IMCA Dive Technician Course
Cylinder inspection and valve work to IMCA Code of Practice D018
Offshore diving contractors work to IMCA D018, the code of practice for the examination, testing and certification of diving plant and equipment. This course trains the technicians who carry out that work on diving and breathing gas cylinders.
By the end of the day you will be able to inspect diving and breathing gas cylinders, and remove, refurbish and refit cylinder valves, to the standard the offshore industry expects.
Training is delivered by Wiltshire Scuba, an IDEST training centre (TC021) and IDEST test centre D7, in our own working test facility — not a hired classroom.
Who Is This Course For?
This course is aimed at dive technicians working in, or moving into, the offshore industry:
- Dive technicians employed by offshore diving contractors
- Workshop personnel responsible for cylinders used on IMCA-contracted work
- Technicians who need to work to IMCA D018
- Test station staff extending their scope to commercial cylinders
- Experienced recreational technicians moving into commercial work
If you are inspecting cylinders for recreational diving rather than offshore work, the IDEST Technician Inspection Course Part 1 is usually the better starting point. Ask us and we will tell you honestly which one fits.
What You Will Be Able To Do
On completing the course you will be able to:
- Inspect diving and breathing gas cylinders to the requirements of IMCA D018
- Remove, dismantle, clean, refurbish and refit cylinder valves
- Torque valves correctly and record what you have done
- Read and interpret cylinder and valve manufacturers’ drawings
- Understand what a thread gauge calibration certificate is telling you
- Complete inspection forms and label cylinders correctly
What The Course Covers
- The scope of IDEST, and where it sits alongside IMCA
- IMCA Code of Practice D018 and what it requires of a technician
- Cylinder manufacture, materials and the standards cylinders are built to
- Methods of cylinder testing
- Cylinder stamping and labelling, including ISO 13769
- Inspection tools and equipment, and their calibration
- Checking the external condition of a cylinder
- Checking the internal condition of a cylinder
- Valve removal, dismantling, cleaning and refurbishment
- Refitting and torquing valves
- Inspection forms, reports and technical documentation
Practical Workshop Training
The course runs partly in the classroom and partly in the workshop, and the workshop element is the point of it. You will handle cylinders and valves rather than watch someone else handle them.
- Diving and breathing gas cylinders
- Cylinder valves, and the tooling used to remove and refit them
- Thread gauges and inspection equipment
- Torque equipment
- Inspection and labelling documentation
Class sizes are small, so you get individual coaching rather than a demonstration from the back of a room.
Entry Requirements
There is no formal prerequisite, and previous commercial diving experience is not required.
Some workshop or technical background is an advantage, because the course moves at a working pace and assumes you are comfortable handling tools. If you are not sure whether it suits your experience, contact us before booking and we will tell you.
Duration, Price and What You Receive
- Duration: one day, typically six to eight hours
- Price: £350
- Tuition from an IDEST approved trainer
- Practical workshop sessions using real cylinders and valves
- A digital course manual to keep
- A certificate of course attendance
- Refreshments through the day
Attending this course is not the same as holding a job offer. It gives you the knowledge and the certificate of attendance; an employer may still require their own competency sign-off, experience, medicals or company-specific training before you work offshore.
Why Train With Wiltshire Scuba
We are an IDEST test centre (D7) and an IDEST training centre (TC021). Cylinder testing is work we do every week, in our own workshop, on our own equipment — so the course is taught by people who inspect cylinders for a living rather than only teach it.
- Training in a genuine, working test facility
- Small groups and individual instructor feedback
- Real cylinders, real valves, real documentation
- Honest advice about which course you actually need
Book This Course
No upcoming dates are currently scheduled for this course.
Includes instructor-led tuition, practical course sessions and PADI certification upon successful completion. Any site entry, boat fees, equipment hire or other course-specific costs are listed separately where applicable.
Common Questions
What is IMCA D018?
It is the IMCA code of practice for the initial and periodic examination, testing and certification of diving plant and equipment. Offshore diving contractors work to it, and this course covers the part of it that applies to diving and breathing gas cylinders.
How is this different from your IDEST Technician Inspection courses?
The underlying skill is the same, but this course is framed for offshore work and centres on IMCA D018. If you inspect cylinders for a dive centre or club rather than for an IMCA contractor, Part 1 is usually the right course. Ring us if you are unsure.
Do I need commercial diving experience?
No. Workshop or technical experience helps, but it is not a requirement and you do not need to be a diver.
Will I work on real cylinders and valves?
Yes. The workshop element uses real cylinders, valves and inspection equipment, and you will remove and refit valves yourself.
Does this course qualify me to work offshore?
It gives you the training and a certificate of attendance. It does not by itself guarantee employment: an employer may require their own competency assessment, further experience, medical certification or company-specific training.
Not Sure Which Course You Need?
Give us a ring or call in. We would rather point you at the right course than sell you the wrong one.