PUNKFISH ACADEMY
Diving knowledge from Nitrox and Science of Diving to Deco theory—everything passionate divers, dive professionals, and technical divers need
Diving doesn’t start in the water, but in the mind.
The Punkfish Academy stands for sound diving theory, well-thought-out training, and true understanding—from your first entry to a professional career.
Our focus lies on three areas: decompression theory, dive professional training, and in-depth diving knowledge. In doing so, we combine years of practical experience with a scientific background and high didactic standards.
Decompression Theory
Deco theory is our favorite topic. What happens in our bodies while diving? How do decompression models work? What is DCS, and why is it not talked about enough?
We explain more about this in our book and an online course. Additionally, some of our publications on the subject are available here for free.
Go Pro - Become a dive professional
Do you want to do more than just dive as a hobby and professionally guide and train others? Whether alongside your “normal” job or full-time—with us, you will learn to become a dive professional who is both practically experienced and fit in diving theory.
Diving knowledge for everyone
Whether you are just starting out or continuing your education—you can always learn something new in our diving theory courses.
You can complete several SSI theory specialties entirely online with us and purchase the materials for all courses through our site.
What’s up with these “punk fish”?
Punkfish Diving is a small dive center in the little village of Fuencaliente in the south of the small island of La Palma—a converted former bakery, a newly furnished former bodega, but filled with everything you need for diving and tekkie stuff.
Because it wasn’t always easy for this small base due to COVID-19 and the volcanic eruption, we Punkfish sometimes did a bit more theory instead of diving. In many long webinars, we went through the entire diving theory inside and out—to impart knowledge, but also to talk about diving together and look forward to the next dives.
This is how the Punkfish Academy was born. For several years now, we have specialized in the topic of Deco theory and have been working to ensure that our instructor training keeps getting better. As an SSI Instructor Training Center, we can offer you all SSI courses and are not only found online, but are actually in the water quite often.
Through years of work, especially on the subject of Deco theory, so much knowledge has accumulated that we have now turned it into a book: Deco Theory – Decompression in Diving, published by Zeisig Verlag.
This site is constantly growing, so check back from time to time. We wish you a lot of fun while scrolling through our site!
Veronika Sievers
SSI Instructor Trainer and Technical Diver
Vero has been a full-time diving instructor and owner of Punkfish Diving on La Palma for 20 years now. In recent years, she has increasingly focused on diving instructor training, technical diving and, above all, diving theory.
In her life before diving, she studied social sciences and German as a teacher. A short break after her traineeship led to a completely different career path, but one that still has a lot to do with education.
Dominik Elsaesser
SSI DMI and astrophysicist at TU Dortmund University
On land, Dominik works as a scientist at TU Dortmund University, among other things in the field of gamma-ray astronomy. As La Palma not only has fantastic diving areas, but also excellent conditions for astronomical observations, there are also large telescopes for this energy range. So it was perhaps even foreseeable that at some point one could find the other, and Dominik discovered his passion for diving. This passion has not let go of him to this day, and so he trains punk fishermen with great enthusiasm on various topics, in theory just as much as in practice.
Punkfish courses
Science of Diving
Dive physics, physiology, decompression, equipment, oceanology… A little bit of everything to know a lot about diving.
Accompanying the SSI course Science of Diving
SSI Instructor Training
Do you want to become a diving instructor? With the SSI ITC you get a worldwide recognized license and can learn a lot at Punkfish that will help you in real diving life.
Nitrox
How is diving with Nitrox different than diving with air? And what do you need to know to safely deal with increased oxygen pressure?
Accompanying the course SSI Enriched Air Nitrox 40%
Decompression Theory
Inert gas absorption and release, M values, saturation models, bubble models, gradient factors – decorative knowledge for sport and tec divers
Altitude Diving
Diving at higher altitudes: what do you need to consider? Is it enough to simply switch the computer? And can I still drive over the pass after diving?
Complete SSI Altitude Diving course
