DEEP - the most advanced closed bell diver training system in the world - has launched a state-of-the-art closed bell diver training facility near Chepstow on the England–Wales border, creating 16 skilled jobs in the area and helping position the UK at the forefront of subsea training.

The facility will support roles across operations, technical services, project management, training and life support, all contributing to the delivery of the closed bell training system and the courses available on site.

As part of its mission to make humans aquatic, DEEP is developing subsea systems and training to enable a continuous human presence in the ocean.

Applications are now open for UK HSE Closed Bell Diver Training courses delivered at the purpose-built site, providing experienced divers with a direct pathway into commercial saturation diving and career opportunities in the North Sea and worldwide.

The facility is the most advanced closed bell diver training system in the world and the only one of its kind in the Northern Hemisphere. Built on a bespoke barge system within a sheltered freshwater quarry with depths of up to 80 meters, the facility includes a six-person living chamber and a three-person bell. The secluded nature of the campus enables safe, controlled training conditions year-round.

The three-week course, priced at £30,000, combines classroom-based learning with hands-on practical training in closed bell operations, life-support systems, transfer under pressure, and emergency response procedures.

Successful candidates will achieve the UK HSE Closed Bell Diver certification, the highest-level commercial diving qualification issued by the UK Health and Safety Executive, enabling them to work as saturation divers across global offshore oil, gas, and renewable energy projects.

Courses at the facility will begin in autumn 2026. Places on the first courses have already been allocated from an existing waitlist, with applications now open for additional courses beginning January 2027.

Dennis Nelson, CEO of Deep Institute, said: “Starting in autumn 2026, closed bell diving courses will be available at DEEP. These courses will be delivered from the newest, most state-of-the-art closed bell training facility in the world.

The course is ideal for divers who have completed surface-supplied training and gained industry experience, and who are now looking to take the next step in their career development. It provides a pathway into saturation diving and access to opportunities in the North Sea and around the world.

Longer term, the application of the saturation system will be broader – from habitat diver training, to providing a pathway for experienced divers from scientific, research, military, and other communities to develop the skills needed to work underwater for extended periods.”

Course prerequisites include