Built on bottom time.
— Why North of Ordinary? —
Every N35.9 course includes more dives than the agency requires, because hours underwater are what make a diver.
— IN EVERY COURSE —
Included in every course.
- 01
Never mixed with another group
- 02
Private instruction
- 03
In-person knowledge development
- 04
Nitrox certification included with every course
unless already certified
- 05
Bonus dives
above the agency minimum
- 06
All equipment and logistics
- 07
Debrief dinner
on multi-day courses
- 08
Logbook and other dive accessories
— Course options
— 01Foundation
Foundation
For first-time divers.
The Open Water course, run the way it should be run — with time built in for the skills to become reflexes. Foundation carries the most generous time allocation of any tier: additional training dives above the agency minimum, and extended in-person knowledge development. Available on its own, or bundled with Advanced Open Water for divers who'd rather commit the whole first progression to a single trip.
- Cert
- PADI Open Water (optionally + Advanced Open Water)
- Duration (approx.)
- 4 days (OW) · 7 days (OW + AOW)
- Ratio
- 1:1, 2:1, or up to 4:1 for families and close friends
— 02Explorer
Explorer
For divers who have their first certification and want to build on it.
The Advanced Open Water course — six adventure dives, one more than PADI requires, each treated as a more in depth course rather than a taster. Peak Performance Buoyancy comes strongly recommended as one of the three electives, alongside the two required dives (Deep and Underwater Navigation). The course runs over 2–3 days at your pace, and can be extended with a full specialty course for divers who want both the breadth of AOW and one proper depth.
- Cert
- PADI Advanced Open Water (optionally + one Specialty)
- Duration (approx.)
- 2–3 days (AOW) · 5–6 days (AOW + Specialty)
- Ratio
- 1:1, 2:1, or up to 4:1 for families and close friends
— 03Rescue
Rescue
The course that changes the kind of diver you are.
Rescue has a reputation for being the hardest course on the recreational ladder — and most divers arrive a little nervous for exactly that reason. What almost everyone says afterwards is that it turned out to be their favourite. There's real work in it, and it changes how you dive; there's also a lot of laughter, a lot of problem-solving, and a surprising amount of fun. Taught alongside Emergency First Response as standard, with an emphasis on realistic scenario work — not minimum-to-pass exercises.
- Cert
- PADI Rescue Diver + EFR Primary & Secondary Care
- Duration (approx.)
- 4 days
- Ratio
- 1:1 or 2:1
— 04Specialties
Specialties
For certified divers who want to deepen a single discipline.
Specialties sit slightly outside the progression above. Any diver with Advanced Open Water can take one — without needing Rescue first, without needing to pair it with anything else. Seven are offered: Deep (to 40m), Wreck, Night, Underwater Navigation, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Underwater Photography, and Enriched Air Nitrox. Each is a proper course: theory, dives, and the time to build the discipline into your habits rather than your memory.
- Cert
- PADI Specialty (choose one, or stack several)
- Duration (approx.)
- 2–3 days per specialty
- Ratio
- 1:1, 2:1, or up to 4:1
— IN THEIR WORDS —
From the divers.
“I had Dan as my instructor from my Advanced all the way to my Divemaster. Thanks to him I became able to control my buoyancy and my air consumption, and to be comfortable guiding groups and helping in case of emergency. During the entire time he made me love the sea even more, day after day, sharing his passion and knowledge. If you want to gain experience in your diving life, go with Dan — he'll make you improve in no time, and thanks to him you'll get to know and love the sea even more than you do now.”
01 / 08
— FURTHER STUDY
Divemaster isn't a course I currently teach — the path to professional diving sits outside what N35.9 is built for. But if it's where you're heading next, I'm happy to point you toward instructors and programs I'd trust with it.
Let's go explore.
Already certified and just want to dive?
I do private day guiding on request. And if you have something specific in mind that doesn't fit the shapes above — a particular trip, a refresher, technical preparation — drop me a note and I'll build it around you.
