Course overview

Step up from guiding to teaching with the SSI Open Water Instructor course in the Seychelles, training in the granite-island waters of the Indian Ocean off Mahe. Instructor candidates rehearse academic and in-water teaching in the protected Beau Vallon bay and run practice training dives on the surrounding boulder reefs before the SSI Instructor Evaluation. You complete the programme qualified to teach SSI courses and certify divers worldwide.

What you’ll learn

• Present SSI academic sessions and lead pool-style confined-water teaching
• Apply the SSI Total Teaching System and training standards
• Demonstrate and evaluate student skills to professional standard
• Plan and supervise open-water training dives on tropical reefs
• Manage student safety and diver risk in moderate Indian Ocean conditions
• Prepare for the independent SSI Instructor Evaluation

Prerequisites

• Minimum age 18
• SSI Dive Guide / Divemaster or equivalent leadership certification
• Current SSI Diver Stress and Rescue (or equivalent) and React Right first aid
• Certified for at least 6 months with the required logged dives
• Recommended 75-100 logged dives before evaluation
• 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 system orientation

   Introduction to the SSI Total Teaching System and your first academic teaching presentations.
2. Day2
   Confined-water teaching

   Practise leading and evaluating skills in the calm shallows off Beau Vallon.
3. Day3
   Open-water teaching

   Conduct supervised open-water teaching dives on Mahe's granite-boulder reefs.
4. Day4
   Standards & professionalism

   Cover SSI training standards, risk management and the business of diving.
5. Day5
   Theory & assessment

   Complete dive-theory and skills assessments to instructor level.
6. Day6
   Evaluation preparation

   Mock presentations and a full briefing for the independent 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 Seychelles.

Frequently asked questions