Deep Diver Training
NAUI Deep Diver is a specialty course for divers who want to plan and conduct deeper recreational dives while minimizing risk. The official NAUI page defines deep dives in this course as dives between 18 and 40 meters, or 60 and 130 feet, that do not require decompression stops. The course develops the practical thinking needed for deeper profiles: gas management, descent and ascent control, narcosis awareness, buddy procedures, and conservative decision-making.
This course is intended for divers who already have experience beyond entry-level certification. NAUI lists Advanced Open Water Scuba Diver or equivalent as the prerequisite, with a minimum age of 15 by the water phase. The instructor must verify student knowledge and capability before open-water training, including a screening or evaluation dive when needed. Students should already have reliable buoyancy and situational awareness before adding deeper-dive task loading.
Training normally includes dive planning, risk review, equipment considerations, and open-water deep dives conducted within recreational limits. In High Springs, Florida, Deep Diver can be a useful step before advanced nitrox, rescue, technical, or cave training, because depth makes small planning mistakes more important. The expected outcome is a diver who treats deep recreational diving as a planned activity, not a casual extension of shallow diving.
