UTD Dive Professional Programs

UTD offers some great "dive professional" classes for you to not only build your resume but also your skills and confidence to be able to go out and live your dream of working in the Dive Industry. This page will give you a quick overview of the UTD Leadership and Dive Professional programs available.

UTD Instructorship

This is the ultimate level to reach in the industry. You can get a job teaching anywhere in the world. UTD offers several categories of instructor depending on your needs:

• Open Water Instructor - Teaches Open Water, Nitrox, Rescue, Dry Suit
• Foundational Instructor - Extends beyond OW instructor to Rec 1, Rec 2, Rec 3, Essentials of Rec, Essentials of Tech, Essentials of Overhead and most specialties
• Technical Instructor - Extends beyond Foundational Instructor to Tech 1, Tech 2, Tech Gold
• Trimix Instructor - Goes beyond Tech Instructor and adds Trimix 1, Trimix 2, Trimix Gold
• Overhead - May teach Overhead Protocols, Cave, and/or Wreck
• Rebreather - May teach Essentials of Rebreather, PSCR 1/2/3 or mCCR 1/2/3
• Technician - May teach Gas Blender, Cylinder and Valve Technician

Click here for IDC costs, financing packages, and current IDC schedule.

UTD Divemasters

UTD Divemasters may work in the industry in a leadership role, be paid to guide dives, and assist with classes. The UTD Divemaster is unique in that you can DM to the highest level of your UTD certification. In other words, a diver certified to UTD Tech 2, may work on a dive boat as a Technical DM.

Click here for DM costs and financing packages.

Gas Blender

As a Dive Professional working in the industry you will need to know how to fill tanks. But to gain an edge and be more desirable you should be certified to blend gases other than just Air, such as Nitrox and/or Trimix. This academic and hands-on class will teach you and certify you to be a Technical Gas Blender, broadening your skills as a professional working in the dive industry.

Click here to find out more about the class and costs involved.

Cylinder and Valve Technician

A big part of the industry is filling scuba cylinders. In order to do that, cylinders need to be visually inspected and the valves rebuilt on an annual basis. As a Dive Professional who will be working in this industry, you should be certified to both inspect the cylinders for damage and also rebuild the valves.

For more information about the class and costs click here.

UTD Dive Professional

This unique, five-month residence course takes you from diver to instructor, and trains you to become a complete dive professional, and outfits you with a complete kit of technical dive gear. Work in a dive shop, resort, on a cruise ship, anyplace a professional instructor would work.

You’ll work side by side with UTD Instructors, Divemasters, and Administrators in a 50-hour per week program that provides you with daily schedules and responsibilities. While training at UTD’s Southern California facility, you will not only learn how to dive to demonstration standards, but also how to work in the dive industry.

The program is carefully designed to give you plenty of time to explore underwater, while also working as an assistant in UTD classes, ultimately teaching your own UTD classes. You will complete the program with a minimum of 20 pool sessions and 120 cold water dives at depths to 130’/39m over five monthly cycles.

Cycle 1 • Recreational Diver

• Rec 1/ Essentials
• Practice Dives
• Rec 2/Nitrox
• Rescue

Cycle 2 • Dive Technician

• Cylinder Inspection Tech
• Gas Blender
• Regulator Service Tech
• Dive - Intro to Tech
• DPV

Cycle 3 • Tech Dive

• Tech 1
• Class Internships and Experience Dives
• Divemaster

Cycle 4 • Instructor

• Open Water Instructor Development Course
• Class Internships and Experience Dives

Cycle 5 • Internship

• Placement in a dive shop, dive boat, resort, or some other appropriate situation.

The Dive Professional Program includes a full kit of technical dive equipment including -

• Dry Suit
• Undergarments
• Backplate and Wing
• Regulators
• Mask and Backup Mask
• Primary LED Light
• Backup Light
• Wetnotes
• 100'/30m Spool
• Plus all UTD Student and Instructor Materials and one year instructor membership.