KRAKEN DIVEWORKS
Mastery By Design · Advanced & Technical Diving · SDI / TDI Training
SDI / TDI
Certifying Agency
Small
Class Sizes
Mastery
By Design
Real-World
Dive Preparation
Train for Mastery — Not Just Certification
Kraken DiveWorks is a subsidiary of Scuba Shack, Connecticut’s premiere scuba retail and training center. Operating out of our Newington facility, Kraken DiveWorks serves as the focal point for advanced recreational and technical scuba training — built on the standards of Scuba Diving International (SDI) and Technical Diving International (TDI).
Where standard dive education often focuses on checking certification boxes, Kraken DiveWorks is built around a different philosophy: deliberate, structured training that develops real skill, confidence, and control underwater. Every course is intentionally designed to produce divers who are genuinely prepared — not just certified.
Designed Training
Courses are intentionally structured to build real skill progression. Students learn not only what to do, but why it matters and how it applies in actual dive conditions. Core skills — precise buoyancy control, stable trim, efficient propulsion, situational awareness, and effective dive team communication — are developed progressively across every course level.
Small Class Sizes
Personalized instruction is central to the Kraken DiveWorks approach. Small class sizes ensure every student receives focused coaching and adequate time to develop mastery — not just the opportunity to complete a skills checklist in a crowd.
Real-World Diving
Training goes beyond confined water. Kraken DiveWorks prepares divers for the realistic conditions they will encounter in the open water — including the waters of New England, the Great Lakes, the Caribbean, and beyond. From dive planning and gas management to team-based procedures and emergency response, graduates leave ready to dive with discipline and confidence.
SDI / TDI — Why It Matters
Scuba Diving International (SDI) and Technical Diving International (TDI) are among the world’s leading dive training agencies, recognized globally for rigorous standards and a forward-thinking approach to diver education. SDI provides the foundation for advanced recreational training, while TDI sets the standard for technical diving disciplines including decompression diving, extended range exploration, and mixed gas diving. Kraken DiveWorks is a proud SDI/TDI training operation.
Advanced & Technical Course Programs
Go beyond basic certification. Build the control, awareness, and discipline that define a truly capable diver.
SDI — Advanced Recreational Training
Advanced Buoyancy & Trim
Precision buoyancy and horizontal trim are the foundation of every skill in diving. This course builds the control that separates capable divers from certified ones.
Navigation
Compass and natural navigation skills that give divers the confidence to plan and execute dives in real open-water environments without getting lost.
Night & Limited Visibility Diving
New England waters and wreck diving demand comfort in low-visibility conditions. This specialty prepares divers to operate confidently when visibility is limited.
Deep Diver
Extends your range to 40 meters / 130 feet with focused training on gas planning, narcosis awareness, and controlled ascent procedures for deep recreational environments.
Wreck Diver
New England is wreck-diving country. Learn safe wreck penetration techniques, line-laying, and overhead environment awareness for the incredible dive sites in our own backyard.
SDI Rescue Diver
Develop the awareness and response skills to manage emergencies — for yourself and your dive team. Widely considered the most valuable course in a diver’s education.
TDI — Technical Diving Programs
Intro to Tech
The bridge between recreational and technical diving. Introduces fundamental technical skills: back-mounted doubles, backplate and wing configuration, valve manifold drills, and team diving protocols.
Advanced Nitrox
Trains divers to use enriched air nitrox mixtures from 21% to 100% oxygen for no-decompression and limited decompression diving. Covers gas analysis, oxygen exposure management, and equipment considerations for nitrox use.
Decompression Procedures
Trains divers for planned decompression diving beyond no-stop limits. Covers multi-gas decompression strategies, accelerated deco, dive planning software, and team-based execution of complex dive profiles.
Additional SDI/TDI specialty programs available. Contact us to discuss your training goals.
Meet the Kraken DiveWorks Team
Kraken DiveWorks is led by Mike Manzi and Bill Mitlehner — both Master Instructors and co-owners of Scuba Shack. Mike has been diving since 2012 and is a PADI Instructor with experience across the Philippines, Greece, Croatia, and his favorite — Tobermory, Canada. Bill began his diving journey with Scuba Shack in 2019 and is a technical diver, underwater photographer, and passionate advocate for ocean conservation. Together they bring deep real-world experience and a genuine commitment to developing capable, confident divers.
Explore KrakenDiveWorks.com
Kraken DiveWorks has its own dedicated website with full details on every program, the team’s training philosophy, facility information, and the latest news from the dive community. Visit krakendiveworks.com to dive deeper into what makes Kraken DiveWorks different — and to book your next course directly.
Ready to Go Beyond the Basics?
True mastery underwater doesn’t happen by chance — it happens by design. Book your Kraken DiveWorks course today or contact us to discuss your training goals.