Open Water Diver

The SSI Science of Diving Specialty course provides you with a comprehensive understanding of the underwater world and its effects on the human body. The course is the foundation for most SSI Professional courses as well as some Extended Range courses and is an essential part of deepening your diving knowledge. You can complete your SSI Science of Diving Specialty certification online from the comfort of your own home. Upon completion of the course, you will be halfway to the coveted SSI Divemaster and receive your Science of Diving certification.

SSI Ecology Specialty programs provide students with the basic knowledge and skills needed to identify various species of marine organisms and explains their role in ocean ecosystems.

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.

Becoming an SSI Specialty Instructor is easy. Continue your diving education as an instructor by enrolling in a Specialty Instructor Seminar for each of the diving specialties you would like to teach.

As a dry suit diver you can dive warm and comfortable in cold waters all year round. Only dry suit diving opens up the special underwater landscapes of cold water to you: dives on the icebergs in the remote Arctic or fascinating places teeming with life despite the cold. Dry suits are also great if you dive several times a day. Instead of struggling to get out of the cold, wet wetsuit each time, the dry suit diver simply leaves his suit on. The best way to dry suit dive is the SSI Dry Suit Diver Specialty course. Here you will gain the necessary knowledge and learn all the skills you need to dive safely and comfortably in a dry suit. This includes how to use the special equipment and how to deal with difficult situations and problems with the dry suit. At the end of the course you will receive the SSI Dry Suit Diving Specialty certification.

Many exciting dive sites are located in deeper water. Without proper training, this kind of diving puts you at risk. The SSI Deep Diving Specialty will give you the ability to safely and comfortably plan and conduct dives beyond 18 meters, and is a prerequisite for some advanced training.

The SSI Decompression Diving Specialty will teach you how to dive beyond the no-decompression limits. You will learn to plan and conduct dives to a maximum depth of 40 meters with limited decompression using your recreational total diving system and a single decompression cylinder. You will learn and practice how to effectively use your dive computer features, including switching gases, gas integration, time-to-reserve, and time-to-surface. Using these computer functions will become second nature, enabling you to safely conduct dives with limited decompression without hours of dive planning. Upon completion, you will earn the SSI Decompression Diving Specialty certification and be able to explore stunning deep dive sites or larger wrecks without being restricted by the traditional no-decompression limits. The opportunities to expand your diving adventures have just got bigger!

The SSI Try Scuba program is the best way to try scuba diving for the first time. You will be in confined water and well looked after by your instructor, so you can enjoy those first unforgettable breaths underwater and experience the magic of scuba diving. At the end of this short course, you will have earned your SSI Try Scuba recognition card and undoubtedly want to go diving again. Endless scuba diving adventures are waiting for you and this course is where it all begins. Start today!

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.

Through online learning and open water and confined water dives, the SSI Scuba Diver course provides you with the perfect foundation to become an independent and safe diver. You will learn everything you need for open water dives to a maximum depth of 12 meters together with an SSI Professional. With this course you will complete about half of the Open Water Diver course and can upgrade your certification later. All you have to do is complete the remaining theory and limited open water units as well as two open water training dives.

This certification is recognized worldwide and is the best way to become a qualified diver on an adventure that will last a lifetime. The combination of personalized instruction and practical training sessions ensures that you gain the skills and experience of a confident, safe diver. At the end of the course you will receive the SSI Open Water Diver certification.

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!

Many of the ocean’s best dive sites are wrecks. These impressive structures attract unusually high densities of marine life and give you the chance to immerse in living history as you dive. There is nothing quite like wreck diving and the SSI Wreck Diving specialty will give you all the skills and knowledge you need to become a safe and confident wreck diver. With a combination of academic and confined water sessions, you will be taught how to safely conduct non-penetration dives around wrecks and artificial reefs, up to a depth of 30 meters. You will also get to practice your wreck diving skills during open water training dives. All of which will ensure you can enjoy wreck diving with confidence and get the most out of every dive. Upon completion of this program, you will earn your SSI Wreck Diving specialty certification. Continue your adventures and become a wreck diver. Get started online 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.