What Specialty Diver Courses Should I Take?

Choosing specialty diver courses? You’ve earned your Open Water Diver certification. Now what? The underwater world has much more to offer, and specialty courses can help you explore it safely and confidently. But with so many options, how do you decide which specialties are worth it?

Let’s break it down.

Choose Specialties That Unlock New Dives

Some specialty diver courses open doors—literally and figuratively. Dive centers often require certifications like Enriched Air Nitrox before they allow you to use nitrox and join longer dives or specific liveaboards. Deep Diving is essential if you want to go beyond 18 meters. Wreck, Cavern, or even Advanced Wreck Diving certifications are usually mandatory for overhead environments.

Planning to dive with sidemount gear, use a full-face mask, or venture into cold water in a dry suit? You’ll need those specific certifications to get started. These aren’t just nice to have—they’re required for safety and liability.

Think Ahead to Future Courses

A number of specialty diver courses act as stepping stones for advanced training. Extended Range programs often require Deep and Nitrox certifications. Likewise, Cavern Diving is the gateway to Cave Diving. If you’re considering going pro, you’ll also need first aid skills, which makes React Right a smart move. You might even require Search and Recovery for Divemaster training with some dive centers.

Can You Learn It Informally?

Not every skill needs a formal course. You can often learn buoyancy skills, night diving, navigation, and boat diving informally through experience and mentorship. Your instructor might include some of these skills in an Advanced Adventurer or guided dive session. That said, if you want a formal record, or if you’re aiming for recognition levels like Specialty Diver or Master Diver, these courses still count.

Some Skills Require Structured Training

You simply can’t learn certain specialties casually. Sidemount, Ice, Advanced Wreck, Dry Suit, and Cavern diving involve gear or environments that demand strict procedures. Diving solo or with a full-face mask also requires proper instruction. These aren’t skills to “figure out as you go.”

Do You Want Recognition Ratings?

If you’re aiming for Master Diver or planning to become an instructor, collecting specialties is part of the journey. Some instructors-in-training must complete certain student-level specialties before they’re allowed to teach them. Even if it’s not mandatory, it’s wise to be trained in what you’ll one day teach.

Tailor Your Path

Every diver has a different goal. Maybe you’re drawn to photography, or perhaps you dream of exploring historic wrecks. You don’t have to follow a set path. Sit down with your instructor and share your diving goals. Together, you can create a custom training plan that suits your experience, your ambitions, and your budget.

At Ocean Tribe in Diani Beach, we help divers shape their own adventure. Whether you’re diving for fun, for recognition, or for a future career, we’ll guide you every step of the way. All courses are taught to the maximum of their potential no matter where they fall in our judgement chart below.

Essentials	Nice to Have	Experience would Suffice
Enriched Air Nitrox	Night	Boat diving
Deep Diving	Search and Recovery	Photo and Video diving
Wreck/Advanced Wreck Diving	Navigation	Computer diving
Cavern Diving	DPV/ Scooter Diving	Drift diving
Ice Diving	Fish ID
Sidemount Diving	Coral ID
Dry Suit Diving	Ecology programs
Full Face Mask Diving
Independent/Solo/Self Reliant Diving
React Right First Aid/CPR/AED/ O2 Provider