Professional Diploma in Technical and Professional Diving
This professional diploma takes you beyond recreational limits into technical diving and its professional applications. You will study advanced gas physics and hyperbaric physiology, oxygen toxicity, narcosis and decompression models, equipment configurations from sidemount to twinsets, trimix, heliox and closed-circuit rebreathers, decompression planning with gradient factors, an introduction to surface-supplied commercial diving, cave and wreck penetration, technical search and recovery, underwater archaeology, safety management and the planning of a complete deep technical dive mission.
Prior knowledge check
These are the skills this program gives you. Tick the ones you already master and we will tell you which part of the syllabus is for you.
You are starting from scratch in this subject. The program is designed precisely for that.
What is the Professional Diploma in Technical and Professional Diving?
This professional diploma gives you the theoretical and operational basis to plan and run deep, decompression and overhead-environment dives with professional rigor. You will learn how gas laws and hyperbaric physiology shape every decision, how to calculate oxygen exposure and equivalent narcotic depth, how Bühlmann, VPM and RGBM models work, how to configure Hogarthian, sidemount and twinset rigs, blend nitrox, trimix and heliox and manage rebreather failures and bailout, how to plan gas and decompression with dedicated software, and how technical diving connects with commercial, scientific, archaeological and search and recovery work.
What sets this professional diploma apart: a clear focus on technical diving, with mixed gases, closed-circuit rebreathers, gradient factors and staged decompression treated in depth; a full module on cave and wreck diving with guideline navigation, zero-visibility protocols and penetration gas rules; a bridge to professional work through surface-supplied diving, underwater tools and NDT basics, search patterns, lifting and archaeology; a strong safety culture built on FMEA, emergency action plans, chain of command and incident records; and a final project in which you design the full technical, logistic and medical plan for a deep decompression mission.
Program highlights
- Hyperbaric science: gas laws, CO2 retention, oxygen toxicity, narcosis and DCS models.
- Mixed gases and CCR: trimix, heliox, rebreather architecture and bailout procedures.
- Decompression planning: gradient factors, gas management, stage tanks and contingencies.
- Overhead environments: cave and wreck penetration, guidelines and zero visibility.
- Professional applications: surface-supplied diving, search, lifting and archaeology.
- Final project: a complete operational plan for a deep technical dive mission.
Syllabus of the Professional Diploma in Technical and Professional Diving
8 modules. Select a module to see its content.
Physics, advanced physiology and hyperbaric medicine
- 1.1. Gas laws applied to deep diving: Boyle-Mariotte, Charles, Dalton, Henry and Graham
- 1.2. Respiratory and circulatory physiology under pressure: O2 consumption, CO2 retention (hypercapnia), work of breathing and gas density
- 1.3. Toxicity of gases at high pressure: central nervous system (Paul Bert effect) and pulmonary (Lorrain Smith effect) oxygen toxicity, with OTU and CNS% calculations
- 1.4. Nitrogen and inert gas narcosis: lipid and protein hypotheses, equivalent narcotic depth (END) and helium as a diluent
- 1.5. Decompression sickness: microbubble formation theory, tissue models (Haldane, Bühlmann ZHL-16) and bubble models (VPM, RGBM)
- 1.6. Severe barotrauma, arterial gas embolism and ear, nose, throat and lung conditions specific to technical diving
- 1.7. Operation and protocols of recompression and hyperbaric chambers: US Navy treatment tables, hyperbaric oxygen therapy and advanced first aid
- 1.8. Oxygen toxicity and narcosis
Technical equipment configuration, gas mixtures and closed-circuit rebreathers (CCR)
- 2.1. Equipment configuration philosophy: Hogarthian, sidemount and twinset systems with isolation manifolds
- 2.2. High-flow balanced regulators: performance in cold and deep water, hose routing and strict redundancy
- 2.3. Advanced gas mixtures: decompression nitrox (EAN32 to pure O2), hypoxic and normoxic trimix and heliox, partial pressure blending and decanting with boosters
- 2.4. Fundamentals and architecture of closed-circuit rebreathers: galvanic and optical O2 sensors, sodalime scrubbers and counterlungs
- 2.5. Electronics and monitoring on CCR: constant setpoint computers, manual (mCCR) and electronic (eCCR) units
- 2.6. Rebreather failure protocols: bailout to open circuit and management of hyperoxia, hypoxia and hypercapnia from scrubber failure
- 2.7. Inspection, hydrostatic pressure testing, oxygen cleaning and advanced preventive maintenance
- 2.8. Gas analysis and cylinder labeling
Planning advanced decompression dives
- 3.1. Decompression planning software (V-Planner, MultiDeco): setting gradient factors (GF Low and GF High) and conservatism
- 3.2. Gas management and consumption strategy: respiratory minute volume (RMV and SAC rate), rule of thirds, emergency reserves and the rule of next
- 3.3. Managing decompression phases: oxygen windows, deep stops versus optimized shallow stops and accelerated ascent profiles
- 3.4. Stage tank logistics: standard marking, rigorous mix verification with O2 and He analysers and gas switching sequence on ascent
- 3.5. Planning contingencies: loss of decompression gas, missed stops, isolating manifold failures and extended bottom time
- 3.6. Technical diving at altitude and flying after diving
- 3.7. Risk analysis, FMEA and emergency action plans for operations in remote locations
- 3.8. Decompression planning software
Commercial professional diving and underwater work
- 4.1. Regulatory framework for commercial and industrial diving: ADCI, IMCA and OSHA rules and safety standards for surface-supplied diving
- 4.2. Surface-supplied commercial diving equipment: Kirby Morgan helmets, band masks and gas, communications and hot water umbilicals
- 4.3. Surface gas control panels: air and mixed gas distribution, two-way voice communications and pneumofathometer depth monitoring
- 4.4. Pneumatic and hydraulic underwater tools: grinders, drills, chainsaws and cutting and suction pumps
- 4.5. Underwater exothermic cutting (Broco) and wet and hyperbaric welding: the physics of the arc under water and shock prevention
- 4.6. Introduction to saturation diving: life support systems, diving bells, heliox mixtures and hyperbaric habitats
- 4.7. Underwater visual and non-destructive inspection protocols: ultrasonic thickness, magnetic particles and video and photography of civil works
- 4.8. Communications and surface equipment
Diving in overhead environments: caves and wrecks
- 5.1. Dynamics of enclosed environments: cave zoning (cavern, cave and full penetration) and the structure of wrecks
- 5.2. Guideline navigation: laying the main line, primary and safety reels, line arrows, directional cookies and personal markers
- 5.3. Propulsion and high-precision buoyancy control: frog kick, modified frog, back kick, helicopter turn and silt prevention
- 5.4. Blind navigation protocols: zero visibility, lost line, lost buddy searches in darkness and following the line by touch
- 5.5. Assessing structural stability in wrecks: collapse risks, sharp edges, entanglement in lines or nets and restrictions
- 5.6. Gas management in overhead environments: modified rule of thirds, sixths for complex penetrations and full redundancy of lights
- 5.7. Mapping, underwater surveying and the hydrology of karst systems
- 5.8. Guidelines and cave navigation techniques
Search, technical rescue, maritime salvage and underwater archaeology
- 6.1. Advanced underwater search patterns: grid, sector and swept arc searches with lines, supported by side-scan sonar and 3D echo sounders
- 6.2. Salvage and lifting of structures and vessels: calculating required buoyancy, lifting bags and overpressure valves
- 6.3. ROV operations and their integration with technical diving teams for deep support
- 6.4. Underwater forensic search and recovery: underwater crime scene protocols, chain of custody and liaison with coastguard authorities
- 6.5. Technical underwater archaeology: excavation with airlifts and water dredges, 3D photogrammetry and conservation of recovered materials
- 6.6. Heavy cargo salvage: cutting collapsed structures, fitting tensioners and driving piles under water
- 6.7. Psychology of the technical diver: stress management, panic prevention, self-talk and critical decision-making under pressure
- 6.8. Underwater archaeological documentation
Regulation, safety management, auditing and the marine environment
- 7.1. International and local legislation on safety in underwater work and the civil and criminal liability of the diving supervisor
- 7.2. Roles and responsibilities in the chain of command: diver, standby diver, tender, diving supervisor and hyperbaric physician
- 7.3. Preparing job safety analyses (JSA), high-risk work permits and operating procedure manuals
- 7.4. Safety audits and certification of commercial diving equipment to IMCA and ADCI standards
- 7.5. Protecting marine and freshwater ecosystems: sediment impact, conservation of cave formations and mitigation of chemical and fuel pollution
- 7.6. Operational record keeping: dive logs, gas mix records, maintenance histories and incident reports
- 7.7. Specialized insurance for professional and technical diving, repatriation cover and emergency medical evacuation logistics
- 7.8. Safety management in diving companies
Integrated underwater engineering and operations project
- 8.1. Selecting and assessing the work or dive site: bathymetry, currents, tide tables, weather and access
- 8.2. Designing the diving system: open circuit versus CCR versus surface-supplied, with the associated gas tables
- 8.3. Sizing the gas bank and calculating filling logistics, storage and surface electrical and hydraulic power supply
- 8.4. Contingency plan, hyperbaric emergency management and mapping of the nearest operational recompression chambers
- 8.5. Technical and economic analysis: capital costs (equipment CAPEX) and operating costs (OPEX for gases, personnel and insurance) for a technical or commercial mission
- 8.6. Field trials, dry runs and equipment failure drills in a controlled environment
- 8.7. Project presentation
- 8.8. Integrated project: complete technical, logistic, medical and operational plan for a deep decompression technical dive mission (or industrial work in a critical environment), including gas plan, decompression profiles with risk analysis, roles of the surface and bottom teams, JSA matrix and emergency medical response plan
Duration and format of the Professional Diploma in Technical and Professional Diving
It is 800 hours. Tell us how many you can study each week and we will tell you when you will really finish.
This is the pace at which most students finish. It fits well with the installment plan.
Academic leadership and faculty
The Navalis teaching team: working professionals who teach and supervise the programs.
Dr. Marina AlcoverAcademic Director and Head of Quality Assurance
Eng. Diego CifuentesSenior Lecturer in Naval Welding and Non-Destructive Testing; Head of QA/QC for Welded Joints
Capt. Javier Abaroa (MCA)Senior Lecturer in Ship Handling, Electronic Navigation (ECDIS/Radar/ARPA) and GMDSS; STCW Compliance and Bridge Resource Management Coordinator
Dr. Pau FerrerSenior Lecturer in Naval Architecture and Simulation; Director of the Hydrodynamics and CFD Laboratory
Dr. Nuria LlobregatSenior Lecturer in Marine Meteorology, SAR and Operational Safety; Navigation Risk Management Coordinator
Eng. Javier BañulsSenior Lecturer in Electrical Engineering, Automation and ETO Engineering; Electronic Integration and Engine Alarms Coordinator
Eng. Sofía MarquinaSenior Lecturer in Materials, Composites and Corrosion Protection; Coordinator of the Advanced Paints and Coatings Line
Eng. Tomás RieraSenior Lecturer in Propulsion, Alternative Energy and Hybrid Systems; Energy Performance and Vibration CoordinatorObjectives of the Professional Diploma in Technical and Professional Diving
Career opportunities after the Professional Diploma in Technical and Professional Diving
Questions about the Professional Diploma in Technical and Professional Diving
Technical diving (mixed gases, rebreathers, staged decompression, caves and wrecks) and its professional applications, including surface-supplied commercial diving, search and recovery, salvage and underwater archaeology.
No. It starts from an advanced recreational level and focuses on technical and professional diving, reviewing some recreational fundamentals only as a starting point.
No. Navalis Institute teaches the theory, planning and operational content. Diver certifications are issued by training agencies and competent authorities after their own in-water training and assessment.
Commercial diving is covered in one module, but the core of this diploma is technical diving: trimix and heliox, closed-circuit rebreathers, gradient-factor decompression planning and overhead environments.
Yes. It is delivered online with live sessions, recordings and multimedia resources; you can apply what you learn on your own dives under the supervision of your training agency.
Decompression planning software such as V-Planner and MultiDeco, gas management calculations, FMEA risk analysis and emergency action plan templates.
Through practical exercises and case studies in each module and a final project: the complete technical, logistic, medical and operational plan for a deep decompression dive mission.
A Navalis Institute professional diploma certifying the 800 hours of the program, together with the mission plan you develop in the final project.
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Admission process
No waiting for a call back. If your documents are in order, you can enroll in the same session.
- Profile: an advanced recreational diving certification and a nitrox certification from a recognized agency, at least 50 logged dives in varied conditions, a medical fitness certificate for technical diving and a minimum age of 18.
- Language: sufficient command of English to follow the classes and the technical documentation.
- Technical resources: a computer with broadband internet, an up-to-date browser and a PDF viewer; your own basic diving equipment is required and an advanced set (computer, regulator, BCD) is recommended.
- Admission: online application, review of your profile and a short interview with the academic team.
- 01ApplicationYour details, background and documents.
- 02Instant reviewWe check that everything is complete and in order.
- 03EnrollmentChoose full payment or instalments and reserve your place.
Admission is provisional until the committee validates the documents provided. If you do not meet the requirements, the full amount is refunded.
Ask us before you enroll
Leave your details and admissions will write to you to answer any questions. If you are already sure, you can apply and pay in the same session.