Buceo PROFUNDO

The SSI Deep Diving specialty at Arrecifal runs two days and includes three open-water dives, taking students to the 40-metre limit of recreational diving. El Hierro's continental shelf drops steeply and fast — depth is genuinely accessible here, which makes the island a practical environment for this kind of training. The volcanic walls that start near the surface continue downward, and the deeper sections have their own character: different light, different species mix, and compressed no-decompression time that demands careful planning.

The course covers planning and executing dives between 18 and 40 metres safely. That includes understanding narcosis, monitoring no-decompression limits at depth, managing gas consumption when the bottom clock is running, and the discipline of ascent rates and safety stops. These aren't abstract concerns on El Hierro — El Bajón, one of the signature sites, drops well below recreational limits, and understanding where the edges are matters when you're in the water.

The three training dives are conducted under direct instructor supervision, progressively working toward the 40-metre depth limit. Each dive is preceded by a full briefing specific to what will be practised — not a generic site briefing, but a structured session oriented to the course objectives. Arrecifal's instructors are experienced in this depth range on the local sites, which means the briefings are grounded in real knowledge of how conditions change as you go deeper here.

Minimum age for this specialty is 15 years — older than the standard 10-year floor for most of Arrecifal's course catalogue. Prerequisite is Open Water Diver or equivalent from a recognised training agency. The Deep specialty is a prerequisite for some of SSI's more advanced programmes, so completing it at Arrecifal opens the path to further training if that's the direction you're heading.