Independent Diving

The SSI Open Water Instructor has the most important job in the entire dive industry: certifying new divers. The OWI ensures they have an amazing learning experience. This program provides candidates with the knowledge, concepts and training necessary to organize and conduct entry-level scuba training courses. Candidates will learn the SSI Teaching System and philosophy, and how to effectively teach and evaluate Open Water Diver students. It will also prepare the candidate for their Instructor Evaluation.

This program provides the skills, concepts, and teaching experience required to become a successful SSI Instructor. You will learn the SSI Teaching System and philosophy, how to assist Instructors in training and how to independently teach a variety of SSI training programs. Candidates who complete this program can earn the SSI Assistant Instructor rating or work all the way through to the SSI Open Water Instructor after having successfully passed the Instructor Evaluation in addition.

Join our exceptional 3 week divemaster program. Benefit from our top of the line instructors and learn from their experience as well as build your own. With our dive centre you will gain practical, real experience in what is it like acting as a dive guide underwater, run the dive centre, boat preparations, tank filling, as well as equipment techniques and boat driving workshops. Work alongside your personal mentor and build your network from day 1. 

This globally-recognized certification program is the best way to begin your life-long adventure 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.Once you arrive on Utila we can begin your course.  We can start your course any day of the week. On day 1, you will learn how to set up and use the scuba gear in a shallow water area. Plan on spending most of this day with us.On day 2.  You will do 2 dives with us in the morning reviewing the skills you’ve learned in deeper water.  You will have the afternoon off to explore Utila on this day. On day 3.  You will do 2 dives with us in the morning reviewing the skills you’ve learned in deeper water.  Once you return from the dives, you will be able to dry off and then we will sit down and you will take the final exam and complete the remaining training records.Benefit from small/private groups of up to 4 people. Take the time you need to feel comfortable. We are here to guide you through to becoming a safe, environmentally couscous diver, not to check boxes. The only place where you are put as the priority! 

The SSI Assistant Instructor Trainer program (IDC Staff Instructor) provides candidates with the knowledge, concepts and training necessary to organize and conduct the Assistant Instructor program. Candidates will learn how to evaluate and provide feedback to dive professional candidates in a variety of in-water and academic settings. Candidates who complete this program can begin their preparation for Instructor Trainer.From leading divers to teaching and assisting on courses, they are a vital part of the team.This program is for those who have being teaching for awhile. They have a desire to up their level. Are you looking for a challenge?

The SSI Enriched Air Nitrox program will teach you how to safely plan and dive with enriched air mixtures of up to 40% oxygen. Diving with enriched air can increase your no-decompression limits, increase your safety, and reduce the required length of your surface intervals when compared to air. You will earn the SSI Enriched Air Nitrox 32% or 40% certification after completing this program.The Enriched Air Nitrox program is a certification program in diving that teaches divers to use oxygen-enriched air mixtures to extend the bottom time and reduce the risks associated with diving. This program is beneficial for divers who want to maximize their diving time and explore the underwater world for longer periods.

React Right is SSI’s emergency first response course and provides you with the training and knowledge you need to act as a first responder in a medical emergency. In this flexible dive program, you can choose which subjects you want to learn about, including primary assessment, first aid, CPR and primary stabilization techniques. You can also learn about oxygen administration in diving emergencies and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) basics. Using a combination of academic sessions and practical training scenarios, this program will give you the tools and confidence you need for emergency response. By the time you are certified, you will be able to act as an emergency first responder, provide first aid and CPR, administer oxygen and provide AED support in a medical emergency. Earn your SSI React Right specialty certification. Get started today!

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.

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.

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 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.

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!

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!

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.