Enriched Air Nitrox

The Nitrox specialty runs 6 to 9 hours and is open to divers from age 10. Equipment is included. The centre explicitly positions this course as one sought by divers interested in underwater video and photography — the extended no-decompression limits that Nitrox provides mean more time at depth with a camera.

On the south coast of São Miguel, that translates to more time at the MV Dori, which sits at 20 metres and is photographically interesting: intact stern section, calderas, cable drums, and dense fish concentrations. It also means longer bottom time at Âncoras, where the centenarian anchors scattered across the sandy bottom at 22 metres make for unusual subjects.

The course follows SSI or PADI curriculum. Once certified, you can use the Nitrox fills that the centre provides for guided boat dives.