Marine Ecology

It's easy for diving skills to get rusty and lose confidence if you haven't dived for a while. The SSI Scuba Skills Update will get you back in the water and diving quickly. This refresher course allows you to review and practice the diving skills you learned in your Open Water Diver program, under the guidance of an SSI Professional. This is a great course to take right before a diving vacation, so you can worry less about your skills and have more time to admire marine life. If you're an unrestrained Open Water Diver student, a Scuba Skills Update is ideal for practicing your diving skills before taking open water dives. With no set course length, you are able to take your time and focus on the skills you need help with.

Become a Lionfish hunter with the SSI Invasive Species Management specialty! In this course you will learn how to safely remove lionfish with a special spear called an ELF. Lionfish are an invasive species in the Caribbean because they do not occur naturally in this ecosystem, have no natural predators, reproduce rapidly and feed on native fish.

The SSI Basic Diver program teaches you the skills and knowledge you need to dive to 12 meters deep with an SSI Professional. It's a great way to better explore the underwater world around you while learning to dive. The skills from the Basic Diver program can be skipped into the Scuba Diver or Open Water Dive program within 6 months, allowing you to take the next step in your diving adventure.

Many of the best dive sites in the ocean are wrecks. These impressive structures attract unusually high amounts of life and give you the chance to immerse yourself in history as you dive. Nothing beats wreck diving, and the SSI Wreck Diving Specialty teaches you all the skills and knowledge you need to become a safe and confident wreck diver. With a combination of theory and water sessions, you will be taught how to safely make non-penetration dives around wrecks and artificial reefs, to depths of 30 meters. You will also practice your wreck diving skills during open water dives. All this ensures that you can confidently enjoy wreck diving and get the most out of every dive. Upon completion of this program, you will receive your SSI Wreck Diving Specialty certification. Continue your adventures and become a wreck diver. Get started online today.

The SSI Decompression Specialty teaches you how to dive beyond non-decompression limits. You will learn to plan and execute to a maximum depth of 40 meters with limited decompression using your recreational diving equipment and a single decompression cylinder. You will learn and practice how to effectively use the functions of your dive computer, such as gas switching, gas integration, time-to-reserve and time-to-surface. Using these computer functions will become second nature, allowing you to make safe dives with limited decompression without spending hours on dive planning. Upon completion, you will earn the SSI Decompression Diving Specialty certification and be able to explore beautiful deep dive sites or larger wrecks without being limited by traditional non-decompression limits. The possibilities for expanding your diving adventures have only increased!

As a Nitrox diver you can increase your bottom times or safety margins and of course shorten surface intervals - so you can spend more time exploring the dive sites you love most and less time waiting! In this program, you will learn new skills and increase your diving knowledge while learning how to safely plan and dive with enriched air mixtures containing up to 40% oxygen. Upon completion, you will earn the SSI Enriched Air Nitrox 32% or 40% 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 (Deep and Navigation are mandatory). 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.

Join the SSI Manta and Ray Ecology specialty program and you will learn how to dive with rays and identify different species of rays. You will learn how rays contribute to healthy marine ecosystems and why these precious animals need our protection. Upon completion you will earn your SSI Manta & Ray Ecology Specialty certification. this specialty can be taken with or without diving. ask for the possibilities

If you want to make the most of your bottom time and have more fun on your dives, try underwater scooter or diver propulsion vehicle (DPV) diving. In this underwater scooter and DPV course, you will learn the skills and concepts you need to safely plan and conduct dives using scooters or DPVs. You will learn the special precautions needed for using DPVs, how to maintain buddy contact and how to control your equipment, so you can safely enjoy the new dive experiences DPVs provide. Upon completion of this program, you will earn the SSI Scooter/DPV Diving specialty certification and be able to dive up to 30 meters deep with a scooter or DPV.

This globally recognized certification is the best way to begin your lifelong adventure as a diver. Personalized training is combined with sessions in the water to ensure you have the skills and experience needed to become truly comfortable underwater. You too deserve an SSI Open Water Dive certification!

In this specialty program you will gain the 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 depart from and return to a designated point including basic navigation patterns. You will also learn how to combine these navigation techniques to enhance your diving experience. All this enhances your underwater observation skills, improves your dive safety and helps you get the most out of every dive. Upon completion, you will earn the SSI Navigation Specialty certification.

Diving in currents opens up a world of new dive sites and you will often see the most spectacular marine life. Dive from shore and you'll discover simplicity just by walking down the beach and explore your favorite dive sites with ease. But waves, tides and currents can affect a dive and your safety if you don't know how to deal with them. The SSI Waves, Tides and Currents Specialty will improve your diving skills and understanding so you can safely and confidently enjoy diving in changing environments. You will gain a better understanding of dynamic open water environments and learn about the environmental conditions that affect different dive sites. You'll also practice diving from the shore, in currents or in rivers to earn this specialty certification. Get started today!

In SSI's Shark Ecology program, you will learn how to interpret shark behavior, why they are often misunderstood and how to dive with sharks. This is a perfect course for shark fans and for divers who are nervous of sharks but want to overcome their fears. Upon completion of this program, you will earn your SSI Shark Ecology Specialty!

The ocean is filled with dive sites but many of the best are only accessible by boat. If you want to explore these incredible sites become an SSI Boat Diver. It is the best way to learn to dive safely and confidently from different types of boats. As a boat diver, you can explore offshore dive sites that attract large schools of fish and huge animals you won't find closer to shore. You can experience the excitement of liveaboard diving anywhere in the world, filling your day with diving away from the crowds and sailing on as the sun sets. Using online training and open water sessions, the SSI Boat Diving Specialty program is the best way to learn. This program will teach you all the skills and techniques you need to dive safely and comfortably from boats, including small personal vessels and liveaboards. Get your SSI Boat Diving Specialty Brevet. Start today.

The SSI Deep Diving Specialty teaches you everything you need to dive to depths between 18 and 40 meters through a mix of theory and open water diving. You'll learn how to plan and make your deep diving adventures safe and use computers and gas consumption calculations to get the most out of your deep dives. Upon completion, you will earn your SSI Deep Diving Specialty certification and be able to explore beautiful deep dive sites wherever you want. This SSI specialty is also a requirement for other advanced courses making it the next logical step to get your Deep Diver certification.