Open Water Diver

This globally recognized certification program is the best way to begin your lifelong adventure as a certified scuba diver. Personal training is combined with in-water practice sessions to ensure you have the skills and experience you need to be truly comfortable in the water.

If you are not sure which specialty program is right for you, join the SSI Advanced Open Water Diver Program! In addition to deep diving and navigation, you can choose from three additional specialty areas. This program is a great opportunity to experience the essence of advanced diver training and see how it can benefit your diving adventures. In the Advanced Open Water Diver program, after a comprehensive briefing by your SSI instructor, you will experience five different specialties, one dive each, in open water training. Participating in this program gives you the freedom to explore. Specialty training can be completed at any time and completion of the Advanced Open Water Diver Training will be credited toward that training.

The Divemaster Program is the first step on an exciting journey. Take the Divemaster Program, earn the respect of your buddies, and become a Dive Ambassador. Prerequisites are a minimum of 40 certified/logged dives and 5 dives in Deep Diving, Navigation, Night & Poor Visibility, or each specialty, plus Diver Stress & Rescue certification. Upon successful completion of the Divemaster program, you will be certified as a Dive Guide. If you are interested in turning your passion into a profession by teaching certified divers, leading ecology programs, assisting instructors, or even becoming an instructor yourself, the next step is to upgrade to Divemaster with at least 60 logs/certifications. By studying the Dive Science material and passing the Digital Final Exam, you will become an SSI Professional.

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!