18 and 40 meters (roughly 60–130 feet), through a mix of academic sessions and open water dives.PrerequisitesMinimum age: 15Must hold an SSI Open Water Diver certification or equivalent from another recognized agencyA medical questionnaire — with doctor's clearance required if you answer "yes" to any questionEnriched Air Nitrox certification is often recommended (not always mandatory) alongside or before this course, since it helps manage no-decompression limits at depthWhat It CoversDive planning — using dive computers and gas consumption calculations to plan and execute deep divesNitrogen narcosis — recognizing and managing its effects at depthDecompression sickness risk and how to avoid itGas management — monitoring air/gas levels carefully since consumption increases significantly at depthSafety stops and controlled ascents/descentsPractical skills like using a Surface Marker Buoy (SMB), backup air sources, and dive lights are often part of the required gearFormat1 classroom/academic session (theory can often be completed online beforehand)Optional pool/confined water session (instructor's discretion, often used to review basic skills)3 open water training dives, progressively deeper — commonly structured as one dive past 60ft, one past 80–100ft, and a final dive toward the 130ft maxTypically completable in 2 days, roughly 6–10 hours totalWhy It MattersOpens up access to deeper, more advanced dive sites and wrecksIt's a prerequisite for some advanced/technical training — for example, it's required before moving into SSI's Decompression Diving Specialty, and similarly required as a stepping stone toward technical diving.
