Course overview

Cross the line from dive guide to dive educator with the SSI Open Water Instructor programme on the Perhentian Islands, Malaysia. Training in the sheltered, warm waters off Long Beach and Coral Bay gives candidates a calm, controlled setting to build their teaching presentations and master SSI's digital training system before the Instructor Evaluation. You graduate certified to teach SSI courses and certify your own students.

What you’ll learn

• Teach SSI academic, pool and open-water training sessions
• Apply the SSI Total Diving System and teaching standards
• Demonstrate and evaluate student diver skills to professional standard
• Manage risk and supervise training groups safely in island conditions
• Use the SSI digital platform to deliver and track student learning
• Prepare thoroughly for the SSI Instructor Evaluation

Prerequisites

• Minimum age 18
• SSI Dive Guide / Divemaster or a qualifying leadership rating from another recognised agency
• Certified diver for at least 6 months
• Logged dives meeting SSI professional requirements (typically 100 logged dives)
• Current first aid and CPR (React Right) certification
• 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
   Teaching foundations

   Orientation to the SSI Total Diving System and your first academic teaching presentations.
2. Day2
   Pool teaching workshops

   Practise demonstrating and teaching core skills in the calm shallows off Long Beach.
3. Day3
   Open-water teaching

   Deliver open-water teaching presentations and skill circuits on local reefs under evaluation.
4. Day4
   Standards and risk management

   Work through SSI standards, risk management and the business of dive education.
5. Day5
   Theory and skills assessment

   Sit dive-theory exams and complete the skills assessments to instructor standard.
6. Day6
   Evaluation preparation

   Mock evaluations, presentation polishing and a full briefing for the SSI Instructor Evaluation.

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 Perhentian.

Frequently asked questions