Open Water Instructor (Instructor Training Course ITC) - 2026

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!

When you become an SSI Level 1 freediver, you open the door to worldwide freediving opportunities. Learning to freedive with SSI is easier than you think. This program combines (online) training, pool/shaded-water sessions and open-water dives to help you become a confident and safe freediver in no time. Once certified, you can freedive with a buddy in open water to depths of 20 meters and explore a variety of stunning underwater ecosystems around the world. Get started online today.

Have you always dreamed of becoming a mermaid? Join the SSI Try Mermaid program and make your dreams come true! You'll complete a mermaid experience with an SSI professional in a pool/sheltered water and learn entry-level skills, including swimming with a mermaid monofin. Earn the SSI Try Mermaid recognition level. It's the perfect program to do before joining our SSI Mermaid course. Start today!

Always dreamed of beautiful, professional underwater photos, but don't know how to pose or move? No worries. The Underwater Model course teaches you exactly how to appear elegant, relaxed and photogenic underwater. You will discover techniques that not only make you look beautiful on camera, but also allow you to truly enjoy the magic of an underwater shoot.

The ocean is filled with thousands of fascinating and beautiful fish of every shape and size. Learn how to identify fish and get more out of your dives with the SSI Fish Identification Specialty program. You'll learn everything you need to identify common families of fish in the Caribbean, Indo-Pacific and Red Sea and earn the SSI Coral Identification Specialty certification.

The SSI Snorkel Diver program is the first step to discovering your inner mermaid. It is the best way to learn to snorkel and develop enough confidence in the water so you can go snorkeling and explore the ocean's enchanting landscapes and marine life. You do not need to be an experienced swimmer to participate in the Snorkel Diver program and there is no minimum age to join. You just need to be comfortable in the water, be able to maintain your buoyancy and you are ready to begin the adventure of a lifetime! This program will introduce you to the equipment and skills you need to snorkel safely. Earn an SSI Snorkel Diver recognition certification today!

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.

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 certification.

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.

The SSI Perfect Buoyancy Specialty is the best way to improve buoyancy and get the most out of every dive. Buoyancy is an essential diving skill but any diver will tell you it takes time to perfect. With the Perfect Buoyancy specialty, you will learn advanced skills and techniques so you can master your buoyancy faster and enjoy more relaxed diving adventures. In this fascinating program, you'll also learn new skills that protect the environment and work in any situation. Upon completion, you will earn the SSI Perfect Buoyancy Specialty certification. With improved buoyancy, you'll soon be able to float even easier, take the underwater photos you dream about and explore the ocean effortlessly.

Do you like to dance and swim? Then the Underwater Dance course is just right for you. During this unique training you will learn how to move gracefully, controlled and artistically under water. You will discover how to perform dance moves on the bottom of the pool or just below the surface that are not possible anywhere else. Underwater, every move feels different: bigger, more fluid and almost magical. In this course, you'll learn how to use that weightless world to bring beautiful, creative choreography to life.

The SSI Try Scuba program is the best way to dive for the first time. You will be in sheltered water and well cared for by your instructor so you can enjoy those first unforgettable breaths underwater and experience the magic of diving. By the end of this short course, you will have earned your SSI Try Scuba certification and will undoubtedly want to go diving more. Endless diving adventures await you and this course is where it all begins. Let's get started today.

The Divemaster program is the first step on an exciting journey. Earn the respect of your dive buddies and become an ambassador for diving by taking the Divemaster program. All you need to get started are 40 verified/logged dives and certificates in Deep Diving, Navigation, Night & Limited Visibility or at least 5 logged/verified dives experience in each area plus Diver Stress & Rescue. You will be certified as a Dive Guide upon successful completion of the Divemaster program. If you want to make your passion your profession by guiding certified divers, Ecology Program

React Right is SSI's first aid course and provides the training needed to be a first responder in a medical emergency. In this flexible program, you can choose what topics you want to cover, including first aid, CPR and primary stabilization techniques. You can also learn about emergency oxygen delivery while diving and the basics of automatic external defibrillators (AED). Using a combination of theory 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 can act as a first aider: administer first aid and CPR, administer oxygen and provide AED support in a medical emergency. Get your SSI React Right Brevet. Get started today!

Welcome to the Nudibranch Ecology course, where you will explore the world of sea snails in seven detailed sessions. Begin with their classification and habitats, then learn about their locomotor, sensory and respiratory systems. Discover their complex reproductive strategies, relationships with other marine organisms, feeding habits and crucial role in ecosystems. Explore their defense mechanisms and interactions with humans and highlight their importance for research and conservation. This course deepens your understanding of these extraordinary creatures, perfect for marine biology enthusiasts, students or the curious. Join us and uncover the secrets of nudibranchs.