Course overview

Begin your dive-pro journey with the SSI Divemaster (Dive Guide) programme at Kovalam on Kerala's Arabian Sea coast. Guiding certified divers across the warm Kovalam reef and rehearsing in the school's training quarry, you develop the leadership, mapping and dive-management skills SSI requires. The rating lets you work as a certified dive guide at SSI centres worldwide.

What you’ll learn

• Guide and supervise certified divers in open water
• Plan dives, brief groups and assess local conditions
• Demonstrate scuba skills to a professional standard
• Map a dive site and manage group logistics
• Handle dive emergencies and risk management
• Complete the SSI dive-science and water-skills assessments

Prerequisites

• Minimum age 18
• SSI Advanced Adventurer or equivalent certification
• SSI Diver Stress & Rescue (or equivalent rescue rating)
• Current first aid and CPR provider rating
• Logged dives meeting SSI Divemaster requirements (typically 40+ to begin)
• 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
   Orientation and theory

   Programme overview through the SSI app, dive-science study and watermanship assessments.
2. Day2
   Skill demonstration

   Refine scuba skills to professional demonstration quality.
3. Day3
   Practical workshops

   Dive-site mapping, navigation and group-leadership scenarios on the Kovalam reef.
4. Day4
   Guiding internship

   Guide and assist on real dives in the training quarry and open water.
5. Day5
   Emergency management

   Rescue review and dive-emergency planning.
6. Day6
   Assessment and certification

   Complete evaluations and certify as an SSI Divemaster / Dive Guide.

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 Kovalam.

Frequently asked questions