Deep Dive Certification – What is it?

Not thrilled anymore of diving at 18 meters (60 feet) max and wish to explore deeper sites? Then try deep diving. But before you proceed, you must be aware that diving in deeper waters requires special knowledge, training and certification.

Let us start by defining what is a deep dive. Any dive that is deeper than 18 meters (60 feet) is considered a deep dive. But this does not mean that you can go to any depth you want as the maximum depth set for recreational scuba diving is 42 meters (140 feet).

Greater Depths = Greater Pressure

As taught in the Open Water Scuba Diver Certification Course, we should all know that pressure increases by 1ATM or 1bar everytime you go 10 meters (33 feet) deeper while adding the constant atmospheric pressure of 1ATM. So, if you are diving at 20 meters, the pressure will be at 3ATM: 2ATM of water pressure + 1ATM of constant atmospheric pressure. But if you reach a depth of 40 meters, the pressure will now be at 5ATM: 4ATM of water pressure + 1ATM of constant atmospheric pressure. In short, the deeper you go the higher pressure your body is subjected to and that is the reason why our wet suits and weight belts are loosened up a little bit.

Implications of Greater Pressure

Aside from the compressing effects of pressure to your body’s system particularly the air spaces such as sinuses and lungs, the air inside your tank is also affected where greater pressure further compresses the air inside the tank. So, the deeper you go, the more compressed your air will be, which in turn, gives you lesser time underwater.

Becoming a Certified Deep Diver

The proper way to become a deep diver is not by reading this article alone nor watching it on social media. Doing it on a certification course is the only way to do it.

You actually have two options: First, you can enroll in the Advanced Open Water Certification course where one of the advanced skills taught is deep diving. Second, you can focus your skills enhancement by taking up the Deep Diver Specialty Course.

Regardless of what option you choose, the minimum requirement before taking up a deep diver course is you should be at least 15 years old and a certified Open Water Diver. You start the deep diver training by taking up the knowledge development sessions and learn the reason why knowing your personal limits is very important. You will also tackle specialized deep diving equipment, dive planning, buddy contact procedures, buoyancy control at deeper waters, managing your air supply and dealing the possibility of nitrogen narcosis and other safety considerations.

Nitrox diving can be an intermediate option if you wish to go deep diving with an extended bottom time. But you must take note that nitrox diving has its own depth limitation for reasons of oxygen toxicity at greater depths. Nitrox is not taught in the Advanced Open Water Certification course, but if you may wish to learn, it is being offered as a Specialty Course. For more information, please read our related article on Nitrox Diving.

Dive Companies in Costa Rica offering Deep Diving Tours and Deep Diver Certification

Some dive sites in Costa Rica requires an advance level of certification due to some factors like depth, current and topography. With this, it is imperative that you sign-up your deep diving tour or Deep Diver Certification with a Dive Shop for safety purposes. Here are some of the Scuba outfitters in Costa Rica that offers deep diving tours and certification courses.

Agua Rica Diving Center

Location: Tamarindo, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Aside from taking the deep diver training through their Advanced Open Water and Specialty Course, Agua Rica Diving Center also offers Deep diving tours to Cabo Velas and some spots in Catalina Island that are over 60 feet deep. For more information, you can read our article about Agua Rica Diving Center.

Aquacenter Diving

Location: San José, Costa Rica

Offering Deep Diving Tours and Deep Diver Training through their Advanced Open Water Certification Course, Aquacenter Diving takes guests to Catalina Island where some diving spots are known to exceed 60 feet deep. For more information, you can read our related article about Aquacenter Diving.

Buceo Gavilana Dive Centre

Location: Nosara y Guines, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

You can perform a deep dive safely with Buceo Gavilana Dive Centre compliments of the confined areas of Garza in Playa Ostional with a maximum depth of 25 meters (82 feet). For more information, you can read our related article about Buceo Gavilana Dive Centre.

Buzos de Aventura

Location: Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica

Buzos de Aventura offers tours to several deep diving spots. For example, you can join them in a deep dive at Flamingo Marina at 90 feet deep or at Bat Island reaching depths over 100 feet and have this rare opportunity to observe large species of sharks like the Bull Shark. For more information, you can read our article about Buzos de Aventura.

Cano Divers

Location: Drake Bay, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

One of the famous packages offered by Cano Divers is a deep diving tour in one of the world’s best diving spot: Coco’s Island. They also offer the same tour at Cano Island where you can reach the maximum depth set for recreational diving at 140 feet. Aside from this, they offer Deep Diver training in their Advanced Open Water Certification Course or through their Deep Diver Specialty Course. For more information, you can read our article about Cano Divers.

Costa Rica Adventure Divers

Location: Drake Bay, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

If you wish to become a trained Deep diver, Costa Rica Adventure Divers offer certification courses in their Advanced Training Program. Deep diving with Costa Rica Adventure Divers takes you to explore several places in Costa Rica like Cano Island, Coco’s Island, Quepos and Manuel Antonio. For more information, you can read our article about Costa Rica Adventure Divers.

Costa Rica Dive and Surf

Location: Dominical, Costa Rica

The deep diving sites of Costa Rica Dive and Surf is mostly located in Cano Island and Ballena National Park where you can plunge down up to 30 meters (100 feet) and explore rock pinnacles and deep crevices. They also offer formal classes for deep diving where you can sign-up with their Advanced Open Water Certification Course. For more information, you can read our article about Costa Rica Dive and Surf.

Deep Blue Diving

Location: Playas del Coco, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

One of the popular deep diving tours offered by Deep Blue Diving is in Catalina Island and Islas Murcielagos or commonly known as Bat Island. This are also the sites where they conduct their certification dives for the Advanced level and Deep Diver Specialty Course. For more information, you can read our article about Deep Blue Diving.

Herradura Divers

Location: Jaco, Herradura, Costa Rica

Deep diving in Isla Tortuga is one of the popular packages offered by Herradura Divers. This dive site, which is a 40-minute boat ride, allows you to go as deep as 30 meters (100 feet) and explore rocky channels filled with reef-associated fish species. If you wish to take a lesson on deep diving, Herradura Divers offers Advanced Certification courses including Deep Diver Specialty Course. For more information, you can read our article about Herradura Divers.

Mad About Diving

Location: Uvita, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Mad About Diving offers deep diving tours in Cano Island. Aside from deep diving in this 1-hour distant site, the dive guides of Mad About Diving may expose you to some degree of drift diving in mild to moderate currents. For more information, you can read our related article about Mad About Diving.

Montezuma Crew

Location: Montezuma, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

If you wish for a private tour that also offers deep diving, then Montezuma Crew is the right scuba outfitter for you. You will be spending the day with the crew on board their 32-feet yacht. For more information, you can read our article about Montezuma Crew.

Mystic Dive Center

Location: Playa Ventannas, Costa Rica

If you sign-up your deep diving tour with Mystic Dive Center, they will happily take you to Cano Island where you can explore a vibrant reef system filled with a good population of reef fishes. You can even visit a nearby rock formation which looks like a remnant of a shipwreck. They also offer an offshore reef diving in a site called Veinte Seis. If you want to explore an offshore  For more information, you can read our article about Mystic Dive Center.

Oceans Unlimited

Location: Manuel Antonio, Quepos, Costa Rica

If you sign up for a deep diving tour with Oceans Unlimited, you can choose two option. First, you can explore a vibrant reef system at 30 meters (100 feet) deep at Cano Island. Your second choice, which is the choice for the thrill seekers, is the offshore pinnacle diving at Viente Seis where you can dive up to 140 feet. For more information, you can read our article about Oceans Unlimited.

Punta Uva Dive Center

Location: Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Limon, Costa Rica

Punta Uva Dive Center offers deep diving tours in a Caribbean fringing reef. Underwater, you will see a  vibrant variety of corals like elkhorns, brains, branching and fire corals with a good population of fishes like barracudas and parrotfishes. For more information, you can read our article about Punta Uva Dive Center.

Reef Runner Divers

Location: Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Limón, Costa Rica

If you sign-up for a deep diving tour with Reef Runner Divers, they will take you to a vertical wall which starts at 30 feet and goes all the way down to 130 feet. Sightings of sharks can be observed especially if you on the deeper pelagic side of the reef. For more information, you can read our article about Reef Runner Divers.

Rich Coast Diving

Location: Playas del Coco, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Rich Coast Diving offers deep diving tours to Catalina Island and Islas Murcielago or commonly called as the Bat island. With most dive sites over 60 feet deep, your deep diving adventures takes you to observe large schools of jacks and manta rays in the deeper part of the reef. For more information, you can read our article about Rich Coast Diving.

Rocket Frog Divers

Location: Playa Ocotal, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Catalina Islands and Bat Islands are the preferred deep diving sites if you opt to sign-up with Rocket Frog Divers. In case you have no prior deep diving experience, you can enroll in their Advanced Open Water or Deep Diver Specialty Certification course. For more information, you can read our article about Rocket Frog Divers.

Sirenas Diving

Location: Playas del Coco, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

There are 3 main deep diving sites being promoted by Sirenas Diving, namely: The Wall (La Pared), The Point (La Punta) and Widow Rock (La Viuda). For more information, you can read our article about Sirenas Diving.

Tamarindo Diving Center

Location: Tamarindo, Guanacaste,

Catalina Island is the main dive site for Tamarindo Diving Center regardless of the dive plan which can include a deep dive or any type of recreational diving for the matter. For more information, you can read our article about Tamarindo Diving Center.

Before we end this article, allow us to give you both an advice and inspiration: When you are taking up the certification course or performing a deep dive, just relax and do it according to the plan and safety procedures. After all, DIVERS are known to DO IT DEEPER.

References

PADI: https://www.padi.com/padi-courses/deep-diver

video courtesy from Sirenas Diving Costa Rica