Course overview

Earn your first SSI professional rating with the SSI Divemaster programme in Bohol Panglao, qualifying you to guide certified divers and support instructors. Based at Alona Beach with internship dives at Balicasag, Pamilacan and the Doljo and Napaling reefs, you gain genuine leadership experience on the Philippines' walls and coral gardens in warm 27-29C water.

What you’ll learn

• Guide certified divers and run thorough dive-site briefings
• Demonstrate core scuba skills to professional standard
• Assist SSI instructors with students in confined and open water
• Plan dive logistics, navigation and group management
• Handle in-water problems and lead rescue responses
• Apply the SSI dive-theory components to real dive planning

Prerequisites

• Minimum age 18
• SSI Advanced Adventurer or equivalent certification
• SSI Diver Stress and Rescue (or equivalent rescue training)
• SSI Science of Diving certification
• Recommended 40+ logged dives entering the programme
• Diver medical clearance signed by a physician

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
   Dive Guide foundations

   Start with the SSI Dive Guide rating, theory study and a baseline skills review.
2. Day2
   Water skills and stamina

   Complete swim, float and watermanship evaluations to SSI standard.
3. Day3
   Demonstration skills

   Refine core scuba skills to demonstration quality on Panglao's reefs.
4. Day4
   Leadership workshops

   Practise briefings, navigation, mapping and dive-group management.
5. Day5
   Rescue and problem management

   Run in-water rescue scenarios and review duty-of-care responsibilities.
6. Day6
   Internship

   Guide certified divers and assist on courses at Balicasag and Pamilacan under supervision.

Verified through iDive

Every partner school in the iDive network is vetted on safety, instructor credentials, equipment standards and student feedback. Talk to a iDive dive pro on WhatsApp for current availability and reviews specific to Bohol Panglao.

Frequently asked questions