Scuba Schools International

Scuba Schools International ( SSI), is a worldwide hospitality and certifying commercial training organization for divers. SSI heard since January 1, 2014 as an independent brand to Head Group. SSI developed teaching concepts and standards, as well as the teaching material for divers of all levels of education. This industrial working association was just founded as the currently world's largest association of its kind, PADI in the USA. SSI sees himself as the world's number two of the diving organizations, according to PADI.

In December 2013 Head announced that SSI was acquired. At the same time it was announced that SSI and also belonging to the Group Head Mares Diving Equipment manufacturers will in future appear together on the market.

Scuba Schools International was founded in 1970 and pursued a policy of expansion through the franchise system, a similar concept. The distribution of its training materials via so-called Dive Center, namely diving centers, schools, and shops. SSI is represented with its more than 2,600 authorized dealers in 110 countries worldwide coverage. SSI is a founding member of the World Recreational Scuba Training Council ( WRSTC ) or the United States RSTC and offers training since 2012 according to ISO 24801 and 24802. All SSI diving certificates are recognized worldwide and SSI principle recognizes the diving licenses ( brevets ) other associations and thus enables the continuation of the training (eg as an instructor ) under its guidelines.

The main difference to other diver training organizations is that SSI Instructors may teach only in SSI Dive Centers or from a shared SSI diving club or similar. This is to ensure compliance with the standards and quality education. For the instructor, this certainly has its advantages. These range from short and non-bureaucratic ways ( each Dive Center has a monitor that acts as a direct point of contact ) is to lower costs, as the professional liability insurance through the insurance of the dive center (only within Germany ) covered.

Training system

SSI offers the following diving courses and certifications:

Preparation for independent diving

Holders of these stages may dive only when accompanied by a certified Dive Leaders.

Independent Diving

Holders of these steps may appear without an instructor. Independent diving did not signify that the principle " Never dive alone " (see Buddy System) is repealed.

From the Master Diver the experience of the diver is recognized by the experience levels. This experience levels indicate the number of completed dives again and do not require additional training.

Open Water Diver

The basic course in which the basics of diving be explained by scuba cylinders to Open Water Diver (Autonomous Diver according to ISO 24801-2 ) is called. The training consists of a theoretical part ( 16 to 32 hours) and a practical part (pool training and at least 4 open water dives ).

There are - as with all other SSI courses - mainly 2 variants:

  • The home study system, ie, the student receives his teaching materials to take home and preparing for every hour. Thus, the lectures of the instructor can be kept short and it is used a lot more time for practice
  • The classic presentation system.

Advanced Adventurer

The SSI Advanced Adventurer Certification Fee - can be achieved by a course in the 5 specialty courses are completed, each with a dive.

This level of certification is often skipped in the SSI system, as it only requires a prerequisite for advanced courses.

SSI itself classifies this training as equivalent to PADI Advanced Open Water Diver training at; other sources, they look more equivalent to PADI Adventure Diver training.

Specialty Diver

To become certified as a Specialty Diver, at least two specialty courses must be completed and be additionally carried out at least 12 dives and entered in the logbook.

The following specialty courses are offered at the time of SSI:

  • Equipment ( Equipment Techniques )
  • Navigation (navigation)
  • Night dive ( Night and limited visibility)
  • Ice Diving (Ice Diving)
  • Drysuit (Dry suit diving )
  • Deep Diver (Deep Diving)
  • Boat diving ( Diving Boat )
  • Underwater Photography ( Underwater Photography )
  • Digital Underwater Photography
  • Wreck ( Wreck Diving)
  • Diving with breathing gas mixtures ( Enriched Air Nitrox)
  • Stress and Rescue Dive ( Diver Stress & Rescue)
  • Search and Recovery (Search and Recovery )
  • Shark Diver
  • Peak Performance Buoyancy ( Perfect Buoyancy )
  • Diving computer (Computer Diving)
  • Flow and tidal (Wave, Tides & Currents )
  • Science of Diving

SSI bases can also be additional specialty courses offer (eg lake or rebreather courses, etc. ); these are recognized as so-called Unique Specialties of SSI and therefore apply also to the further stages of certification in the SSI system.

Each specialty course consists of a theoretical part and a practical part ( at least 2 dives in the majority of Specialties in Stress & Rescue and scuba diving but at least 3 dives). If a diver and certified as an Advanced Adventurer and he has already made a dive for it in the desired specialty, it can - at the discretion of the instructor - are credited to the Specialty Course.

When combining two or more specialty courses dives can be combined as follows:

However, not all specialty courses with other combinable (eg, scuba diving ).

Advanced Open Water Diver

To become certified as SSI Advanced Open Water Diver, at least 4 specialty courses must be completed and at least 24 dives conducted and entered in the logbook. SSI itself classifies its AOWD one higher than the same training from PADI. In contrast, however, see many other providers AOWD Beverierungen of SSI and PADI as equivalent, especially as the PADI course has more training content.

Unlike other training organizations AOWD is no course at SSI, but only an experience level.

Master Diver

To become certified as a Master Diver, at least 4 specialty courses and Stress & Rescue Course must be completed and additionally carried out at least 50 logged dives and be entered in the logbook. The Master Diver is the highest Brevetierungsstufe the SSI scuba diver. After a further training in professional settings possible (training to become an instructor ), or, alternatively, a specialization for Techdiver.

Experience level for divers

These further steps are experience level.

  • Century Diver → 100 logged dives
  • Gold 500 Diver → 500 logged dives
  • Platinum 1000 Diver → 1000 logged dives
  • Platinum 5000 Diver → 5000 logged dives

Instructor

SSI is a dive guide, assistants and instructors in the following steps:

The other stages are experience level:

  • Century → Instructor at least 100 experience points
  • Gold 500 Instructor → at least 500 experience points
  • Platinum 1000 Instructor → at least 1,000 experience points
  • Platinum 5000 Instructor → at least 5,000 experience points
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