PROGRAMS FOR CERTIFIED DIVER
Continuing education is solely taught through SSI as Specialty Courses in combination with diving experience. Specialty programs are a great way to improve your current skills and learn new ones. When you complete a certain number of logged dives and Specialty programs you will automatically receive the recognition card: Specialty Diver, Advanced Open Water Diver and Master Diver – one of the most elite ratings in diving today.
We offer the following specialty programs:
​
​
Learn to glide through the ocean effortlessly, extend your dive time, reduce your air consumption and be completely in control with the Perfect Buoyancy Specialty. No matter your diving interest, having perfect buoyancy is the key to success. With this essential program, you’ll learn all you need to master your buoyancy and earn the Perfect Buoyancy Specialty certification.
​
Minimum age: 10 years
Requirements: Open Water Diver
​
Not dived for a while? After a longer break, the Scuba Skills Update program is very useful to regain your confidence and the feeling of security underwater. The SSI Scuba Skills Update offers you the opportunity to refresh the essential scuba skills you learned in your original Open Water Diver program.
​
Minimum age: 10 years
Requirements: Open Water Diver
Do you want to extend your dive time, shorten your surface intervals and explore the dive sites you love for longer? Join the SSI Enriched Air Nitrox Specialty program and become a nitrox diver. You’ll learn all you need to safely plan and dive with enriched air mixtures of up to 40% oxygen, plus earn your SSI Enriched Air Nitrox Specialty certification.
​
Minimum age: 10 years
Requirements: Open Water Diver
This program provides the knowledge and skills necessary to dive safely and comfortably under ice. You will learn the special requirements for diving in an overhead environment, the techniques and communication methods, and the proper use of special ice diving equipment. Upon completion of this program, you will receive SSI Ice Diving Specialty certification.
​
Minimum age: 18 years
Requirements: AOWD & about 100 logged dives
Are you ready to become a deep diver and explore deeper wrecks, coral-encrusted walls, reefs and more? Many exciting dive sites lie in deeper waters and the SSI Deep Diving Specialty will teach you how to get there – safely and with confidence. You’ll learn how to plan and conduct dives up to 40 meters deep and earn your SSI Deep Diving Specialty certification.
​
Minimum age: 15 years
Requirements: Open Water Diver
When you dive at an altitude of 300 to 3000 meters above sea level, you are doing an altitude dive, or Altitude Diving. Most algorithms are designed to plan dives up to 300 meters. During your Altitude Diving program you will learn everything necessary to plan and safely conduct dives at higher altitudes. Upon completion of this program, you will receive SSI Altitude Specialty certification.
Minimum age: 10 years
Requirements: Open Water Diver
Underwater navigation is a crucial dive skill, but it doesn’t need to be difficult. Become a better, more confident diver who always knows where they’re going, with the SSI Navigation Specialty. You’ll learn how to use a dive compass, natural navigation techniques and more. Upon completion, you’ll earn your SSI Navigation Speciality certification.
​
Minimum age: 10 years
Requirements: Open Water Diver
​
Diving doesn’t end when the sun goes down! Become a night diver and meet the incredible marine life that only comes out at night. Join the SSI Night Diving and Limited Visibility Specialty program and you’ll learn all you need to dive safely at night or in limited visibility. Upon completion, you’ll earn your SSI Night Diving and Limited Visibility Specialty certification.
​
Minimum age: 10 years
Requirements: Open Water Diver
​
This program provides the knowledge and skills necessary to safely plan and conduct search and recovery dives. You will learn about search patterns, specialized dive plans, underwater communications and how to recover small to medium sized objects using specialized equipment such as lift bags. You will receive SSI Search & Recovery Specialty certification upon completion of this program.
​
Minimum age: 12 years
Requiremnts: Open Water Diver
SSI's React Right Emergency program consists of the following basic components: Initial Assessment, Application of First Aid and CPR, Stabilization Techniques and includes two optional components: oxygen administration for diving emergencies and basic AED/defibrillator skills. Course participants receive the SSI React Right certification after completing this program.
Minimum age: 12 years
Requirements: none
Stress is one of the leading causes of diving accidents and has a negative impact on rescue situations. This program provides the knowledge and skills necessary to identify stress, prevent accidents and act appropriately in emergency situations. You will receive the SSI Diver Stress & Rescue Specialty certification upon completion of this program.
​
Minimum age: 12 years
Requirements:
- Open Water Diver
- Students must provide proof of current first aid and CPR training that is no more than two years old
This program provides the knowledge and skills necessary to dive safely and comfortably with a drysuit. You will learn all about the special requirements of diving with a drysuit and the proper use of your new equipment. You will also learn a lot about the benefits of a dry suit and the correct behavior in emergency situations, which is different in Dry Suit Diving. You will receive SSI Dry Suit Diving Specialty certification upon completion of this program.
​
Minimum age: 10 years
Requirements: Open Water Diver & own drysuit
Expand your dive knowledge and gain a better understanding of your equipment, physics, the aquatic environment and more with the SSI Science of Diving Specialty. After completing this dive science program, you’ll be halfway to earning the coveted SSI Divemaster rating.
​
Minimum age: 10 years
Requirements: Open Water Diver
You can also achieve the following recognition levels with SSI.
ADVANCED ADVENTURER
If you're not sure how you want to proceed, this is the perfect way to improve your diving skills and experience and find out what specialty programs might interest you. In addition to getting a first look at deep diving and navigation, you can choose three other Specialties of your choice. You will do one specialty dive per specialty to get a better insight. Upon completion of this program you will receive the SSI Advanced Adventurer certification.
Afterwards you can complete all or only some selected specialties by doing another dive and the remaining theory to complete a specialty. This will bring you closer to your personal goal, for example the Advanced Open Water Diver or even the Master Diver, without having to do parts of the training twice.
Feel free to choose your favorite specialties and enter the world of advanced diving after completing the Open Water Diver course!
Minimum age: 12 years
Requirements: Open Water Diver
SPECIALTY DIVER
The SSI Specialty Diver is the first step to becoming an SSI Master Diver and can start right after you have completed your Open Water Diver training. After completing any two SSI Specialty programs of your choice and a minimum of 12 logged dives, you will automatically receive the SSI Specialty Diver recognition level along with your SSI Specialty program certifications.
You can also receive credit from other associations, but at least one of the specialties must be from SSI.
Minimum age: 12 years or older (depending on the chosen specialty program)
Requirements: Open Water Diver
ADVANCED OPEN WATER DIVER
With the SSI AOWD Card you will be classified as an experienced and advanced diver at all dive centers in the world!
The Advanced Open Water Diver is the next level of recognition on the way to the SSI Master Diver. After completing any four SSI Specialty programs of your choice and at least 24 logged dives, you will automatically receive the SSI Advanced Open Water certification along with your SSI Specialty program certifications.
You also have the option to achieve this certification level all at once on an AOWD Combo Course!
​
You can also receive credit from other associations, but at least two of the specialties must be from SSI.
​
Minimum age: 12 years or older (depending on the chosen specialty program)
Requirements: Open Water Diver
MASTER DIVER
The highly coveted SSI Master Diver is the highest recognition in your recreational diving career.
After completing any four SSI Specialty programs of your choice & the Diver Stress and Rescue Specialty program and at least 50 logged dives, you will automatically receive, along with your SSI Specialty program certifications, the SSI Master Diver recognition level.
Credit may be earned from other certifications, but at least two of the Specialties and the Diver Stress and Rescue Specialty must be from SSI.
Minimum age: 12 years or older (depending on the chosen specialty program)
Requirements: Open Water Diver