Course overview

The SSI Scuba Diver (Basic Diver) course at Sipadan is a stepping-stone certification for beginners who want more than a one-off try dive, taught on the calm reefs off Mabul Island. You learn core scuba skills and complete open-water training dives under instructor supervision, earning a recognised certification that lets you dive with a professional to shallow recreational depths. It is a great first qualification that can later be upgraded to full Open Water Diver.

What you’ll learn

• Assemble, use and care for basic scuba equipment
• Breathe and move comfortably underwater
• Clear your mask and recover your regulator
• Control buoyancy and equalise on descent
• Manage entries, exits and basic problems
• Follow safe-diving rules and communicate underwater

Prerequisites

• Minimum age 10
• No prior certification or diving experience required
• Reasonable comfort and basic swimming ability in the water
• Basic health questionnaire (medical clearance if any condition applies)

What's included · What's not

Probability of sightings · month-by-month

What you're likely to see each month, based on historic operator logs.

Day-by-day itinerary

1. Day1
   Theory and confined water

   Core knowledge sections and confined-water skills on the shallow Mabul house reef.
2. Day2
   Open-water dives and certification

   Open-water training dives on the Mabul reef applying your skills, finishing with certification.

Verified through iDive

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Frequently asked questions