Technical Diving Courses & Cave Diving Courses Overview
Dan’s has been involved with Technical Diving since 1986 when we helped introduce Dive Rite to the Canadian dive market selling advanced gear and learning about higher level diving. Technical Diving Courses were in their infancy, with only cave diving courses being available from a small group of Florida divers, but usher in the early 1990’s where we became the first Canadian certified Nitrox divers and one of the first Nitrox blending and training facilities through IANTD and TDI.
Since 1996 our technical diving course graduates have graced the water with more finesse, ability and experience than the vast majority of Technical Divers worldwide regardless of agency or instructor.
Our Divers are the most well rounded Divers you’ll find above and below the water, possessing higher skill and abilities, a great sense of team diving values, pride, compassion and a willingness to help mentor newer divers.

Dive Smarter
DDS is here to provide our students with the Highest level of quality, safety and excellence in technical dive training, equipment, education, and service.
Our courses are the highest quality technical classes taught to the highest technical diving course standards, offering some of the most challenging and rewarding technical diving educational courses available.

Who We Are
We are a team of active Technical Diving Explorers. We’ve put more time in underwater than anyone else and we’ve taken the best training from a range of different agencies and instructors over the decades to be able to better provide you with the best diving education possible.
We offer Gas Blending courses, Shipwreck External Survey, Wreck Penetration, Trimix & Advanced Trimix Courses, Cavern, Cave Diving courses, Technical DPV training, CCR Rebreather and PSCR Rebreather Diving Courses, Intro to Tech, Decompression Procedures, Advanced Nitrox, Helitrox, Technical or Advanced Shipwreck Penetration, Technical Sidemount Diving, Explorer Training, Expedition Diving and much more.

Our Technical Diving Courses embrace 3 main areas:
- Diving with a standardized, simplistic DIR/Hogarthian/NTEC equipment configuration (clean, simple, streamlined) and embracing the most current equipment and philosophies in technical diving.
- Gaining a Solid Foundation of Practical and Academic Knowledge started in your Basic Nitrox Course and through a series of academic lessons build on that foundation with each lesson.
- Building on Rudimentary skills while introducing and mastering mandatory skill sets introduced through dry-land drills, confined water training and open water training in a positive, constructive manner, where students can review video footage of the dives with their instructor.
Additional Information:

Who in the world these days gives anything for free? We do, because we are confident that there is no one out there that can teach you better, mentor you into a stronger diver, make you more comfortable or offer you the best training progression to fit your needs checking off all of the boxes and leaving no gaps in your training needs and goals.
If you’re interested in our technical diving programs, we can share a wealth of information about our courses, outlines, structure and skills to give you the insight and the best way to get you the right information to complete the right training path.
Complete Flexibility in Scheduling & Location
We offer set dates for courses, but with enough notice we can also offer private or custom formatted courses for you or your group regardless of your location. We can come to you if you’re too far away.
We’ve taught all over the globe offering our brand of technical diving training to people from all over Canada, most US States, Germany, Italy, Curacao, Cayman, Australia, and many more places.
Wherever You Want Us to Be, We Can Be.
We are Not Just in Niagara, as a matter of fact, over 35% of our Classes are taught within the GTA and Surrounding Areas.

is available
If you don’t see what you’re looking for, contact us for more info, we are the best choice you’ll find with the most competitive rates for high end technical diving.
There is no one in Canada with more experience and ability to teach you an entire range of life changing technical courses.
We offer Progressive Technical Diving Courses through TDI (one of the original Technical Diving agencies), NAUI Tec (the most respected training agency in diving and the first “Doing it Right” Tech diving agency) and IDREO (A New International Exploration and Research Organization offering some cutting edge explorer programs and Rebreather courses). Training from other tech agencies are also available upon request.

Read on below about the dozens of technical diving courses we offer and have a look at just what makes us different afterwards too, check out the above drop down screen or short cut your search by clicking here.
Dive Course Calendar
Emergency First Response Course
The Emergency First Response Course focuses on Primary (CPR) and Secondary Care (First Aid) with or without Automated External Defibrillator (AED). The Emergency First Response Course begins your preparedness in how to respond to medical emergencies. Statistics show you are more likely to give first aid to someone you know than a stranger. When minutes […]
PADI Divemaster Course 2023
Join Dan's Dive Shop April 2023 and take the leap to become a Dive Professional in the PADI Divemaster Course The PADI Divemaster Course is your first step onto the professional diving world. It is very hands on and covers a wide range of responsibilities and rewards. As a career (or even part time career), Divemasters […]
PADI Open Water Diver Weekend Course 2023
PADI Open Water Scuba Weekend Course Winter 2023 Join us and Discover the underwater world with your PADI Open Water Scuba Course this Winter! Have fun and learn to dive right with Dan's Dive Shop, Canada's Oldest, Most Respected Scuba Diving School. Get your PADI Open Water Scuba Course confined water sessions and classroom covered over […]
PADI Drysuit Course
Take the PADI Drysuit Course and enter a world of warm, comfortable diving. Drysuit Divers are happy divers! No more freezing on the bottom, or missing dives because you're cold. A drysuit seals you off from the water and keeps you dry, warm and comfortable, even in surprisingly cold water. In a drysuit you can wear […]
PADI Open Water Scuba Course Weeknights May 2023
PADI Open Water Scuba Course May 3 - 31, 2023 Join us and Discover the underwater world with your PADI Open Water Scuba Course this Spring! Have fun and learn to dive right with Dan's Dive Shop, Canada's Oldest, Most Respected Scuba Diving School. Get your PADI Open Water Scuba Course confined water sessions and classroom […]
Emergency First Response Course
The Emergency First Response Course focuses on Primary (CPR) and Secondary Care (First Aid) with or without Automated External Defibrillator (AED). The Emergency First Response Course begins your preparedness in how to respond to medical emergencies. Statistics show you are more likely to give first aid to someone you know than a stranger. When minutes […]
TDI Advanced Nitrox Decompression Procedures Course
TDI Advanced Nitrox Decompression Procedures Course Join us for your TDI Advanced Nitrox Decompression Procedures Course and see how much more exciting it is when to be diving deeper, longer on bigger and better dive sites! When it comces to technical diving, deep diving isn’t just setting a dive computer, seeing deco and calling yourself […]
NAUI Intro to Tech Course
329 Welland Ave., St. Catharines, ON 329 Welland Ave., St. Catharines, ONNAUI Intro to Tech Course The Naui Intro to Tech Course is a game changer, changing the way recreational divers think about their diving skills and offers the ultimate challenge […]
PADI Instructor Development Course 2023
Become a PADI Instructor at Canada’s Oldest PADI Dive Shop This June 2023, Dan’s Dive Shop is hosting a PADI IDC right here in Niagara. You don’t need to travel […]
PADI Open Water Diver Course Weekdays June 2023
PADI Open Water Diver Course June 2023 Join us and Discover the underwater world with your PADI Open Water Diver Course this summer. Have fun and learn to dive right […]
PADI Rescue Diver Course
PADI Rescue Diver Course Join us for what many of our students call their most favourite PADI Scuba Course, the PADI Rescue Diver Course. Let us take you through the most […]
PADI Advanced Open Water Course 2023
PADI Advanced Open Water Course 2023 Our PADI Advanced Open Water course is the most thorough and progressive PADI Advanced Open Water Course available in the dive industry. The PADI Advanced […]
Looking for recreational courses?
Not quite ready to explore a cave or technical diving but want to improve your recreational diving? Dan’s offers AWARD Winning recreational PADI Scuba Diving courses with a difference! Whether you’re just starting your dive adventure or wanting to continue to build on your skills, we can help. Check out our renowned Recreational Scuba Courses.