Extended Range Sidemount Diving

Choosing and buying your dive equipment is one of the biggest and most important investments you will make as a diver, but it is easy to get it a bit wrong. We want you to choose the right dive kit for your needs and know how to look after it properly. With the right knowledge, you can get the most from your investment and enjoy safe and comfortable dives for years to come. The SSI Equipment Techniques specialty is the best way to learn how to choose and store your dive kit. Working with an experienced and trained SSI Professional, you will learn in-depth information about the components of your Total Diving System and develop a thorough understanding of your diving equipment. You will also practice basic preventative dive equipment maintenance to ensure you get maximum performance and longevity from your Total Diving System. Start this dive equipment specialty today!

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.

As a Nitrox diver, you can increase your bottom times and safety margins, plus shorten your surface intervals - so you can spend more time diving and less time waiting! In this program, you will learn new skills and increase your diving knowledge whilst learning how to safely plan and dive with enriched air mixtures of up to 40% oxygen. Upon completion, you will earn an SSI Enriched Air Nitrox 32% or 40% certification.

Correctly mixing gasses is essential to being able to breathe safely underwater. The SSI Gas Blender program teaches you the skills and concepts required to safely blend nitrox and helium-based trimix gases. This non-diving program is open to certified and uncertified divers and teaches proper usage of mathematics, gas blending software, physics, and techniques required to blend breathing gases safely. Upon completing this program, you will earn either the SSI Nitrox Gas Blender or SSI Trimix Gas Blender certification. Get started online today!

Drysuit diving opens up a world of opportunities, including diving remote Arctic destinations and exploring cold-water dive sites teeming with life. Dry suit diving also keeps you warm on multi-dive days when you do not want to spend your time getting in and out of a cold wetsuit. The SSI Dry Suit Diving specialty program is the best way to become a dry suit diver and teaches you all the knowledge and techniques you need to dive safely and comfortably in a dry suit. You will learn how to use specialized equipment, like dry suits and BCs, the benefits of dry suits and how to deal with dry suit emergencies – which are unique to this type of diving. Upon completion, you will earn the SSI Dry Suit Diving specialty certification.

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 SSI Perfect Buoyancy specialty is the best way to improve your buoyancy and get the most from every dive. Buoyancy is an essential dive skill, but any diver will tell you it takes time to perfect. The Perfect Buoyancy specialty will teach you advanced buoyancy skills and techniques, so you can master your buoyancy more quickly and enjoy more relaxed dive adventures. In this fascinating program, you will also learn new skills that protect the environment and work in every diving situation. Upon completion, you will earn the SSI Perfect Buoyancy Specialty certification. With better buoyancy skills, you will soon be able to hover with ease and take the underwater photographs you dream of!

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.

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.

To join the SSI Instructor Training Course (ITC), you must be a certified Divemaster or hold an equivalent qualification. This comprehensive program is part of SSI’s 2-Step Instructor Training Approach. It begins with the Instructor Training Course combination, supported by immersive digital learning. After successfully completing the ITC, you will attend the Instructor Evaluation (IE) to become an SSI Open Water Instructor. As a certified instructor, you’ll be able to independently teach key SSI programs such as Open Water Diver, Advanced Open Water Diver, Enriched Air Nitrox, Diver Stress & Rescue, and Dive Guide. Need more time or want to gain hands-on experience before becoming a full instructor? You can take the Assistant Instructor portion as a standalone step. This allows you to assist with real student courses, build valuable teaching experience, and then complete the Instructor Evaluation at your own pace. The possibilities are endless – start your scuba diving instructor career now!

In this specialty program, you will gain the advanced skills and knowledge you need to safely and confidently navigate underwater. You will learn how to use a compass and natural navigation techniques, estimate distance, how to leave and return to a designated point, plus basic navigation patterns. You will also be taught how to combine navigation techniques to enhance your diving experience. All of which hones your underwater observation skills, improves your dive safety and helps you to get the most out of every dive. Upon completion, you will earn the SSI Navigation 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! 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 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.

Night diving requires different skills from diving during the day. The SSI Night Diving and Limited Visibility specialty is the best way to learn about night diving and practice the techniques you will need to become a safe and confident night diver. In this program, you will be provided with all the knowledge and skills you need to safely and comfortably dive at night or in limited visibility conditions. With a combination of online learning and open water training dives, you will learn how to enter and exit the water, use specialized equipment, and how to communicate with your buddy easily at night or in limited visibility. Upon completion, you will earn the SSI Night Diving and Limited Visibility specialty certification and be ready to go night diving with confidence.