Assistant Instructor

The Altitude Diving Specialty Instructor Program qualifies you to train divers for dives at altitudes above sea level. The focus is on the special conditions of altitude dives and how to teach them safely in a training context. The Specialty Instructor Seminar takes place entirely online. All candidates receive preparatory material in advance, which covers the technical basics and the didactic structure of the course. On this basis, you will independently draw up a course plan and prepare a microteaching session on the topic of altitude diving. The actual Specialty Instructor Seminar will be held as a live webinar. There you will present your microteaching, receive feedback on the content and didactic implementation and discuss typical questions from training practice. SSI does not provide its own official teaching material for Altitude Diving. As part of our program, we provide supplementary documents that enable you to conduct the course in a structured and technically sound manner.

The Compressor Techniques Specialty Instructor Program qualifies you to teach content related to the safe operation, monitoring and responsible use of breathing air compressors. The focus is on the structured training of personnel in the dive center environment, which requires practical experience in handling compressors and ideally appropriate training or demonstrable instruction in compressor handling. This specialty is specifically aimed at instructor candidates who are able to represent the topic in a technically sound manner. The program is particularly suitable for equipping employees in dive centres with a comprehensible and documentable qualification. This creates a clear training standard that goes beyond informal briefings. The Specialty Instructor Seminar takes place online. Candidates receive preparatory material in advance that covers both the technical basics and didactic aspects of the training. On this basis, you will develop your own course plan and prepare a microteaching on the topic of compressor techniques. The actual seminar will be held as a live webinar. The microteachings are presented, discussed and reflected on both technically and didactically. SSI does not provide its own official teaching material for Compressor Techniques. As part of our program, we support you with supplementary teaching materials that enable structured and practical training.

The Deep Diving Specialty Instructor Program qualifies you to instruct divers to greater depths in a safe and structured manner. The emphasis is on planning, control and decision making in an area where mistakes become safety critical more quickly. Specialty Instructor candidates work through the existing course material independently. We also provide additional didactic information, tools and practical tips to help you structure the content in a meaningful and clear way. On this basis, you will create your own course plan for the Deep Diving Specialty. You will work specifically on how to structure briefings, combine exercises and communicate safety aspects in a comprehensible way. The Specialty Instructor Seminar takes place as a live webinar. The webinar is based on the course plans submitted by the candidates, which are analyzed, discussed and further developed together. A central focus is on the safe execution of deep diving training courses. As an added bonus, the seminar incorporates further experience from technical diving as well as in-depth knowledge of decompression models and risks. This perspective makes it possible to classify risks realistically and to justify training decisions professionally. It is precisely this background that contributes significantly to the clear, safe and practical structure of deep diving courses at Punkfish.

The Navigation Specialty Instructor Program is designed for instructors who not only want to use navigation skills safely, but also want to teach them systematically and comprehensibly. Every instructor navigates. Proper guiding, orientation and return routes are among the prerequisites for being allowed to instruct at all. The real challenge begins at the point where routine becomes structured training. Specialty instructor candidates work through the existing course material independently. In addition, we provide didactic tips, tools and methodological aids to help you make a clear transition from doing to teaching. On this basis, you create your own course plan for the Navigation Specialty. You will work specifically on how navigation exercises are structured, enhanced and made verifiable, how briefings are designed and how typical error patterns in students are recognized and constructively addressed. The Specialty Instructor Seminar takes place as a live webinar. The webinar is based on the course plans submitted by the candidates, which are analyzed, discussed and further developed together. The focus is on didactic clarity, exercise design and the safe delivery of navigation training. The aim is to provide navigation training that is not based on personal experience alone, but on a clear structure, comprehensible teaching and reproducible training procedures.

The Night & Limited Visibility Specialty Instructor Program is designed for instructors who want to teach dives in limited visibility or darkness in a safe and structured way. This specialty includes night dives as well as dives in dark lakes or other waters with permanently limited visibility. The conditions vary considerably depending on the diving area and require different training approaches. Every diving instructor has experience with darkness or poor visibility. The challenge lies in translating this experience into clear training structures that are understandable and safe for students to implement - regardless of the specific body of water. Specialty instructor candidates work through the existing course material independently. In addition, we provide didactic tips, tools and methodological aids to help you adapt training content to different local conditions. On this basis, you create your own course plan that is tailored to your diving area. In the live webinar, these course plans are discussed, compared and further developed together. Different approaches for different environments, such as night in the sea, dark inland sea or limited visibility due to environmental conditions, are specifically considered. The focus of the seminar is on structure, safety management and clear communication under difficult conditions. The aim is to provide training that is not schematic, but is adapted to the situation, comprehensible and safe.

The Science of Diving Specialty Instructor Program is designed for instructors who wish to teach diving theory in a safe, understandable and practical manner. Science of Diving is not an optional subject. Every diving instructor must be able to master and teach this content, especially as part of the Divemaster training. Physics, physiology, decompression and equipment form the basis for making safe decisions underwater. At the same time, it is precisely this basic knowledge that is often underestimated or perceived as "dry theory" in everyday training. However, a solid understanding of the interrelationships is crucial for safe, relaxed and healthy dives in the long term. Specialty Instructor candidates work through the available course material independently. We also contribute our experience from the Punkfish Academy. There we have been working intensively for years on the question of how complex theory can be taught in an understandable, clear and interesting way. On this basis, you will develop your own Science of Diving course plan, which is based on real training situations. The focus is on linking theory with practice, incorporating examples from everyday diving life and preparing content in such a way that it is comprehensible and relevant for divers. The Specialty Instructor Seminar takes place as a live webinar. It is based on the candidates' course plans, which are discussed together, further developed and didactically sharpened. The aim is to create a course structure that not only guides divers through the theory, but also wins them over. Science of Diving does not become a compulsory block, but a tool that noticeably improves understanding, safety and quality in training.

The Waves, Tides & Currents Specialty Instructor Program is designed for instructors who want to provide in-depth, hands-on training in environmental conditions such as waves, tides and currents. These factors strongly influence dives, but vary greatly from region to region. Coastal areas, tidal areas, inland waters or spots with strong currents all place their own demands on the planning, briefing and execution of dives. Specialty Instructor candidates work through the available course material independently. In addition, we provide didactic tips, structural aids and practical tools to adapt the content to different regional conditions. On this basis, you create your own course plan that is tailored to your typical diving area. You will work specifically on how theoretical principles are linked to local examples and how divers learn to realistically assess environmental conditions. The Specialty Instructor Seminar takes place as a live webinar. It is based on the candidates' course plans, which are discussed and further developed together. Different regional characteristics of waves, tides and currents are deliberately contrasted in order to make different training approaches visible. The aim is training that does not work schematically, but is situation-dependent, comprehensible and safely adapted to the respective conditions.

The Equipment Techniques Specialty Instructor program is designed for instructors who wish to provide in-depth, hands-on training in the use of diving equipment, assuming that you are familiar with the care, function and basic maintenance of diving equipment. Experience in regulator revision is an advantage, but not a prerequisite. The program is not a technical maintenance or service training course, but a training course for the structured transfer of equipment knowledge. The Specialty Instructor candidates work through the existing course material independently. We provide additional support in the form of didactic tips and additional materials that help to prepare equipment topics in a way that is understandable, relevant to safety and appropriate for the target group. On this basis, you create your own course plan for the Equipment Techniques Specialty. The aim is to select meaningful content, set a practical focus and combine theory with everyday applications. The Specialty Instructor Seminar takes place as a live webinar. It is based on the candidates' course plans, which are discussed and further developed together. In addition, practical exercises, training approaches and ideas that have proven their worth in everyday training and can be meaningfully communicated are collected and classified. The aim is to provide training that enables divers to better understand their equipment, handle it responsibly and recognize problems at an early stage - without claiming to be a technical service course.

The Decompression Diving Specialty Instructor program is designed for instructors who want to safely introduce divers to planned decompression dives and who want to implement this training in a professional manner. To participate, you must be a Deep Diving Instructor and Nitrox Instructor and have the Decompression Diving Brevet (User-Level) or at least an equivalent certification. The program is based on personal experience and a solid understanding of gas management and decompression planning. Preparation for the Specialty Instructor program takes place online. Candidates work through the existing course material independently and develop their own course plan based on this. We provide additional support with didactic tips, structural aids and content classifications on planning, safety management and decision-making during decompression dives. The Specialty Instructor Seminar takes place as a live webinar. It is based on the submitted course plans, which are discussed, sharpened and further developed together. For certification, the program is not purely online. At least one dive must take place in which the practical implementation is checked. The training benefits from the fact that Punkfish incorporates many years of experience in technical diving as well as in-depth knowledge of decompression theory. This perspective goes far beyond the scope of the specialty and enables a well-founded, realistic and safety-oriented training.

The Independent Diving Specialty Instructor program is designed for instructors who want to train divers to dive independently, prepared and responsibly. The course is not exclusively for divers who want to dive alone. The content is relevant for all diving professionals and for divers who do not want to rely completely on their buddy. The ability to help yourself, assess situations realistically and solve problems independently increases safety in any team - even where cooperation is expressly desired. The requirements for divers and instructors are deliberately set higher for this specialty. Candidates are asked to check the standards carefully to ensure that the personal and professional requirements are met. A central theme of the training is the conscious use of redundancy in equipment. This is not about having as much equipment as possible, but about sensible concepts for safeguarding critical functions and their practical application. SSI does not provide its own official teaching material for Independent Diving. The content and didactic planning is therefore carried out independently. As part of the Specialty Instructor Program, we provide support in the form of structural suggestions, didactic tips and work materials, which are prepared in an online webinar. On this basis, the Specialty Instructor candidates develop their own course plan, which covers safety concepts, equipment, redundancy and decision-making. An additional session in the water is required for certification. In this session, training situations are put into practice to solve problems. The location and framework of the water session can be arranged individually. The aim is to provide training that promotes independence and at the same time strengthens team spirit - through clear concepts, realistic exercises and comprehensible decision-making processes.

The Crossover program is designed for instructors from other recognized training organizations who wish to transfer their training to the SSI system, provided they have an active instructor certification with a recognized organization. The crossover builds on existing training experience and focuses on communicating differences in structure, didactics and standards in a comprehensible way. As part of the crossover program, you will take part in selected parts of the Instructor Training Course (ITC). A large part of the preparation can be done online. This allows the theory, structure and training logic to be developed flexibly and efficiently. The practical part comprises two days in the water. The focus here is on conducting training, demonstrations, checking procedures and adapting to the SSI structure. The crossover program concludes with participation in an Instructor Evaluation (IE). In the IE, you demonstrate that you can implement content, standards and training procedures safely and consistently. The aim of the crossover program is to ensure a smooth transition into the SSI training system that takes into account and complements existing experience without unnecessary repetition.

The Assistant Instructor Trainer Program is designed for experienced instructors who wish to train Assistant Instructors (AI) and/or prepare for a future Instructor Trainer Seminar. The program can be completed alongside any ITC. It builds on existing training experience and focuses on program structure, training logic and assessment of AI candidates. In terms of content, the aim is to sharpen the role of the trainer: How is an AI program structured in a meaningful way? How are performances assessed? How are feedback, corrections and evaluations implemented in a comprehensible and fair manner? Part of the preparation can be done online. In this way, structure, standards and evaluation principles can be worked out in advance and the time spent together can be used specifically for consolidation and exchange. The Assistant Instructor Trainer program is suitable both for diving instructors who want to actively conduct AI courses and for those who want to systematically prepare for further training levels in the SSI system. The aim is a clear, structured approach to training programs and evaluations - with a focus on quality, transparency and consistent training.

The Instructor Training Course (ITC) is the training to become an SSI Instructor. It builds on your experience as a Divemaster or equivalent professional and teaches the technical, didactic and organizational basics for training diving students. In the ITC you will learn how training is planned, carried out and documented in a comprehensible manner. The aim is for you to convey content in a structured manner, lead training safely and make and communicate clear decisions as an instructor. Our ITCs include intensive online preparation. Content, theory work and didactic principles are worked on in advance so that the time together on site can be used consistently for practice, application, feedback and consolidation. Training in the water takes place in neutral buoyancy. Skills, demonstrations and training situations are carried out in the same way as they will later be useful in everyday training. Buoyancy, position in the water and movement are part of the assessment and feedback. Dates are not fixed, but can be adapted within the course structure. This makes it easier to combine ITCs with existing working hours, seasonal operations or travel plans. The Instructor Training Course can be completed in combination with the Assistant Instructor Course or separately. Both paths are possible and are jointly agreed depending on previous experience, time frame and personal planning. The ITC is aimed at Divemasters or equivalent diving professionals who wish to start training. Applicants with previous qualifications from other organizations are also considered individually in order to enable a sensible and technically sound entry into the SSI system.

Start today - You must be a Divemaster or equivalent to participate in SSI's 3-level instructor training program. The training begins with participation in the combination Assistant Instructor / Instructor Training Course, accompanied by Digital Learning. After successfully completing the Instructor Training Course (ITC), you will take part in an Instructor Evaluation (IE) to qualify as an SSI Open Water Instructor. This 10-day training entitles you to independently teach various SSI key programs such as Scuba Diver, Open Water Diver, Enriched Air Nitrox, Diver Stress & Rescue and Dive Guide. If you want to take more time to learn and gain valuable teaching experience between the training courses, you can also complete the 3 parts in individual steps - Assistant Instructor, Instructor Training Course (ITC) and Instructor Evaluation (IE) one after the other at your own pace and with a flexible schedule.