Canada August 2026

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.

This program provides you with the knowledge and experience required to independently plan and conduct cavern penetration dives within the light zone at depths shallower than 40 meters. You will learn how to use specialized cavern diving equipment, gas management concepts and buddy team skills to safely conduct cavern dives. You will earn the SSI Cavern Diving Specialty certification after completing this program.

The SSI Extended Range Cavern Diving program gives you a small glimpse into the exciting world of cave diving. As an SSI Extended Range Cavern diver, you will learn how to use cavern diving equipment, gas management concepts, and buddy team skills to safely conduct cavern penetration dives. The SSI Extended Range Cavern Diving program trains you to dive in caverns within the daylight zone to a maximum depth of 40 meters. From the grandest Mexican cenotes to vast caverns, becoming a cavern diver allows you to experience it all. Start the SSI Extended Range Cavern Diving program online today!

The SSI Extended Range Foundations program provides you with an opportunity to enhance your advanced diving skills in a workshop environment. Learn more about using tec diving gear with any total diving system you are certified to use and build upon your basic skill set to master buoyancy, trim, finning techniques, positioning, and communication. The Extended Range Foundations program provides supplementary training to existing certifications to increase your confidence and in-water control. All in-water sessions are completed in a pool/confined water environment at depths less than 12 meters. You will earn the SSI Extended Range Foundations certification after completing this program.

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.

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 Diver Stress and Rescue specialty program teaches you the skills you need to protect yourself and other divers. You will learn how to identify stress, how to prevent accidents and be taught practical techniques to conduct rescues and provide emergency care. With a combination of pool and open water practice sessions, you will become well prepared and confident at handling emergency and rescue situations. Upon completion, you will earn the SSI Diver Stress and Rescue Specialty certification.

Exploring overhead environments like caves and wrecks is an exciting endeavor. However, squeezing traditional dive equipment into the tight spaces found within these areas can be challenging. Improving your diver trim and streamlining by using a sidemount configuration allows you to explore more constricted places than ever before. The Extended Range Sidemount program trains you to dive in a sidemount configuration, and the techniques required to use multiple stage cylinders carried for decompression diving efficiently and effectively. You will earn the SSI Extended Range Sidemount certification after completing this program and can then apply that configuration to all other extended range programs.

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 Extended Range Trimix training program is the core program that all other open-circuit programs build on. This program is the start of your exciting journey to become an accomplished tech diver. Using either a sidemount or twinset configuration, this program prepares you to plan and conduct trimix decompression dives to a maximum depth of 45 meters. You will learn the techniques and procedures for using trimix breathing gases and nitrox mixtures of up to 100% oxygen for decompression. You will earn the SSI Extended Range Trimix diver certification after completing this program and gain new tech diver knowledge.

Assistant Instructor Trainers prepare Assistant Instructors to teach academics and conduct in-water training. As an Assistant Instructor Trainer, you are also qualified to assist Instructor Trainers, giving you valuable experience along your scuba diving instructor pathway. When ready, you can finish the Instructor Training Seminar, allowing you to become an SSI Instructor Trainer. Start your journey to create scuba diving instructors today.

The Assistant Instructor rating is the next step after becoming a Divemaster along the scuba instructor pathway. It allows you to collect valuable teaching experience, practice briefings, teach academics, and conduct in-water training. If you want to further your career as a dive professional, you can finish the Instructor Training Course, pass the Instructor Evaluation, and become an Open Water Diving Instructor.

The Instructor Evaluation (IE) is the final step of SSI’s 2-Step Instructor Training Approach Divemasters or equivalent-level professionals will have to successfully complete the Instructor Training Course (ITC) first where you’ll learn how to: • Conduct academic sessions • Lead confined water training • Teach Open Water Diver and various Specialty programs like Enriched Air Nitrox, Diver Stress&Rescue, Perfect Buoyancy and more • Develop student management and communication skills Already an experienced instructor with another agency? You may be eligible for shortened oboarding options where you will only have to complete certain parts of the Instructor Training Course (ITC) followed by passing an Instructor Evaluation (IE). Contact an SSI Training Center near you to learn more. Already certified as an Assistant Instructor with another agency? You could continue your professional journey with SSI. Get in touch with a local SSI Training Center to explore your options.

The SSI Extended Range Wreck Diving program provides all you need to plan and conduct wreck penetration dives within the daylight zone to depths shallower than 40 meters. Learn to use specialized wreck diving equipment, gas management concepts, and buddy team skills to safely conduct wreck penetration dives. As an Extended Range Wreck Diver, you will be able to go further into shipwrecks than ever before, opening up a whole new world of exciting exploration. Start your advanced wreck diving adventures now with the Extended Range Wreck Diver course!

CPR, FIRST AID, AED and Oxygen Instructor Course