Technical diving
Beyond the limits of recreational diving – for divers who want more.
Technical diving opens up a whole new world: greater depths, more complex planning, and specialized equipment. What ended as recreational diving is just beginning here. The s.u.b.-Tec program guides you step by step from your first experiences with Nitrox and stage tanks all the way to Trimix dives at 100 meters—with a clear, progressive curriculum and ISO-certified certifications.
As the largest stationary technical and recreational diving center in the Rhine-Main region, the Frankfurt Dive Center is the ideal starting point for your technical training.
Important: All technical diving courses have stricter medical fitness requirements than recreational diving—the medical certificate must not be more than 2 years old, and for applicants over 40, it must not be more than 1 year old. Having your own technical diving equipment is a prerequisite for all courses.
AN OVERVIEW OF THE COURSE ROUTE
All Tec courses build on one another. The recommended starting point is the Fundamental Tec Diver course, which lays the technical foundation for all subsequent courses:
Fundamental Tec Diver — Introduction: Techniques, Equipment, Trim & Buoyancy (no stage tanks, no mandatory decompression)
Advanced Nitrox Diver — Nitrox with two mixtures, decompression up to 40 m (stage tanks)
TEC Nitrox Diver — Nitrox with twin tanks and a stage, up to 40 m
Basic Trimix Diver — Introductory Trimix, up to 48 m, mandatory decompression stop of up to 10 minutes
Technical Diver 1 — Normoxic trimix with gas stops, up to 60 m, 5 days
Technical Diver 2 — Hypoxic Trimix, up to 100 m, 5 days
Gas Blender — Standalone mixing of all gas mixtures for nitrox and technical diving
FUNDAMENTAL TEC DIVER
The ideal introduction to technical diving—for recreational divers who want greater comfort and safety underwater, and as a prerequisite for the Technical Diver 1 course. You’ll learn the typical technical diving equipment setup, specialized propulsion techniques (frog kick, helicopter turn, backward kick), valve management, gas management, and team diving—all without stage tanks and without the need for decompression stops.
Minimum age: 16 years
Prerequisite: Open Water Diver * or equivalent
Required dives: 30 (including 6 within 8 weeks prior to the start of the course)
Course content: 4 theory sessions + 4 dives
Medical fitness: Medical certificate no more than 2 years old (for those 40 and older: no more than 1 year old)
Equipment: Twin tanks, wing + backplate, technical configuration
ADVANCED NITROX DIVER
The Advanced Nitrox Diver course builds on the Sport Nitrox course to prepare you for technical diving: You will plan and conduct dives using two Nitrox mixtures (bottom gas and decompression gas), master gas switching, and use technical aids for open-water decompression—including a stage tank and lift bag.
Minimum age: 18 years
Prerequisites: AOWD / Diver * + Nitrox Diver
Required dives: 20 since completing Nitrox certification (including 5 Nitrox dives, 4 within 8 weeks)
Course content: 4 theory sessions + practice dives (pool + open water)
Depth: 20–40 m (saltwater), 20–30 m (lake)
Diving eligibility Max. 2 years old (from age 40: max. 1 year)
Equipment Stage, reel/spool (min. 40 m), lift bag, long MD hose, buoyancy compensator
TEC NITROX DIVER
The TEC Nitrox Diver course is an advanced version of the Nitrox Diver course designed for experienced Nitrox divers using a twin-tank setup. You will plan dives using bottom gas and decompression gas, perform gas changes on a twin-tank setup (valve management), and complete open-water decompression dives using a buoy and reel.
Minimum age 18 years
Prerequisites AOWD / Diver * + Nitrox Diver + recommended: Fundamentals
Required dives 20 since Nitrox certification (including 4 Nitrox dives, 4 within 8 weeks)
Course content 4 theory sessions + practice dives
Depth 20–40 m (saltwater), 20–30 m (lake), min. 45 min.
Diver eligibility Max. 2 years old (from age 40: max. 1 year)
Equipment Twin tanks, wing + backplate, stage, reel/spool, lift bag, long MD hose
BASIC TRIMIX DIVER
The introductory course to trimix diving. You’ll dive using Trimix 21/35 as your base gas and EAN 50 as your decompression gas, with a maximum decompression time of 10 minutes at a depth of 48 meters. The course introduces you to the use of helium, MOD/END calculations, and decompression planning using software.
Minimum age 18 years
Prerequisite: Diver / CMAS + Nitrox *
Required dives: 65 (including 15 Nitrox dives, 2 within 8 weeks)
Course content: 6 theory sessions + 4 dives
Depth up to 48 m, decompression requirement max. 10 min.
Gas mixture: Trimix 21/35 (bottom), EAN 50 (decompression)
Diving eligibility: Max. 2 years old (from age 40: max. 1 year)
Equipment: Dual DTG (separately lockable), stage tank, spare mask, wet notes
TECHNICAL DIVER 1
The Technical Diver 1 course introduces you to normoxic trimix diving to depths of up to 60 meters. You’ll work with two stage tanks, plan dives manually and using software, and complete 8 intensive practical dives with a full technical diving setup. Course duration: 5 days.
Minimum age 18 years
Prerequisites: TEC Nitrox Diver or Basic Trimix Diver + Gas Blender
Required dives: 85 (including 30 on Tec-Nitrox, 20 of which deeper than 30 m)
Course content: 6 theory sessions + 8 dives, 5 days
Depth up to 60 m
Medical fitness: Max. 2 years old (from age 40: max. 1 year)
Equipment: Twin tanks (min. D12), 2 stage tanks (80 cuft), reel (min. 90 m), dry suit recommended
technical diver 2
The Technical Diver 2 is the highest level of the Tec Diver program at s.u.b.: hypoxic trimix to 100 meters, three stage tanks, complex gas management, and decompression at depth. Six intensive practical dives, culminating in a maximum dive to 70–100 meters. Course duration: 5 days.
Minimum age 18 years
Prerequisites: Technical Diver 1 + Gas Blender
Required dives: 20 trimix dives with gas changes since completing TEC1
Course content: 6 theory sessions + 6 dives, 5 days
Depth up to 100 m
Medical fitness: Max. 2 years old (from age 40: max. 1 year)
Equipment: Twin tanks, 3 stage tanks (40 + 2x80 cuft), reel (min. 120 m), dry suit
gas blender
The Gas Blender course is not a recreational diving course—it is a prerequisite for all technical diving courses starting with Technical Diver 1. You will learn how to independently prepare, analyze, and properly document all gas mixtures used in technical diving (Nitrox, Trimix, oxygen). The course is designed for advanced Nitrox divers who want to transition into technical diving.
Minimum age: 18 years
Prerequisite: CMAS * / OWD or equivalent; Nitrox Divercertification recommended
Course content: 4 theory sessions + practical exercises (mixing, analyzing, documenting)
No diving: Purely theoretical and practical course; no open-water dive required
Diving certification: Must be no more than 2 years old (for divers 40 and older: no more than 1 year old)