Zero to Hero Program¶
- 10 year program (cancel or suspend anytime)
- Structured career progress path
- Monthly subscription fee without hidden costs
- New courses and trips every other month
- Two diving trips per year
- We handle all logistics, rentals and trip planning
- All courses and trip costs included (except plane tickets)
Description¶
Embark on an amazing journey with our Zero to Hero Program, designed to help you achieve your diving goals effortlessly. 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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Comprehensive Career Path: All training courses and dive trip costs (excluding plane tickets) are seamlessly included in your subscription fee. Say goodbye to hidden costs and embrace a hassle-free experience. Simply subscribe and arrive at the airport with your swimsuit. Let us handle the rest—logistics, planning, and organizing trips.
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Engaging and Structured Learning: To keep you motivated and engaged, we've meticulously designed a structured roadmap spanning over ten years. Each week, we will host webinars and presentations that focus on the theoretical aspects of the courses you'll be taking. This allows you to gradually learn at your own pace and enjoy the process. Every year, you'll unlock new courses, specialties, and diving trips, ensuring a continuous and enriching learning experience.
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.
Roadmap¶
Each year, you'll go with us on two diving trips, where you'll complete the courses and specialties outlined below. The roadmap is designed to progressively enhance your skills and knowledge, ensuring a structured diving education.
Year 1:
- Open Water Diver
- Enriched Air Diver (EANx, nitrox)
- Night Diver
- Advanced Open Water Diver
Year 2:
- EFR Primary and Secondary Care
- Rescue Diver
- Wreck Diver
- Deep Diver (Extended Range)
Year 3:
- Dry Suit Diver
- Diver Propulsion Vehicle
- Master Scuba Diver
- Tec 40
Year 4:
- Tec 45
- Tec 50
- Divemaster
- EFR Instructor
Year 5:
- Tec Trimix 65 Diver (normoxic)
- Tec Trimix Diver (hypoxic)
- Assistant Instructor
- Open Water Scuba Instructor
Year 6:
- Specialty Instructor
- Overhead EANx Diver
- Gas Blender
- Tec 40 CCR (CCR mod 1)
Year 7:
- Introductory Cave/Mine Diver
- Advanced Wreck Diver
- Tec 60 CCR (CCR mod 2)
- Technical Wreck Diver
Year 8:
- Technical Cave Diver
- Technical Mine Diver
- Trimix Gas Blender
- Tec 100 CCR (CCR mod 3)
Year 9:
- Full Cave Diver
- Full Mine Diver
- Tec Instructor
- Trimix Instructor
Year 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 year (year 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:
- Year 1: 300 EUR/month
- Year 2: 325 EUR/month
- Year 3: 350 EUR/month
- Year 4: 400 EUR/month
- Year 5: 475 EUR/month
- Year 6: 500 EUR/month
- Year 7: 525 EUR/month
- Year 8: 550 EUR/month
- Year 9: 600 EUR/month
- Year 10: 650 EUR/month
Mind that each subsequent year, 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.
What's included in the price¶
- Insurance for the duration of the program (renewed annually)
- All course materials
- Certificates and exams (including instructor exam and application fee)
- Two diving trips per year
- 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 year:
Year 1
| Year | 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 | - |
Year 2
| Year | 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 | - |
Year 3
| Year | 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 | - |
Year 4
| Year | 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 | - |
Year 5
| Year | 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 | - |
Year 6
| Year | 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 | - |
Year 7
| Year | 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 | - |
Year 8
| Year | 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 | - |
Year 9
| Year | 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 | - |
Year 10
| Year | 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¶
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.
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
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.
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
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
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!