After completing a beginner level dive course, you can pursue particular interests or skills.

Interests are particular reasons why you dive and include: underwater photography and videography; marine life identification; and marine life preservation. Many of the dive certification agencies have guided dives or courses in these fields but you may also be able to learn them informally from self-study, practise and fellow divers.

Skills involve learning to dive in new or more difficult conditions or learning to dive using different equipment. There are several reasons you might pursue more skills in addition to the simple challenge: increased safety knowledge or a desire to dive at particular sites that need those skills are among them. Often you will need to do a formal course in new dive skills because centers running dives using those skills will require evidence that you are properly trained. Post-beginner skills include: diving using oxygen enriched air ("nitrox"), deep diving, diving in cold water, diving at night and wreck diving. Most certification agencies have courses in these skills and some wrap a number of them up into various 'Advanced' certifications.