Scuba Diving: Zero to Hero Program¶
- Structured scuba diving progress path from beginner to expert
- 10 levels to unlock, with new courses and trips at each level
- It's like a Role Playing Game (RPG) game, but for scuba diving
- Two diving trips per level (included in the price)
- Monthly subscription fee without hidden costs (cancel or suspend anytime)
- All courses and trip costs included (except plane tickets)
- We handle all logistics, food, hotel, rentals and trip planning
- All certifications are from world-recognized training agencies (PADI, IANTD, NAUI)
Why we created this unique program?¶
We love scuba diving. We believe that feeling freedom and weightlessness like in space it's an essential experience for any aspiring astronaut. We also believe that learning to dive not only gives you operational skills and prepares you for future EVAs (spacewalk) training, but also opens new horizons and gives you a new, level of appreciation and understanding how beautiful and fragile our planet is. A perspective shared by every astronaut!
How you can be an astronaut if you cannot even explore 70% of the surface of our own planet?
We were also learning scuba diving ourselves, and we know how hard it can be to get started and progress. We wanted to create a program that would make it easy and enjoyable for anyone to learn scuba diving, regardless of their level of experience.
How we want to help you achieve your goals?¶
There are many different agencies, courses, specialties, and certifications to choose from. It can be hard to know which path to take, how to progress, and what to expect. Planning diving trips can also be stressful and time-consuming, especially when considering all the logistics involved.
To address these challenges, we have created the Zero to Hero Program. This is a structured scuba diving certification program that takes you from beginner to expert level, with a clear career path and no hidden costs.
What this program offers?¶
Tired of being treated well only when you are paying client?
Join a community of like-minded individuals who share your passion for human space exploration and diving. With a monthly subscription, you gain access to a diverse range of diving courses, specialties, and exciting diving trips. Focus on your progress without thinking about the logistics.
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Credibility: All certifications are from world-recognized training agencies (PADI, IANTD, NAUI). No worthless self-issued papers, gimmick scuba diving organizations that nobody recognizes or self-appointed instructors. You will be trained with former European Space Agency (ESA) professional and International Institute for Astronautical Sciences's (IIAS) Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory director and EVA lead instructor.
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Comprehensive Career Path: To keep you motivated and engaged, we've designed a structured progression path spanning over 10 levels. With each level, you'll unlock new courses, specialties, and diving trips, ensuring a continuous and enriching learning experience. This allows you to gradually learn at your own pace and enjoy the process.
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Personalized experience: You can join the program at any time, and progress at your own pace. Whether you want to complete the program in 5 years or 15 years, it's up to you. If you already have some certifications, we can personalize the roadmap accordingly!
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You are not alone: Each week, we will host webinars and presentations that focus on the theoretical aspects of the courses you'll be taking. We will be there to guide you through the learning process, answer your questions, and provide support every step of the way. You will be a part of a community not a client paying for a one-off service.
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Hassle-free experience: All training courses and dive trip costs (excluding plane tickets) are seamlessly included in your subscription fee. Say goodbye to hidden costs. Simply subscribe, learn and arrive at the airport with your swimsuit. Let us handle the rest—logistics, planning, and organizing trips.
Whether you're a beginner seeking certification or an experienced diver eager to enhance your skills, our Zero to Hero Program caters to all levels. Join us on this transformative journey and become a diving hero.
Prerequisites¶
- Minimum age: 18 years old
- Medical clearance to dive (we can help you with this)
- Basic swimming skills
Roadmap¶
We have designed the pace of a program to span over 10 years (each level takes one year), allowing you to gradually build your skills, experience and knowledge in scuba diving. Each level, you will unlock new courses, specialties, and diving trips, ensuring a continuous and enriching learning experience.
The pace is entirely up to you! There is absolutely no problem if you want to progress faster and complete the program in less than 10 years or slower and adjust to your plan and financial situation.
Level 1:
- Open Water Diver
- Enriched Air Diver (EANx, nitrox)
- Night Diver
- Advanced Open Water Diver
Level 2:
- EFR Primary and Secondary Care
- Rescue Diver
- Wreck Diver
- Deep Diver (Extended Range)
Level 3:
- Dry Suit Diver
- Diver Propulsion Vehicle
- Master Scuba Diver
- Tec 40
Level 4:
- Tec 45
- Tec 50
- Divemaster
- EFR Instructor
Level 5:
- Tec Trimix 65 Diver (normoxic)
- Tec Trimix Diver (hypoxic)
- Assistant Instructor
- Open Water Scuba Instructor
Level 6:
- Specialty Instructor
- Overhead EANx Diver
- Gas Blender
- Tec 40 CCR (CCR mod 1)
Level 7:
- Introductory Cave/Mine Diver
- Advanced Wreck Diver
- Tec 60 CCR (CCR mod 2)
- Technical Wreck Diver
Level 8:
- Technical Cave Diver
- Technical Mine Diver
- Trimix Gas Blender
- Tec 100 CCR (CCR mod 3)
Level 9:
- Full Cave Diver
- Full Mine Diver
- Tec Instructor
- Trimix Instructor
Level 10:
- Overhead Instructor
- Wreck, Cave, Mine Instructor
- Trimix Gas Blender Instructor
- CCR Instructor
If you already hold some certifications, we can adjust the roadmap accordingly and swap out courses you have already completed with some others. Contact us for a personalized assessment.
Participation involves two diving trips each lasting one weeks each. Last level (Level 10) involves three diving trips to complete all the courses. All trip prices (outside of plane tickets) are included in the subscription fee.
Price¶
The subscription fee is per month and changes annually as follows:
- Level 1: 300 EUR/month
- Level 2: 325 EUR/month
- Level 3: 350 EUR/month
- Level 4: 400 EUR/month
- Level 5: 475 EUR/month
- Level 6: 500 EUR/month
- Level 7: 525 EUR/month
- Level 8: 550 EUR/month
- Level 9: 600 EUR/month
- Level 10: 650 EUR/month
Mind that each subsequent level, we introduce more advanced courses and specialties, and embark on more diving trips. The price increase reflects the enhanced value of the subscription as you progress through the roadmap.
Prices, courses, and availability may change in the future due to factors such as inflation, cost increases (including those incurred by the certifying agency, hotel room prices, breathing mixture prices, and equipment rental prices), and other unforeseen circumstances.
By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to the terms and conditions of the subscription service.
Cancellation¶
- You can cancel your subscription at any time.
- You can suspend and resume your subscription at any time.
- There are no cancellation or suspension fees.
- You can cancel or suspend your subscription however many times you want.
If you cancel your subscription before completing the roadmap, you will still retain the certifications you have earned up to that point.
If you restart your subscription after cancelling it, you will resume from the point where you left off.
What's included in the price¶
- Weekly webinars and presentations covering theoretical aspects of the courses
- All course materials
- Certificates and exams (including instructor exam and application fee)
- Insurance for the duration of the program (renewed annually)
- Two diving trips per level
- Accommodation during all trips
- Breakfast, dinner, and non-alcoholic drink every day during all trips
- Transport airport-hotel-airport for all trips
- Equipment rental during trips
- Instructor fees and logistics for all courses and trips
- Surface and in-water support during all trips
- Breathing mixtures (nitrox, oxygen, trimix) for all courses and trips
- Boat, diving fees, park entrance fees during all trips
This fee covers all the courses and specialties included in the roadmap, as well as the associated costs of diving trips, airport transfers, accommodation, diving, surface and in-water support, boats, equipment rental, instructor fees, breathing mixtures, course materials, and certification fees. Price does not cover plane tickets to and from our destination airport. This is due to the variability in flight prices based on your location and time of booking.
Unlock Schedule¶
Every other month you will unlock a new course, specialty or trip. You will get access to the Open Water Diver course materials immediately upon subscribing. Subsequent courses will be unlocked as you complete the previous ones.
Have you ever played Role Playing Games (RPGs)? The unlock schedule is similar to the skill tree in RPGs, where you unlock new skills and abilities as you progress through the game. In this case, you will unlock new diving skills and abilities as you progress through the Zero to Hero Program. With time we can also add more branches to the skill tree, allowing you to customize your diving education even further.
Click to expand the unlock schedule for given level:
Beginner:
Level 1
| Level | Month | Item |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Open Water Diver |
| 1 | 2 | - |
| 1 | 3 | Enriched Air Diver (EANx, nitrox) |
| 1 | 4 | - |
| 1 | 5 | Diving Trip, Insurance |
| 1 | 6 | - |
| 1 | 7 | Night Diver |
| 1 | 8 | - |
| 1 | 9 | Advanced Open Water Diver |
| 1 | 10 | - |
| 1 | 11 | Diving Trip |
| 1 | 12 | - |
Level 2
| Level | Month | Item |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | EFR Primary and Secondary Care |
| 2 | 2 | - |
| 2 | 3 | Rescue Diver |
| 2 | 4 | - |
| 2 | 5 | Diving Trip, Insurance |
| 2 | 6 | - |
| 2 | 7 | Wreck Diver |
| 2 | 8 | - |
| 2 | 9 | Deep Diver |
| 2 | 10 | - |
| 2 | 11 | Diving Trip |
| 2 | 12 | - |
Level 3
| Level | Month | Item |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1 | Dry Suit |
| 3 | 2 | - |
| 3 | 3 | Diver Propulsion Vehicle |
| 3 | 4 | - |
| 3 | 5 | Diving Trip, Insurance |
| 3 | 6 | - |
| 3 | 7 | Master Scuba Diver |
| 3 | 8 | - |
| 3 | 9 | Tec 40 |
| 3 | 10 | - |
| 3 | 11 | Diving Trip |
| 3 | 12 | - |
Intermediate:
Level 4
| Level | Month | Item |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 1 | Tec 45 |
| 4 | 2 | - |
| 4 | 3 | Tec 50 |
| 4 | 4 | - |
| 4 | 5 | Diving Trip, Insurance |
| 4 | 6 | - |
| 4 | 7 | Divemaster |
| 4 | 8 | - |
| 4 | 9 | EFR Instructor |
| 4 | 10 | - |
| 4 | 11 | Diving Trip |
| 4 | 12 | - |
Level 5
| Level | Month | Item |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 1 | Tec Trimix 65 Diver (normoxic) |
| 5 | 2 | - |
| 5 | 3 | Tec Trimix Diver (hypoxic) |
| 5 | 4 | - |
| 5 | 5 | Diving Trip, Insurance |
| 5 | 6 | - |
| 5 | 7 | Assistant Instructor |
| 5 | 8 | - |
| 5 | 9 | Open Water Scuba Instructor |
| 5 | 10 | - |
| 5 | 11 | Diving Trip |
| 5 | 12 | - |
Level 6
| Level | Month | Item |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | 1 | Speciality Instructor |
| 6 | 2 | - |
| 6 | 3 | Overhead EANx Diver |
| 6 | 4 | - |
| 6 | 5 | Diving Trip, Insurance |
| 6 | 6 | - |
| 6 | 7 | Gas Blender |
| 6 | 8 | - |
| 6 | 9 | Tec 40 CCR (CCR mod 1) |
| 6 | 10 | - |
| 6 | 11 | Diving Trip |
| 6 | 12 | - |
Level 7
| Level | Month | Item |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | 1 | Introductory Cave/Mine Diver |
| 7 | 2 | - |
| 7 | 3 | Advanced Wreck Diver |
| 7 | 4 | - |
| 7 | 5 | Diving Trip, Insurance |
| 7 | 6 | - |
| 7 | 7 | Tec 60 CCR (CCR mod 2) |
| 7 | 8 | - |
| 7 | 9 | Technical Wreck Diver |
| 7 | 10 | - |
| 7 | 11 | Diving Trip |
| 7 | 12 | - |
Expert:
Level 8
| Level | Month | Item |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | 1 | Technical Cave Diver |
| 8 | 2 | - |
| 8 | 3 | Technical Mine Diver |
| 8 | 4 | - |
| 8 | 5 | Diving Trip, Insurance |
| 8 | 6 | - |
| 8 | 7 | Trimix Gas Blender |
| 8 | 8 | - |
| 8 | 9 | Tec 100 CCR (CCR mod 3) |
| 8 | 10 | - |
| 8 | 11 | Diving Trip |
| 8 | 12 | - |
Level 9
| Level | Month | Item |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | 1 | Full Cave Diver |
| 9 | 2 | - |
| 9 | 3 | Full Mine Diver |
| 9 | 4 | - |
| 9 | 5 | Diving Trip, Insurance |
| 9 | 6 | - |
| 9 | 7 | Tec Instructor |
| 9 | 8 | - |
| 9 | 9 | Trimix Instructor |
| 9 | 10 | - |
| 9 | 11 | Diving Trip |
| 9 | 12 | - |
Level 10
| Level | Month | Item |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | 1 | Overhead Instructor |
| 10 | 2 | - |
| 10 | 3 | Diving Trip, Insurance |
| 10 | 4 | - |
| 10 | 5 | Wreck, Cave, Mine Instructor |
| 10 | 6 | - |
| 10 | 7 | Diving Trip |
| 10 | 8 | - |
| 10 | 9 | Trimix Gas Blender Instructor |
| 10 | 10 | - |
| 10 | 11 | CCR Instructor |
| 10 | 12 | Diving Trip |
Frequently Asked Questions¶
Program:
Can I go faster/slower than roadmap?
Yes, you can go faster or slower than the roadmap.
Some students may need more time to master certain skills, while others may progress more quickly. Your instructor will work with you to ensure you are comfortable and confident with each skill before moving on to the next one.
Mind, that you can go even faster and complete "two years" within one year, but this requires dedication. It will also increase monthly price.
Note, some courses requires prior experience, such as becoming a Divemaster requires at least 60 dives, and Open Water Instructor requires minimum 100 dives. It takes time, to accumulate such experience.
Instructor:
Who will be my instructor?
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
Organization:
Where will be the training course held?
- Dahab, Egypt (open + confined water dives)
- DeepSpot in Mszczonów, Poland (optional confined water dives)
- Any other location (upon request)
Mszczonów is a 40-minute drive southwest from Warsaw and 3.5 hours from Cracow, Poland. 
Dahab is in Egypt on Sinai peninsula. 4 hours flight from Cracow/Katowice, Poland.
What equipment I need?
You don't need any equipment at all! We will provide everything you need.
Over time, especially when you start diving more advanced courses, you may want to get your own equipment. This is what we suggest:
- Two multigas computers (trimix, nitrox, oxygen)
- Dry suit, fins
- Backplate, wing BCD
- Two tec regulators
- Three stage regulators
- Primary and secondary light
What insurance do I need?
The price of the insurance is included in the membership fee, so you don't have to worry about that either. You will be covered by DAN Pro Insurance insurance while during the program. We will automatically register renew it every year. If you decide to leave or temporarily suspend the program, you can keep or cancel the insurance.
In some countries it is mandatory to have diving insurance to be allowed to teach diving. Even if it is not mandatory in your country, we still recommend having proper insurance to protect yourself and your students.
All technical diving requires proper insurance. We recommend DAN Pro Insurance, which covers decompression sickness, hyperbaric chamber treatment, and other diving-related accidents.
More information about DAN Pro insurance: here
Requirements:
What medical qualifications I must meet?
PADI standards define health criteria that you must meet. In case of any problems, you need a doctor's written approval to dive. No exceptions to these rules! Make sure you comply (or have written approval from a doctor) before traveling to Poland. The Divers Medical Questionnaire and Medical Statement form is available here.
What documents and forms I need to sign?
At the beginning of the course (and before any in-water activities), student divers must:
- Pass the e-learning course
- Successfully complete a quick review
- Sign the PADI Release of Liability/Assumption of Risk Acknowledgment Form
- Sign the PADI Standard Safe Diving Practices Statement of Understanding
- Sign the PADI Medical Statement
No signature, no diving. No exceptions!
Application¶
If you are interested in joining the Zero to Hero Program, please contact us at info@astronaut.center with the subject "Zero to Hero Program Application".
We will provide you with further details and guide you through the enrollment process. Don't miss this opportunity to embark on an incredible diving journey!