Open Water Diver

This specialty course provides you with the knowledge and advanced skills you need to navigate safely and confidently underwater. You will learn the correct use of the compass, natural navigation techniques, estimating distances, leaving and returning to a given point and simple navigation patterns. You will also learn how to combine navigation techniques to optimize your diving experience. All of this will sharpen your underwater observation skills, increase your diving safety and help you get the most out of every dive. Upon completion of the course, you will receive the SSI Navigation Specialty certification.

You love the UW world and want to stay longer? Then join us and do the Nitrox specialty course. You will learn to dive with more oxygen and less nitrogen - see more, experience more, stay longer! Take part in an Enriched Air Nitrox Specialty course if you want to shorten your surface intervals and extend your diving time. You'll spend more time exploring your favorite dive sites instead of waiting! With the course you will expand your diving knowledge to plan safe dives with enriched air mixtures up to 40% oxygen. After completing the course, you will receive an SSI Enriched Air Nitrox certification for 32% or 40%.

Without heavy equipment, freediving gives you the ultimate freedom to move underwater with ease. It is the purest form of diving and gives you the incomparable feeling of being part of the ocean. The Try Freediving course takes place in confined open water and you will quickly discover why freedivers are so passionate about their sport. Join in and discover the freediver in you!

With the SSI Try Scuba course you can experience your first unforgettable breaths underwater. With an instructor at your side, you can dive in confined water without any worries and experience the magic of scuba diving. At the end of this short course, you will have earned your SSI Try Scuba certification card and can hardly wait for your next dive. Because there are countless diving adventures waiting for you and this course is just the beginning. Start today!

Help us keep the invasive lionfish at bay and protect the reef! Learn how to hunt them with the reigning national champion and how to prepare them afterwards!

The SSI Diver Stress and Rescue Specialty course is the best course to learn how to protect yourself and other divers. You will learn how to recognize stress, avoid accidents and apply practical techniques for performing rescues and emergency care. With a combination of pool and open water training, you will be well and safely prepared to deal with emergency and rescue situations. After completing the course, you will receive the SSI Diver Stress & Rescue Specialty certification.

If you can't decide which specialty programs are best for you, join the SSI Advanced Open Water Diver program! You will try Deep Diving and Navigation as well as 3 other specialty areas before deciding on a full specialty training. It's a great way to experience what Advanced Open Water Diver training is all about and how valuable it can be for your diving adventures. During the Advanced Open Water Diver program you will learn about 5 different specialties by completing one open water training dive per specialty after a detailed briefing with your SSI Instructor. With this program, you have complete freedom to explore everything. You can complete the entire specialty training at any time and receive credit for your Advanced Open Water Diver training.

Thursday and Friday are all about the night - meet new animals and end the week comfortably with your night and limited visibility course! Night dives require completely different skills than daylight dives. The SSI Night Diving & Limited Visibility Specialty course is the best way to learn all about night diving and practice the techniques required to make you a safe and confident night diver. This course will give you all the knowledge and skills to dive safely and relaxed at night or in limited visibility conditions. In a balanced mix of online learning and open water dives, you will learn how to use special equipment, the correct entry and exit techniques and how to communicate with your dive buddy at night and in limited visibility. Upon completion of the course, you will receive the SSI Night Diving and Limited Visibility Specialty certification and be ready to dive into the dark with confidence.

As a deep diver, you have the unique opportunity to explore some of the world's best dive sites and most popular marine life. There is so much waiting for you in the deep blue sea. In a balanced combination of theory sessions and open water dives, the SSI Deep Diving Specialty course will teach you everything you need for dives between 18 and 40 meters. You will learn how to plan and safely conduct your deep diving adventures and how to get the most out of your deep dives with the help of dive computers and gas consumption calculations. Upon completion of the course, you will receive your SSI Deep Diving Specialty certification and be able to explore the most beautiful deep dive sites wherever you want. This SSI Specialty is also a prerequisite for other advanced training courses, making it the next logical step in your diving education.

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.