01
Harvest Diver
The core program: e-learning, classroom sessions, Basic Open Water and Advanced Open Water certification, surface-supplied air training, and a harvesting final exam, all tailored to local tribal students.
Learn the waterlearn the work
Develop the safety, confidence, and underwater skill to work the tides with purpose, supporting your community, your crew, and your time on the water.
Tribal Diving Institute
Classical scuba training for harvest work and stewardship.
The Tribal Diving Institute partners with tribal nations of the greater Salish Sea region to teach safe, confident, and responsible harvesting of geoduck and other underwater resources.
It's a zero-knowledge, highly structured program for tribal members and boat captains, built on classical SCUBA training and the judgment that comes with it. Students progress from Harvest Diver to Apprentice to Instructor, building toward certifications that let them lead training for their own tribe.
Tribal Partnership
Built with the Tulalip Tribes, for tribal divers.
The Tribal Diving Institute is a special program from Tidewalker Dive Labs, operated in partnership with the Tulalip Tribes. Curriculum, pacing, and support are shaped around the needs of tribal students and the realities of harvest work on the water.
That partnership doesn't end at certification. As students advance into the Apprentice and Instructor tracks, the Institute becomes tribal-led: run day to day by divers trained within it, for the communities they serve.
Structure & Tracks
Three stages, from first breath underwater to leading the program.
02
Apprentice
Harvest Divers who want to teach can shadow experienced instructors, building the skills and judgment to lead training of their own.
03
Instructor
Through NAUI's Instructor Training Course, Apprentices become Instructors who run the Institute day to day: scheduling and delivering training, handling administration, and developing curriculum for the next generation of students.
Student & Tribal Leader Portal
Track progress. Stay connected. Support your students.
The Institute's online portal gives students, tribal leaders, and Departments of Higher Education a direct line into each student's progress: training milestones, instructor reports, and direct communication with the Institute, all in one place.
Tribal leadership can see how their divers are doing and step in to support them, and students always know where they stand on the path from Harvest Diver to Instructor.