Lake Hickory Scuba Inc.

Have you ever dreamed of becoming a mermaid? Join the SSI Try Mermaid program and make your dreams come true! You will complete a mermaid experience with an SSI professional in a pool/confined waters and learn entry-level mermaid skills, including swimming with a mermaid monofin. Earn your SSI Try Mermaid recognition rating. It is the perfect program to do before joining our SSI Mermaid course. Start today!

The SSI Try Scuba program is the best way to try scuba diving for the first time. You will be in confined water and well looked after by your instructor, so you can enjoy those first unforgettable breaths underwater and experience the magic of scuba diving. At the end of this short course, you will have earned your SSI Try Scuba recognition card and undoubtedly want to go diving again. Endless scuba diving adventures are waiting for you and this course is where it all begins. Start today!

It is easy for dive skills to get rusty and to lose confidence when you have not dived for a while. With the SSI Scuba Skills Update, we will get you back in the water and diving with ease in no time. This scuba refresher course allows you to review and practice scuba skills you learned in your Open Water Diver program, under the guidance of an SSI Professional. This is a great course to take just before a dive holiday, so you spend less time worrying about your skills and more time admiring the marine life. If you are a non-certified Open Water Diver student, a Scuba Skills Update is ideal for practicing your dive skills before your open water training dives. With no fixed course duration, you can take your time and focus on the skills you need help with.

The SSI Snorkel Diver program is your first step towards discovering a passion for the underwater world. It is the best way to learn how to snorkel and develop your confidence in the water, so you can go snorkeling and explore the mesmerizing landscapes and wildlife of the aquatic world. You do not need to be a proficient swimmer to participate in the Snorkel Diver program, and there is no minimum age to join. You just need to be comfortable in the water, able to maintain your buoyancy, and ready to begin the adventure of a lifetime! In this program, you will be introduced to the equipment and skills you need to go snorkeling safely. Begin your snorkeling training and earn your SSI Snorkel Diver recognition card today!

Learn how to become a mermaid with the exciting SSI Mermaid program! This mermaid training provides all the skills and techniques you need to maximize your mermaid experience, be truly comfortable in the water and get the most out of your equipment. After getting certified as an SSI Mermaid, the next logical step is to take your mermaid adventures to our wonderful oceans! With just 2 additional open water sessions, you can upgrade to become an SSI Ocean Mermaid at any time. Get started today!

SSI MERMAID EXPLORERS The Mermaid Explorer course is for children only. This course will teach them the fundamentals of mermaiding, swimming and posing with mermaid fins or monofins, how to hold breath longer underwater, and more. This will be a fun learning experience for them and a unique activity that they will remember during their vacation. Mermaid swimming is also a great exercise for the whole body. Lastly, they get to live out their childhood dreams as young as 6 years old. Once they get certified, they can truly say that they are a real-life mermaid.

Coral reefs are prized among divers and rightly so; drifting over a healthy reef filled with bustling marine life is magical. These precious ecosystems are fascinating, and the SSI Coral Identification specialty program is the best way to learn more about coral reefs and get the most out of your reef dives. In this coral dive specialty program, you will learn how to identify different corals and earn your SSI Coral Identification specialty certification.

The world’s oceans are home to thousands of fish species, and you will encounter plenty of these fascinating creatures on your dives! In this course, you will be taught all the skills and concepts you need to identify common families of Caribbean, Indo-Pacific and Red Sea reef fish. Upon completion, you will earn your SSI Fish Identification specialty certification.

Join the SSI Manta and Ray Ecology specialty program and you will learn how to dive with rays and recognize different ray species. You will be taught how rays contribute to healthy ocean ecosystems and why these precious animals need our protection. Upon completion, you will earn your SSI Manta & Ray Ecology Specialty certification.

This globally recognized certification program is the best way to begin your lifelong adventures as a certified scuba diver. Personalized training is combined with in-water practice sessions to ensure you have the skills and experience required to become truly comfortable underwater. You will earn the SSI Open Water Diver certification.

The SSI Explorers program allows children starting at age six to go underwater and sample the different ways they can explore the aquatic world around them. They will gain a solid foundation in ocean conservation and have the opportunity to experience four main aquatic adventures: snorkeling, scuba diving, freediving, and swimming like a real mermaid. SSI Explorers can also expand their diving knowledge as they continue their underwater experience with specialty courses like marine mammal ecology, underwater photography, and 20 others. Besides fun for the whole family, your children who have not yet achieved the minimum age for scuba diving will learn important life skills. These underwater adventures will enable young divers to acquire maturity, self-esteem, and a sense of responsibility. Contact your local SSI Training Center for information on how to get started today!

Invasive Species Management Specialty SSI recognizes the urgent need to address the threats posed by invasive species to aquatic biodiversity. The Invasive Species Management specialty is designed to train divers through SSI’s recognized instructors in identifying, safely removing, and managing invasive species, particularly in sensitive aquatic environments. Divers will play a crucial role in preserving native species and restoring ecological balance.

Diving in currents opens up a world of new dive sites that often host the most spectacular marine life. Go shore diving and you will discover the simplicity of just walking off the beach and exploring your favourite dive sites with ease. But wave, tides and currents can impact your dives and affect your safety if you do not know how to handle them. The SSI Waves, Tides and Currents specialty will enhance your dive skills and understanding, so you can enjoy diving in different environments safely and with confidence. You will gain a better understanding of dynamic open water environments and learn about the environmental conditions that affect different dive sites. You will also practice diving from shore, in currents or in rivers to earn the specialty certification. Get started today!

In this sidemount diving course, you’ll learn all you need to go single or two-cylinder recreational sidemount diving up to a maximum depth of 30 meters or to your certification depth, whichever is deeper. Sidemount diving is already common practice for wreck, mine, and cave divers, but now the benefits are being discovered by more recreational divers. With no heavy tank on your back, you’ll be more comfortable in the water and find your streamlining and trim improve effortlessly. By using less energy you may reduce your gas consumption so you can make the most of your dive time. With better buoyancy control, easier access to your valves and more redundancy as well, sidemount diving offers safety and peace of mind. This is the best sidemount diving course to discover and enjoy the enticing advantages of this dive style. You learn all the skills and knowledge you need to safely and comfortably dive with a single or two-cylinder sidemount equipment configuration.

Do you want amazing photos or videos of yourself being a mermaid or merman? Are you ready to wow your family and friends? This is the best mermaid model course to learn the skills and concepts you need to successfully interact with a photographer or videographer as a mermaid. In this underwater modeling program, you will learn how to be a mermaid for in-water and surface shots, to capture your amazing mermaid moments! Discover a mermaid adventure the whole family can enjoy. Start your SSI Model Mermaid training today!

Are you ready to discover the freedom of mermaiding in open waters? Learn how to become a mermaid with the exciting SSI Ocean Mermaid program! This mermaid training provides all the skills and techniques you need to maximize your mermaid experience, be truly comfortable in the water and get the most from your equipment. It is the next logical step to take in your mermaid adventures, so you can truly experience the wonders of the ocean! Get started today and earn your SSI Ocean Mermaid certification.

Join the SSI Science of Diving specialty and you will develop a complete understanding of the underwater world and its effects on the human body. This specialty is required training for most SSI Professional programs, as well as some Extended Range programs, and is an essential way to expand your dive knowledge. Available online, you can earn your SSI Science of Diving specialty certification from home and get ready to begin your dive professional career. Upon completion, you will be halfway to earning the coveted SSI Divemaster rating and earn the SSI Science of Diving specialty certification.

In this fascinating program, you will learn all the skills you need to safely and confidently conduct search and recovery dives. You will be taught how to use search patterns, specialized dive plans and equipment such as lift bags, lines and reels. By developing your search and communication techniques and practicing searches in a dive team, you will become a confident search and rescue diver in no time. Upon completion, you will earn the SSI Search & Recovery specialty certification.

If you cannot decide which specialty programs are the best choice for you, join the SSI Advanced Open Water Diver program! With this program, you can try a variety of specialties before committing to full specialty programs. It is a great way to experience what advanced diver training is all about and how valuable it can be to your diving adventures. During the Advanced Open Water Diver Program, you will try out 5 different specialties. You will complete one open water training dive per specialty after a comprehensive briefing with your SSI Instructor. With this trial program in specialty diving, you will have total freedom to explore. You can complete the full specialty programs any time in the future and credit your Advanced Open Water Diver training towards them.

Many of the ocean’s best dive sites are wrecks. These impressive structures attract unusually high densities of marine life and give you the chance to immerse in living history as you dive. There is nothing quite like wreck diving and the SSI Wreck Diving specialty will give you all the skills and knowledge you need to become a safe and confident wreck diver. With a combination of academic and confined water sessions, you will be taught how to safely conduct non-penetration dives around wrecks and artificial reefs, up to a depth of 30 meters. You will also get to practice your wreck diving skills during open water training dives. All of which will ensure you can enjoy wreck diving with confidence and get the most out of every dive. Upon completion of this program, you will earn your SSI Wreck Diving specialty certification. Continue your adventures and become a wreck diver. Get started online today!

Taking your wreck diving to the next level. The SSI Advanced Wreck Diving will teach you how to navigate and make minor penetrations into your favorite dive sites.

Spearfishing can be one of the most exciting and rewarding classes in scuba diving! This class will take years off of the spearfishing learning curve and will make you a more successful under water hunter. This specialty scuba diving course incorporates fundamental diving skills, such as buoyancy, underwater navigation, deep diver, boat diving, and fish identification. This class stresses safety, game regulations, and hunting techniques in a comprehensive introduction to underwater spear-fishing with scuba gear.

The SSI Decompression Diving Specialty will teach you how to dive beyond the no-decompression limits. You will learn to plan and conduct dives to a maximum depth of 40 meters with limited decompression using your recreational total diving system and a single decompression cylinder. You will learn and practice how to effectively use your dive computer features, including switching gases, gas integration, time-to-reserve, and time-to-surface. Using these computer functions will become second nature, enabling you to safely conduct dives with limited decompression without hours of dive planning. Upon completion, you will earn the SSI Decompression Diving Specialty certification and be able to explore stunning deep dive sites or larger wrecks without being restricted by the traditional no-decompression limits. The opportunities to expand your diving adventures have just got bigger!

If you cannot decide which specialty programs are the best choice for you, join the SSI Advanced Open Water Diver program! You will try Deep Diving and Navigation plus a variety of 3 more specialty areas of choice before committing to full specialty training. It is a great way to experience what advanced diver training is all about and how valuable it can be to your diving adventures. During the Advanced Open Water Diver Program, you will experience 5 different specialties by completing one open water training dive per specialty after a comprehensive briefing with your SSI Instructor. By taking this program you will have total freedom to explore. You can complete the full Specialty trainings any time in the future and credit your Advanced Open Water Diver training towards them.

The Divemaster program is the first step on an exciting journey. Earn the respect of your dive buddies and become an ambassador for diving by taking the Divemaster program. All you need to get started are 40 verified/logged dives and certifications in Deep Diving, Navigation, Night & Limited Visibility or at least 5 logged/verified dives experience in each area plus Diver Stress & Rescue. You will be certified as a Dive Guide after successfully completing the Divemaster program. When your interest is to turn your passion into a profession by guiding certified divers, teaching Ecology programs, assisting instructors or even becoming an instructor yourself, your next step is the Divemaster Upgrade with a minimum of 60 logged/verified. Upgrade to Divemaster right away or any time after by self-studying the Science of Diving materials, passing the Digital Final Exam which makes you an SSI Professional.

Start today - You need to be a Divemaster or equivalent to join SSI´s 3-Step Instructor Training Approach. The training process starts with joining the Assistant Instructor / Instructor Training Course combination accompanied with Digital Learning. After successful completion of the Instructor Training Course (ITC) you will enroll in an Instructor Evaluation (IE) to qualify as an SSI Open Water Instructor. This 10 day training program entitles you to teach various key SSI programs independently like Scuba Diver, Open Water Diver, Enriched Air Nitrox, Diver Stress & Rescue and Dive Guide. For those who want to take more time to learn and to gain valuable teaching experience between the training programs the 3 parts can also be taken as single steps - Assistant Instructor, Instructor Training Course (ITC) and Instructor Evaluation (IE) one after the other at own pace and with a flexible schedule.

Start today - You need to be a Divemaster or equivalent to join SSI´s 3-Step Instructor Training Approach. The training process starts with joining the Assistant Instructor / Instructor Training Course combination accompanied with Digital Learning. After successful completion of the Instructor Training Course (ITC) you will enroll in an Instructor Evaluation (IE) to qualify as an SSI Open Water Instructor. This 10 day training program entitles you to teach various key SSI programs independently like Scuba Diver, Open Water Diver, Enriched Air Nitrox, Diver Stress & Rescue and Dive Guide. For those who want to take more time to learn and to gain valuable teaching experience between the training programs the 3 parts can also be taken as single steps - Assistant Instructor, Instructor Training Course (ITC) and Instructor Evaluation (IE) one after the other at own pace and with a flexible schedule.