SSI Recreational Programs
Recreational Diving
From your first certification to advanced specialties — expand your diving skills with SSI's complete recreational program.
Core Certifications
Build Your Diving Foundation
Open Water Diver
The world's most popular scuba certification. Complete knowledge development, confined water training, and four open water dives to earn your lifetime SSI Open Water Diver certification and dive to 18 meters.
- Maximum depth: 18 m (60 ft)
- Duration: 5 full days
- Minimum age: 15 years
- 4 open water dives included
SSI Course Catalog
Find Your Next Certification
Specialty Courses
Perfect Buoyancy
Master neutral buoyancy, trim, and air consumption — the most valued skills in diving. Glide effortlessly through the water, protect the reef, and use less air on every dive.
Inquire NowComputer Diving
Learn to use a dive computer safely and effectively. Understand decompression algorithms, dive planning, and how to maximize your bottom time while staying within safe limits.
Inquire NowEnriched Air Nitrox
Dive with enriched air nitrox mixtures to extend your bottom time and shorten surface intervals. Learn oxygen analysis, gas selection, and nitrox dive planning.
Inquire NowEquipment Techniques
Understand, maintain, and troubleshoot your scuba equipment. Learn how each component works, how to set up your kit, and how to care for it between dives.
Inquire NowScience of Diving
Dive deep into the physics, physiology, and marine environment that underpin every dive. An ideal course for divers who want to understand the why behind every skill.
Inquire NowPhoto and Video
Capture the underwater world with confidence. Learn composition, lighting, and camera technique for both still photography and video with any camera system.
Inquire NowBoat Diving
Learn the protocols, etiquette, and skills needed to dive safely and confidently from any type of vessel — from small inflatables to large liveaboards.
Inquire NowDeep Diving
Explore the ocean beyond recreational limits to 40 meters. Learn deep dive planning, gas management, depth-related hazards, and the effects of nitrogen narcosis.
Inquire NowSSI Diver Stress & Rescue
Identify and manage stress in yourself and other divers. Develop the skills to recognize and respond effectively to diving emergencies — making you a safer, more capable dive buddy.
Inquire NowNavigation
Use a compass and natural references to navigate underwater with precision and confidence. Return to your entry point, locate dive sites, and lead your buddy group.
Inquire NowNight & Limited Visibility Diving
Experience the underwater world transformed after dark. Learn torch management, buddy communication, and the techniques needed to dive safely in low-visibility conditions.
Inquire NowWreck Diving
Safely explore sunken ships, aircraft, and artificial reefs. Learn wreck-specific buoyancy, penetration protocols, and how to interact with these unique ecosystems.
Inquire NowAdvanced Wreck Diving
Go deeper into wreck penetration with mapping, guideline techniques, and advanced navigation inside complex, multi-level structures. Prerequisite: SSI Wreck Diving.
Inquire NowDry Suit Diving
Dive comfortably in cold water with maximum thermal protection. Learn dry suit buoyancy, inflation and deflation control, and layering systems for year-round diving.
Inquire NowFull Face Mask
Dive with a full face mask for enhanced comfort, cold-water protection, and underwater communication capability. Learn setup, clearing, and emergency procedures.
Inquire NowSearch and Recovery
Use systematic search patterns and lift bags to locate and recover objects from the ocean floor. Essential skills for dive professionals and passionate recreational divers.
Inquire NowOcean & Environment
Coral Identification
Learn to identify the coral species that form the foundation of reef ecosystems. Understand their biology, distribution, and the threats they face from climate and human activity.
Inquire NowMarine Ecology
Study marine ecosystems, food chains, and the complex interactions between ocean organisms and their environment. Become a more informed and responsible diver.
Inquire NowBlue Ocean Explorer
Become an active advocate for ocean health. Explore conservation challenges, sustainable diving practices, and how the diving community can make a positive global impact.
Inquire NowEntry Level
Scuba Explorer
Your first supervised scuba experience in confined water. Breathe underwater for the first time, try essential equipment, and discover whether scuba diving is the right path for you.
Inquire NowSnorkel Explorer
Discover the ocean's surface world with SSI's beginner snorkeling program. No scuba certification required — perfect for any age and any swimming ability.
Inquire NowAdaptive Diving
CLASSIFIED DIVING Buddy
Learn to support and assist divers with physical disabilities in the water. Develop adaptive diving communication, assistance techniques, and an inclusive diving mindset.
Inquire NowClassified Diving
The SSI Classified Diver program opens the underwater world to people with physical disabilities. Specialized training in a safe, supportive, and fully adapted environment.
Inquire Now
Advanced Open Water Diver
Expand your diving horizons with the SSI Advanced Open Water Diver course. Complete five adventure dives — including deep diving and navigation — to earn your advanced certification and dive to 30 meters worldwide.
- Maximum depth: 30 m (100 ft)
- Duration: 2–3 days
- SSI Open Water Diver or equivalent
- 5 adventure dives included
Refresh & Rebuild Confidence
Scuba Skills Update
Regain your confidence in the water
The SSI Scuba Skills Update is designed for certified divers who have not been in the water for an extended period. In a structured pool or confined water session, you will refresh all the essential skills you need — buoyancy control, equipment handling, clearing your regulator and mask, and emergency ascent procedures. You will leave feeling fully prepared and confident before your next open water dive adventure.
- For: All certified divers
- Setting: Pool / confined water
- Duration: approx. 2–3 hours
- Prerequisites: Any scuba certification
Our Certifying Agencies
Ready to Enroll?
Contact our team to register for any SSI recreational course and schedule your first session.
