Recreational Diving¶

DeepSpot is a state-of-the-art indoor diving facility in Mszczonów, Poland. It offers a unique experience for divers of all levels, providing a controlled environment for practicing skills and exploring underwater scenarios.

Features:

• Warm 32°C (90°F) water, ideal for longer training sessions without the need for a wetsuit
• Many underwater platforms at various depths, allowing divers to practice skills and buoyancy
• 45-meter (148-foot) maximum depth (second deepest pool in the world)

Mszczonów is a 40-minute drive southwest from Warsaw and 3.5 hours from Cracow, Poland.

No. All recognized organizations are based on the ISO 11121:2017 standard. This means that if you have a lower-level certification in one organization, then you can apply for an advanced-level certificate at another. You do not have to redo your course. Certificates can have different names and procedures, but skills mastered during the training course are standardized and essentially the same.

Matt is a hypoxic trimix instructor, technical diving instructor, Closed Circuit Rebreather (CCR) diver, PADI IDC Staff Instructor, NAUI Instructor, IANTD Instructor, and Scientific Diver, in accordance with the standards of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences and Florida International University. DAN Instructor of First Aid with AED, BLS, Advanced Oxygen Provider and PADI Emergency First Response Instructor for both primary and secondary child/adult care with AED. Currently completing certifications in Commercial Diver class III and Cave Diving. Graduated from "Introduction to Saturation Diving" from FIU at Aquarius Reef Base. Awarded the PADI Certificate of Excellence and the twice PADI Elite Instructor Award.

Matt is also the lead instructor for EVA602 (Underwater Analog EVA), and the "Scientific Diver Course" for the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (formerly known as Project PoSSUM).

He is currently involved in the development of a neutral buoyancy training space suit and a underwater test of the Advanced Crew Medical Restraint System for commercial astronaut ACLS and CPR procedures.

More about Matt's credentials: here

No, but we highly recommend.

During the course you will be covered by the insurance of the your instructor. Also you will be diving in a controlled environment with a highly experienced professional. Although we take every precaution to ensure your safety, accidents can happen, and having insurance can provide you with peace of mind and financial protection in case of an emergency.

We recommend DAN Europe Insurance, which covers decompression sickness, hyperbaric chamber treatment, and other diving-related accidents. This is especially important if you plan to continue diving after the course, as it provides coverage for recreational diving activities and travel.

More information about DAN Pro insurance: here

Yes. To complete your course and be certified, you must successfully complete a non-stop swim for 300 meters.

Note, that you don't have to be a strong swimmer to complete this requirement. You can swim at a slow pace, and you can take breaks as needed, but you must complete the swim without stopping, getting out of the water, or holding onto a flotation device.

Diving standards define health criteria that you must meet.

If you will answer YES to any of those questions below, a medical evaluation and a written doctors approval will be required! NO EXCEPTIONS!

1. I have had problems with my lungs, breathing, heart and/or blood affecting my normal physical or mental performance.

2. I am over 45 years of age.

3. I struggle to perform moderate exercise (for example, walk 1.6 kilometer/one mile in 14 minutes or swim 200 meters/yards without resting), OR I have been unable to participate in a normal physical activity due to fitness or health reasons within the past 12 months.

4. I have had problems with my eyes, ears, or nasal passages/sinuses.

5. I have had surgery within the last 12 months, OR I have ongoing problems related to past surgery.

6. I have lost consciousness, had migraine headaches, seizures, stroke, significant head injury, or suffer from persistent neurologic injury or disease.

7. I am currently undergoing treatment (or have required treatment within the last five years) for psychological problems, personality disorder, panic attacks, or an addiction to drugs or alcohol; or, I have been diagnosed with a learning or developmental disability.

8. I have had back problems, hernia, ulcers, or diabetes.

9. I have had stomach or intestine problems, including recent diarrhea.

10. I am taking prescription medications (with the exception of birth control or anti-malarial drugs other than mefloquine (Lariam).

If you answered NO to all 10 questions above, a medical evaluation is not required.

If you answered YES to questions 3, 5 or 10 above OR to any of the questions on page 2, please read and agree to the statement below by signing and dating it AND take all three pages of this form (Participant Questionnaire and the Physician’s Evaluation Form) to your physician for a medical evaluation. Participation in a diving course requires your physician’s approval.

https://www.aatc.pl/diving/pdf/diver-medical-form.pdf

Make sure you comply (or have written approval from a doctor) before making your travel itinerary. There will not be any exceptions!

At the beginning of the course (and before any in-water activities), student divers must sign:

• Standard Safe Diving Practices Statement of Understanding
• Release of Liability/Assumption of Risk/Non-agency Acknowledgment Form
• Diver Medical Form

Each course may have additional forms to sign. Your Instructor will provide you with all the necessary forms and explain them to you.

There are several places to stay around DeepSpot. Our favorite is Hotel Panorama. It is not the cheapest option, but it has large rooms and includes breakfast in the price. With larger rooms, you can share among students and split the costs of accommodation. Panorama Hotel is also within walking distance from DeepSpot.

Hotel Panorama at Booking.com

Are there any other things to do?

• Warsaw (the capital of Poland) is a 30-minute car drive.
• Suntago (the largest aquapark in Poland) is a 10-minute car drive from DeepSpot.
• Mszczonow Aquapark is a 2-minute walk from DeepSpot.

The more time we have, the more we can do. We start as soon as DeepSpot opens and finish one hour before closing.

DeepSpot has a maximum limit of 4 people at a time per instructor. Matt is teaching alone, and there will not be any additional instructors. The group will rotate every hour, but Matt will be in the water all the time. The group can plan their lunch break right after dives, but only if there are three or more groups (with at least a two-hour gap in between). For two rotating groups, a 1-hour break is not enough time to dry, dress, eat, undress, prepare equipment, and conduct a buddy check.

Don't worry; Matt has already done tens of such whole-day trainings, and it has been proven that he can handle this.

How is it possible to squeeze so many things into such a short time?

All the necessary equipment is waiting for you at the poolside. There is plenty of it, which eliminates wait time between dives. All tanks are always full, and if you are low on air, just take another tank and dive.

The water is clean with a 100m visibility rate. DeepSpot has 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit) water, so no dry-suit or even wetsuit is needed. You can stay much longer in a warm pool than in open water anywhere else.

Is this according to PADI standards?

Absolutely! We don't do anything that even remotely stresses PADI limits. No exceptions to that. Period.

PADI defines a training dive as:

During open water dives, have divers spend the majority of time at 5 metres/15 feet or greater, and breathe at least 1400 litres or 50 cubic feet of compressed gas or remain submerged for at least 20 minutes.

PADI Instructor Manual 2024, General Standards and Procedures, page 25

This means that if well-organized, we can do two, and in extreme cases, three training dives during one DeepSpot hour. Note that PADI also has a maximum limit for a day, which is three open water dives. This limitation does not apply to confined water dives (the first training dives for OWD). Therefore, it means that we can complete the entire PADI OWD course in two days at DeepSpot. Furthermore, we can have some additional practice as well. If you stay for three or four days, we can also do AOWD and some specializations.

Specialization without diving:

Recreational (age 10-15):

Recreational (age 15+):

Specializations:

Technical:

Professional:

Summary of PADI Courses and Programs, PADI Instructor Manual 2024 (pages 32-38):