A technical diver handling decompression stage cylinders during a dive

Photo by Teemu Virtanen · CC BY-SA 3.0

OC TechSSI XR

Extended Range Foundations

Official course standards ↗Last updated September 7, 2026

Build your foundation in extended-range technical diving with introductory training in multilevel diving, extended bottom times, and basic decompression theory. This foundational course teaches multilevel diving profiles, extended bottom-time planning, basic decompression calculations and procedures, and proper ascent rates. Extended Range Foundations is the gateway to all SSI technical pathways and is often called the entry point to serious technical training.

Centres that teach this course

5 dive centres in the directory publish a price for this exact certification, checked Sep 2026. Each centre's own wording is shown beneath its name. Ranges cover whole-course prices only — where a centre charges per day or per dive, its rate is listed separately below, since a daily figure is not comparable with a course total.

€375 – €400across 4 centres pricing in Eurofrom ≈ $421
One centre publishes a price in Thai Baht.

Same training under a different agency

27 centres

A separate set of centres, teaching Intro to Tech / Essentials under a different agency. These are not the same certification — the standards and the card differ — but they cover the same depth and scope, which is why centres price them alike. Every row here names whose rating it is, and none of them is counted above.

$600 – $1,650across 3 centres pricing in US Dollar

Charged by the day or dive rather than as a course price:

  • Elite Divers InternationalMexico
    Essentials / Intro To Tech DiverIANTD
    $275/day→ $1,100 for the 4-day minimum
    $275
    per day
  • Third Dimension DivingMexico
    Essentials Diver (Intro to Tech)IANTD
    $295/day→ $885 for the 3-day minimum
    $295
    per day
  • CDT Mexico (Cave Diving Training)Mexico
    Intro to Tech (twins)TDI
    1 student$300/day→ $900 for the 3-day minimum
    $300
    per day
  • Under The JungleMexico
    Intro to Tec (Backmount)TDI
    private$345/day→ $1,380 for the 4-day minimum
    per diver in a group$295/day→ $1,180 for the 4-day minimum each
    $345
    per day
  • Under The JungleMexico
    Intro to Tec (Sidemount Expert)TDI
    private$345/day→ $1,725 for the 5-day minimum
    per diver in a group$295/day→ $1,475 for the 5-day minimum each
    $345
    per day
€370 – €500across 7 centres pricing in Eurofrom ≈ $415

Charged by the day or dive rather than as a course price:

THB 9,500 – THB 15,000across 7 centres pricing in Thai Bahtfrom ≈ $283
IDR 5,050,000 – IDR 7,500,000across 6 centres pricing in Indonesian Rupiahfrom ≈ $281

Charged by the day or dive rather than as a course price:

  • Air Dive AlorIndonesia
    Intro to TechTDI
    1 student, privateIDR 3,200,000/day→ IDR 6,400,000 for the 2-day minimum
    3 studentsIDR 2,400,000/day→ IDR 4,800,000 for the 2-day minimum each
    IDR 3,200,000
    per day
One centre publishes a price in Philippine Peso.
  • Tech AsiaPhilippines
    TDI Intro to TechTDI
    ₱25,950
    total

Same tier, agency not stated

8 centres

These centres publish a price for Intro to Tech / Essentials, but their own wording does not say which agency's certification it buys — many teach several and name the card only once you enquire, and some price one course for either agency. The figure is comparable; the certification is not identified, so we do not guess at one.

$395 – $950across 3 centres pricing in US Dollar

Charged by the day or dive rather than as a course price:

  • Go Dive MexicoMexico
    Essentials / Intro to tec
    private$330/day→ $990 for the 3-day minimum
    2+ divers$300/day→ $900 for the 3-day minimum each
    $330
    per day
  • Cave Diving AdventuresMexico
    Twin Set Fundamentals
    $350/day
    $350
    per day
  • Cave Diving AdventuresMexico
    Sidemount Fundamentals
    $350/day
    $350
    per day
  • ByMoMoDiveMexico
    Essentials Diver
    1 student$245/day→ $490 for the 2-day minimum
    3 students$205/day→ $410 for the 2-day minimum each
    $245
    per day
Priced per day or per dive in Mexican Peso — see below.

    Charged by the day or dive rather than as a course price:

    One centre publishes a price in Thai Baht.

    These prices are not like-for-like. Two centres can charge very differently for the same certification because they include different things. One price may cover twinsets, stages, deco gas and cylinder rental for every training dive, a dedicated classroom for the theory, boat or transport to the site, and the agency's registration and materials; another may be tuition only, with all of that charged separately — or the other way round, with a centre bundling in extras the first leaves out. Class size, whether the course is one-to-one, and how many days are allowed for it move the figure too. Check what each centre's price includes before comparing them, and confirm with the centre before booking.

    Consumables are usually extra. Sorb, helium, O₂ and other fills, park and cenote fees, certification fees and rental are commonly charged on top.

    Packages combining several certifications, upgrades from an existing one, and open-ended day rates are excluded — none of them is the standalone price of this course, and including them would move the figures away from what a new student can actually book.

    Prerequisites

    Open Water Diver certification, minimum 24 logged dives.

    Instructors Teaching This Course

    Dive Centres Offering This Course

    We're still building out the directory country by country, so this list isn't every instructor or dive centre teaching it in the world — more locations are coming soon.

    Common questions about SSI XR Extended Range Foundations

    How much does SSI XR Extended Range Foundations cost?

    Published prices for SSI XR Extended Range Foundations range across 5 centres in the TecDiveTools directory — roughly US$420 to US$450 at current exchange rates. In each centre's own currency: €375–€400 (4 centres) and THB 15,000 (1 centre). Prices differ mainly in what they include, so compare the inclusions before comparing the numbers. Prices were last checked in September 2026.

    How long does SSI XR Extended Range Foundations take?

    3 days, based on the durations 2 centres publish for it. The time depends on the centre's schedule, weather, and how quickly the required skills are demonstrated — agencies set a minimum number of dives, not a fixed number of days.

    What are the prerequisites for SSI XR Extended Range Foundations?

    SSI XR's standards require: Open Water Diver certification, minimum 24 logged dives.

    How many dives do I need before starting SSI XR Extended Range Foundations?

    SSI XR's standards state: Minimum 24 logged dives.

    What is the equivalent of SSI XR Extended Range Foundations in other agencies?

    At the same tier in TecDiveTools' cross-agency comparison: TDI Intro to Tech and IANTD Tek Essentials Diver. They cover comparable training, but each agency sets its own standards, depth limits and certification card, so they are comparable rather than interchangeable — check which one your next course accepts.

    TDI Intro to TechIANTD Tek Essentials Diver

    What course comes after SSI XR Extended Range Foundations?

    The next step in SSI XR's progression is SSI XR Extended Range Nitrox Diving.

    SSI XR Extended Range Nitrox Diving

    Where can I take SSI XR Extended Range Foundations?

    1 dive centre and 3 instructors in the TecDiveTools directory teach SSI XR Extended Range Foundations, in Thailand and Indonesia. Each is listed further up this page.

    Does the price of SSI XR Extended Range Foundations include gas and equipment?

    Not always — it varies by centre. Certification fees, equipment rental and boat or site fees are commonly charged on top of the course price. Each centre's price list on TecDiveTools shows what it notes as included.

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