The “IANTD Advanced Recreational Trimix (ART) and ART Plus Instructor” course is designed for qualified IANTD dive instructors who wish to teach trimix diving techniques to beginner technical divers. Trimix is a gas mixture used in technical diving to enable deeper dives, reducing the risks of narcosis and oxygen toxicity. ART and ART Plus are used for depths of 45 to 51 meters respectively and are for divers transitioning from air or nitrox to trimix.

Here is a summary of the typical content of the “IANTD ART and ART+ Instructor” course:

Prerequisites: Before enrolling in the “ART and ART+ Instructor” course, you must already be a qualified dive instructor certified by IANTD. You must also be certified as an ART diver at a minimum and demonstrate significant experience in technical diving.

Specialized Pedagogical Training: The “ART and ART+ Instructor” course includes specialized pedagogical training to guide you in teaching trimix diving techniques. You will be teaching trimix to beginner technical divers, many of whom may have little to no knowledge of this gas. You will learn teaching principles, calculations, and teaching rules specific to trimix diving to create a positive and appropriate learning environment for these new divers.

Advanced Trimix Theory: You will deepen your knowledge of trimix gas mixes and demonstrate perfect dive planning using these mixes. You will learn and teach gas management in trimix diving, decompression tables or dive computers for decompression dives, gradient factors, decompression software, and much more.

Confined Water Practice: A portion of the course may include pool or cenote exercises. After learning the basic exercises, you will then perform several demonstrations of your skills as instructors under the supervision of your Trainer. This may include explaining and demonstrating the use and management of decompression cylinders, advanced propulsion techniques, and trimix-specific emergency procedures.

Trimix Technical Dives: After the confined water portion, you will conduct several technical dives in the sea, demonstrating the perfect use of trimix and decompression gases during real dives. These dives will allow you to put into practice the skills learned during the theoretical training and familiarize yourself with teaching trimix diving in open water.

Student Evaluation: You will be trained to evaluate the skills of your students during their trimix diving training. This includes providing constructive feedback to help them improve as ART divers.

IANTD Teaching Standards: You will learn IANTD safety standards and ethical guidelines for teaching trimix diving.

Upon successfully completing the “IANTD ART Instructor” course, you will be qualified to teach the IANTD ART or ART+ program, depending on your certification. This will allow you to introduce divers to trimix diving and the techniques of using gas blends for longer and deeper dives. As an instructor, you will play a crucial role in promoting safety and efficiency in trimix diving while helping divers develop their skills and confidence in using technical gas blends for more demanding dives.