Shark Ecology

Enroll in SSI's Science of Diving specialty to gain a thorough understanding of the underwater world and its effects on the human body. This specialty, which is required for completion of most SSI Professional programs as well as some Extended Range programs, is an excellent opportunity to expand your diving knowledge. It's available online, so you can earn your SSI Science of Diving specialty certification from home and prepare to start your career. Upon completion, you will earn your SSI Science of Diving specialty certification and be halfway to completing the desired SSI Divemaster rating.

Get started today: You must be a Divemaster or equivalent to join our 3-step instructor training approach. To start the training process, enroll in the Assistant Instructor/Instructor Training Course combination and supplement it with digital learning. Once you have successfully completed the course, you can complete the Instructor Evaluation (IE) to qualify as an SSI Open Water Instructor. This 10-day training program allows you to teach several key SSI programs independently, such as Scuba Diver, Open Water Diver, Enriched Air Nitrox, Diver Stress & Rescue and Dive Guide. For those students who prefer to learn slowly between training programs and gain teaching experience, the 3 parts can also be completed as individual steps: Assistant Instructor, Instructor Training Course (ITC) and Instructor Evaluation (IE), one after the other, at your own pace and flexible schedule.

After becoming a Divemaster, the Assistant Instructor qualification is the next step in a dive instructor's career path. This program allows you to gain teaching experience, practice briefings and provide in-water and classroom training. If you want to advance your career as a dive professional, you can take the Instructor Training Course, pass the Instructor Evaluation and become an Open Water Diving Instructor.

This program, which gives you an internationally recognized certification, is ideal to start your adventures as a certified diver. The combination of personalized training and practical in-water sessions ensures that you will have the skills and experience necessary to dive comfortably underwater. You'll earn your SSI Open Water Diver certification.

SSI designed the Computer Diving program to help certified divers become familiar with the functions and benefits of using a dive computer. By understanding and knowing how to use all the functions of a dive computer, you will not only increase your dive safety, but also make it easier to plan and execute your dive. SSI's Computer Diving program explores the functions and capabilities of the various dive computers and explains how to use these functions before, during and after the dive. Often, divers buy a computer and only use it for its basic information. Get the most out of your investment by learning how to use your dive computer to its full potential - start your SSI Computer Diving Specialty online today!

Drift diving opens the door to a world full of new dive sites that are often home to the most spectacular marine life. Dive from the shore and discover the pleasure of walking off the beach and start exploring new dive sites. It's that easy and comfortable. But waves, tides and currents influence your dives and affect your water safety if you don't know how to act. SSI's Waves, Tides and Currents specialty is ideal for improving your diving skills and knowledge and getting the most out of diving safely and confidently in a variety of environments. You'll gain a better understanding of how dynamic open water environments work and how environmental conditions influence different dive sites. To become certified, you'll practice from the shore, in currents or in rivers - start today!

SSI's Perfect Buoyancy Specialty is ideal for improving your buoyancy and getting the most out of diving. Buoyancy is a fundamental skill, but, if you ask any experienced diver, they will tell you that it takes time to perfect it. With the Perfect Buoyancy Specialty, you will learn advanced buoyancy skills and techniques so you can master your buoyancy quickly and enjoy relaxed dives. In this program you will also learn new skills that will help you protect the environment and that you will be able to use in any diving situation. Upon completion, you'll earn SSI's Perfect Buoyancy specialty certification. Once you perfect your buoyancy skills, you'll be able to float with ease and take amazing pictures underwater.

Many of the best dive sites in the ocean are wrecks. These impressive structures attract high densities of marine life and allow you to immerse yourself in history. There is nothing quite like wreck diving and with the Wreck Diving specialty, you will acquire all the skills and knowledge you need to become a wreck diver with complete safety and confidence. Combining academic and confined water sessions, this program prepares you to make safe non-penetration dives on wrecks and artificial reefs to a maximum depth of 30 meters. You will also be able to practice your wreck diving skills during open water training dives. You will certainly enjoy wreck diving with confidence and get the most out of every dive. Upon completion, you'll earn your SSI Wreck Diving Specialty certification. Become a wreck diver and experience new adventures - start your online training now!

With the SSI Deep Diving Specialty you'll learn everything you need to dive from 18 to 40 meters through a combination of academic sessions and open water dives. You'll learn how to plan and complete deep dives safely and how to use computers and gas consumption calculations to get the most out of your deep dives. Upon completion, you'll earn your SSI Deep Diving specialty certification and be able to explore deep dive sites wherever you go. This SSI specialty is a prerequisite for some of the advanced dive programs, making it the recommended next step in your dive training.

In this exciting program you will learn all the skills you need to safely and confidently conduct search and recovery dives. You will learn to use search patterns, specialized dive planning and specialty equipment such as lift balloons, lines and reels. By developing and practicing your search and communication techniques on a dive team, you will quickly become a diver capable of conducting search and recovery dives with confidence. Upon completion, you will earn the SSI Search & Recovery Specialty certification.

Night diving requires different skills than day diving. The Night Diving and Limited Visibility specialty is perfect for learning to dive at night and practicing the techniques necessary to become a safe and confident night diver. In this program you will learn all the skills and knowledge necessary to dive safely and comfortably at night or in limited visibility. Through a combination of online learning and open water training dives, you'll learn how to enter and exit the water, use specialized equipment and communicate with your buddy at night or in limited visibility. Upon completion, you'll earn SSI's Night Diving and Limited Visibility specialty certification and be prepared to dive at night or in limited visibility.

With SSI's Diver Stress & Rescue specialty program, you'll learn the skills necessary to protect yourself and your fellow divers. Not only will you learn how to identify stress and avoid accidents, but we'll also teach you practical techniques for conducting rescues and providing assistance in emergency situations. By combining practical sessions in the pool and in open water, this program prepares you perfectly and enables you to handle emergency and rescue situations with confidence. Upon completion, you'll earn SSI's Diver Stress and Rescue specialty certification.

The ocean is full of dive sites, but many of the best sites can only be visited by boat. If you want to discover amazing places, become an SSI Boat Diver, the perfect program to learn to dive safely and confidently from a boat. As a Boat Diver, you will have the opportunity to explore dive sites where you can enjoy schools of pelagics and marine megafauna that you won't find near shore, experience the thrill of liveaboard diving, enjoy a fantastic day away from the crowds and sail off into the sunset. With online training and open water dive sessions, SSI's Boat Diving program is the best way to learn. This specialty teaches you all the skills and techniques needed to dive safely and comfortably from a variety of vessels, including small boats and live-aboard cruisers. Get your SSI Boat Diving certification - start today!

The SSI Try Scuba program is the best way to dive for the first time. You will dive in confined water with an instructor, who will be by your side at all times so you can enjoy this unforgettable underwater experience and let the magic of scuba diving take you away. When you complete this short course, you'll earn your SSI Try Scuba recognition card and you'll no doubt be looking forward to diving again. There are plenty of diving experiences waiting for you out there and this program is just what you need to get started. Get started today!

It's normal for skills to get rusty and lose confidence when you haven't dived in a while. With SSI's Scuba Skills Update, you'll be back in the water and diving with ease in no time. This refresher program allows you to review and practice the skills you learned on your Open Water Diver with an SSI professional. It's also the perfect course if you're planning to go on vacation and would rather enjoy the marine life than spend time worrying about your skills. If you are a student who has not yet earned your Open Water Diver certification, the Scuba Skills Update is ideal for practicing your skills before your open water training dives. This course has no specific duration, so you can take as much time as you need and focus on the skills you want to practice.