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Essentials of Rec is a skills class for certified divers. It brings you into the UTD diving system training us in all the techniques we use – proper buoyancy control through breathing, horizontal trim in the water, propulsion techniques that give you precise control, and much more.

The Open Water Diver course is an entry level class designed to teach NON-certified divers to be safe and comfortable while enjoying the wonders of our oceans, lakes and other waters. This class is structured to prepare divers for recreational diving using proper equipment and proper diving techniques. Recreational 1 adds Nitrox as a breathing gas.

The Recreational 2 and Advanced Open Water Diver (Rec 2 and AOW) course is the next step for recreational divers to expand their diving to slightly deeper depths with more advanced gases. Rec 2/AOW is a modular class structured to prepare divers for a wider range of environmental conditions and more advanced recreational diving using proper equipment, diving techniques and breathing mixtures including a thorough knowledge of the use of Nitrox.

Rescue and Emergency Procedures may be one of the most valuable courses any diver can take. The Rescue Diver course is designed to prepare the student for a variety of emergency situations and is centered around both self-rescue and buddy-rescue. The Prerequisites for the UTD Rescue Diver course include First Aid/CPR/AED/Oxygen administration certifications.

Tech 1 develops deeper decompression diving to 160 feet/48 meters with trimix 25/25, 21/35 or 18/45 and one decompression bottle of oxygen or nitrox 50. Oxygen decompression is limited to one 15-minute cycle, or 30 minutes when using nitrox 50. A stage bottle requires stage training. As depth and decompression obligations increase, so do the demands of proper gas management, team awareness, and precision execution. This course uses a critical skills approach where dives are treated as real dives with real objectives and evolving failures that require the team to problem-solve together under pressure. Training focuses heavily on mid-water control, ascent discipline, gas switches, valve drills, and handling failures away from the bottom — building the comfort, awareness, and confidence required for more advanced technical diving. Prerequisites include a minimum age of 21, 75 dives beyond open water, and UTD Essentials of Tech, Rec 2 with Doubles MINI, Techreational, or equivalent with assessment. The instructor verifies all general, fitness and rescue prerequisites before training.

Techreational is the entry point into technical diving, introducing the theory, equipment, and in-water skills required for decompression diving. Despite the name and conservative limits, this is one of the most demanding courses in diving because the focus is not simply on depth, but on precision, awareness, and team performance under pressure. Training is built around critical skills dives where teams are given real objectives and unexpected failures that must be solved together in the water. The course develops advanced buoyancy, trim, propulsion, gas management, valve drills, ascent strategies, and decompression discipline while building the mindset and confidence required for safe technical diving. Students should already be comfortable with foundational technical skills such as frog kick, back kick, valve drills, and gas-switching procedures. Prerequisites include a minimum age of 21, 75 dives beyond open water, and Essentials of Tech plus a nitrox endorsement or equivalent. The course uses trimix 25/25 to 130 feet/39 meters and one oxygen decompression bottle, limited to one oxygen cycle. The instructor verifies the full prerequisites before training.

Essentials of Tech is a personal skills class that prepares you for technical diving by advancing your control of buoyancy, trim, and propulsion, while introducing you to more advanced air sharing procedures and decompression bottle handling protocols. The class also introduces you to more advanced gas planning and more complicated ascent strategies.

The Purpose of the Doubles MINI is to introduce and train a diver in the use of either double tank back mount or side mount configurations. The course focuses on cultivating the practical, normal, and emergency skills required by all double tank divers, including buoyancy control, emergency procedures, and care and maintenance.

• Weekly foundational diving training program
• Access to all of the Recreational online course content
• Regular communication with your coach
• Video review and feedback

This fundamental course prepares you to provide proper care for life-threatening illnesses or injuries until professional emergency medical care is available. The life-support skills taught in this course include one- and two-rescuer CPR for adults, children and infants. Use of automatic external defibrillators, bleeding management, assisting a choking victims and responding to a person in shock.