A technical diver handling decompression stage cylinders during a dive

Photo by Teemu Virtanen · CC BY-SA 3.0

OC TechIANTD

Tek Essentials Diver

Official course standards ↗Last updated September 7, 2026

Mid-level technical training to refine core open-circuit technical skills and emergency procedures. Focuses on buoyancy, trim, balance, propulsion, equipment streamlining, situational awareness, gas management, and overview of decompression procedures. Bridges recreational and advanced technical diving.

Centres that teach this course

11 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.

THB 10,000 – THB 15,000across 4 centres pricing in Thai Bahtfrom ≈ $299
One centre publishes a price in US Dollar.
  • Horizon DiversUnited States
    Intro to Technical Diving (TDI or IANTD)one price, several agencies
    $395
    total

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

IDR 5,050,000 – IDR 6,000,000across 2 centres pricing in Indonesian Rupiahfrom ≈ $280
€375across 2 centres pricing in Eurofrom ≈ $422

Same training under a different agency

23 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.

€370 – €500across 10 centres pricing in Eurofrom ≈ $416

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

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

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

  • 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
IDR 5,050,000 – IDR 7,500,000across 4 centres pricing in Indonesian Rupiahfrom ≈ $280

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
THB 9,500 – THB 15,000across 4 centres pricing in Thai Bahtfrom ≈ $284
One centre publishes a price in Philippine Peso.
  • Tech AsiaPhilippines
    TDI Intro to TechTDI
    ₱25,950
    total

Same tier, agency not stated

7 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.

$600 – $950across 2 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

    Minimum 15 years old (with parental authorization) or 18 years old independently. IANTD Tek Lite Essentials Diver certification (or equivalent); no additional logged diving experience required beyond the prerequisite.

    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 IANTD Tek Essentials Diver

    How much does IANTD Tek Essentials Diver cost?

    Published prices for IANTD Tek Essentials Diver range across 9 centres in the TecDiveTools directory — roughly US$280 to US$450 at current exchange rates. In each centre's own currency: THB 10,000–15,000 (4 centres), IDR 5,050,000–6,000,000 (2 centres), €375 (2 centres) and $395 (1 centre). 2 centres charge by the day instead, which is not comparable with a course total. 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 IANTD Tek Essentials Diver take?

    Between 2 and 5 days, based on the durations 5 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 IANTD Tek Essentials Diver?

    IANTD's standards require: Minimum 15 years old (with parental authorization) or 18 years old independently. IANTD Tek Lite Essentials Diver certification (or equivalent); no additional logged diving experience required beyond the prerequisite.

    What is the minimum age for IANTD Tek Essentials Diver?

    IANTD's standards state: Minimum 15 years old (with parental authorization) or 18 years old independently.

    What is the equivalent of IANTD Tek Essentials Diver in other agencies?

    At the same tier in TecDiveTools' cross-agency comparison: SSI XR Extended Range Foundations and TDI Intro to Tech. 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.

    SSI XR Extended Range FoundationsTDI Intro to Tech

    What course comes after IANTD Tek Essentials Diver?

    Among the IANTD courses listed on TecDiveTools, the next step up is IANTD Advanced EANx Nitrox Diver.

    IANTD Advanced EANx Nitrox Diver

    Where can I take IANTD Tek Essentials Diver?

    23 dive centres and 31 instructors in the TecDiveTools directory teach IANTD Tek Essentials Diver, in Mexico, Thailand, the United States and Indonesia. Each is listed further up this page.

    Does the price of IANTD Tek Essentials Diver 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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