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Courses, practice tests and daily questions, all in one place.
UiDiversity
The online diving academy from UiDive. Learn the theory behind scuba, freediving, equipment, marine life and safety, at your own pace, then take the exam and earn a certificate.
Learn · Understand · Dive smarter
- 40
- Courses
- 6
- Faculties
- 328
- Lessons planned
Important: UiDiversity is an independent education project by UiDive. It is not a diving training agency and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or accredited by any diving training organisation. Its courses and certificates do not certify you to dive. Practical diving skills must be learned from a qualified instructor.
Your learning pathway
Four stages take you from curiosity to professional-level knowledge. Start at the beginning, or jump in where you already are.
- Stage 1
Explorer
Curious about diving?
Introductory courses for people who have never dived, or who are thinking about it.
Ready when: You want to understand what diving involves.
- Stage 2
Diver
Learn how diving really works.
Core theory for new and recreational divers: physics, physiology, equipment and the environment.
Ready when: You are learning to dive or already dive recreationally.
- Stage 3
Advanced
Go deeper into the science and planning.
For experienced divers who want deeper understanding, from decompression to planning and risk.
Ready when: You have built diving experience and want more depth.
- Stage 4
Professional
Knowledge for leaders and educators.
Instructional methods, leadership and industry knowledge for people working towards a diving career.
Ready when: You are considering diving as a career or a teaching role.
Six faculties
Course catalogue
Showing 40 of 40 courses
Introduction to Scuba Diving
Your first look beneath the surface: how scuba diving works, what the equipment does and what learning to dive involves.
8 lessons about 5 hBeginner
Open courseScuba Diving Physics
Pressure, gas laws, buoyancy, light and sound, explained visually with interactive simulations you can play with.
10 lessons about 7 hBeginner
Open courseDiving Physiology
The human body under pressure: breathing, circulation, and how depth affects gas exchange, ears, sinuses and tissues.
10 lessons about 7 hBeginner
View syllabusScuba Equipment Fundamentals
A complete tour of a scuba kit: what each component does, how the parts work together and what to look for before a dive.
12 lessons about 8 hBeginner
View syllabusOpen Water Diver Knowledge
The theory that supports a first scuba qualification: planning, procedures, environment and responsible diving.
12 lessons about 8 hBeginner
View syllabusBuoyancy & Underwater Control
The principles behind balance, weighting, trim and movement, and why good buoyancy makes every dive better and safer.
8 lessons about 5 hIntermediate
View syllabusUnderwater Navigation
How divers find their way: natural navigation, the compass, distance estimation and planning a dive route.
8 lessons about 5 hIntermediate
View syllabusAdvanced Recreational Diving Theory
Deeper, longer and more varied recreational diving: night, current, deep and low-visibility diving, and planning that goes with them.
10 lessons about 7 hAdvanced
View syllabusRescue & Emergency Management Theory
The theory behind preventing, recognising and managing diving emergencies. Rescue skills themselves must be learned in practice.
10 lessons about 7 hAdvanced
View syllabusTechnical Diving Fundamentals
An introduction to the theory behind technical diving: decompression, mixed gases, redundancy and planning. Theory only; technical diving needs specialist practical training.
12 lessons about 8 hSpecialist
View syllabusIntroduction to Freediving
An introduction to breath-hold diving: how it works, the disciplines, the equipment and, above all, the safety principles.
8 lessons about 5 hBeginner
Open courseFreediving Physics & Physiology
How pressure, oxygen, carbon dioxide and the mammalian dive response shape every breath-hold.
12 lessons about 8 hBeginner
View syllabusFreediving Equipment
Understanding freediving equipment, its design and how it is configured for different conditions and disciplines.
8 lessons about 5 hBeginner
View syllabusFreediving Safety & Rescue Awareness
The safety knowledge every freediver needs: blackout, buddy supervision, recovery and what rescue involves. Rescue skills require hands-on training.
10 lessons about 7 hBeginner
View syllabusFreediving Disciplines & Techniques
The pool, depth and recreational disciplines, and the ideas behind efficient technique.
10 lessons about 7 hIntermediate
View syllabusEqualization Theory
Why ears and sinuses need equalising and how the main methods work in theory. Technique must be learned with a coach.
10 lessons about 7 hIntermediate
View syllabusAdvanced Freediving Theory
Deeper physiology and planning for experienced freedivers: depth, residual volume, risk management and long-term progression.
12 lessons about 8 hAdvanced
View syllabusFreediving Training & Performance Science
The science of training for freediving: breathing, flexibility, conditioning and recovery. Always paired with safety first.
10 lessons about 7 hAdvanced
View syllabusHow Scuba Regulators Work
An animated technical journey through the complete regulator system, from cylinder valve to the air you breathe.
12 lessons about 8 hBeginner
View syllabusBuoyancy Control Devices & Harness Systems
How BCDs, wings and harnesses work, how they differ and how to choose and check them.
6 lessons about 4 hBeginner
View syllabusScuba Cylinders, Valves & Gas Systems
How cylinders, valves and gas are made, tested, filled and handled safely.
6 lessons about 4 hIntermediate
View syllabusDive Computers & Underwater Instrumentation
How dive computers, gauges and compasses measure and display information, and what the numbers do and don't tell you.
6 lessons about 4 hIntermediate
View syllabusExposure Protection & Thermal Management
How wetsuits and drysuits keep divers warm, and how to choose the right protection for the water.
6 lessons about 4 hBeginner
View syllabusFreediving Equipment Engineering
A deeper look at how freediving masks, fins, suits and lines are designed and how design affects performance and safety.
6 lessons about 4 hIntermediate
View syllabusEquipment Inspection & Maintenance Awareness
How divers inspect and look after equipment, and when to take it to a qualified technician. Servicing itself needs trained technicians.
6 lessons about 4 hAdvanced
View syllabusIntroduction to Marine Biology
An accessible introduction to marine organisms, their habitats and how they live together.
7 lessons about 5 hBeginner
View syllabusCoral Reef Ecosystems
How coral reefs form, how they work and what threatens them.
6 lessons about 4 hBeginner
View syllabusSharks, Rays & Marine Predators
Sharks, rays and other top predators: how they live, hunt and what divers can expect.
6 lessons about 4 hIntermediate
View syllabusMarine Mammals & Behaviour
Whales, dolphins, seals and sea lions: adaptations, behaviour and respectful encounters.
6 lessons about 4 hIntermediate
View syllabusOceanography, Currents & Tides
The dynamic underwater environment: waves, tides, currents, thermoclines and how they shape diving conditions.
8 lessons about 5 hIntermediate
View syllabusMarine Conservation & Responsible Diving
How divers help or harm the ocean, and practical ways to dive responsibly and support conservation.
7 lessons about 5 hAll levels
View syllabusDiving Risk Awareness & Management
A core safety course for every recreational diver: what the real risks are and how divers manage them.
8 lessons about 5 hBeginner
View syllabusDiving Emergencies & Accident Prevention
How emergencies develop and how to prevent and respond to them. Emergency skills must be practised in training.
7 lessons about 5 hIntermediate
View syllabusDecompression Theory & Dive Planning
How decompression works in theory and how divers plan around it. Understanding the theory does not authorise decompression diving.
9 lessons about 6 hAdvanced
View syllabusDiving First Aid & Emergency Oxygen Awareness
What first aid and emergency oxygen involve for diving incidents. This awareness course does not qualify anyone to give first aid.
6 lessons about 4 hIntermediate
View syllabusEnvironmental Conditions & Dive Site Assessment
How to judge weather, sea state, currents, visibility and site hazards before you dive.
6 lessons about 4 hIntermediate
View syllabusThe Science of Teaching Diving
How people learn and how that applies to teaching diving. Completing this course does not qualify anyone as an instructor.
6 lessons about 4 hAdvanced
View syllabusDiving Instruction & Learning Methodology
Teaching methods for classrooms, confined water and open water, and how to adapt for different learners.
6 lessons about 4 hAdvanced
View syllabusDive Leadership & Professional Responsibilities
What leading divers involves: planning, supervision, risk management and duty of care.
6 lessons about 4 hAdvanced
View syllabusDiving Industry, Standards & Professional Practice
How the diving industry is structured: training organisations, standards, insurance and career paths.
6 lessons about 4 hAdvanced
View syllabusHow access will work
- Tier 1
Free learning
Introductory courses and lessons, open to everyone.
- Tier 2
Diver membership
The core diver catalogue, exams, certificates and downloadable notes.
- Tier 3
Premium and specialist
Advanced, specialist and professional-level courses.
Knowledge is not a qualification
- 1Knowledge: what UiDiversity gives you. Understand how and why diving works.
- 2A knowledge certificate: proof that you studied a course and passed its exam.
- 3Practical training: learning real skills in the water with a qualified instructor.
- 4Certification: a diving qualification issued by a recognised training organisation after practical assessment.
UiDiversity covers the first two. Diving itself is learned in the water, with a qualified instructor.
Find practical courses