Course overview

The SSI Open Water Diver course on the Perhentian Islands earns you a globally recognised certification to dive to 18 metres, learned through SSI's flexible digital system in some of South East Asia's best-value waters. With theory, confined-water sessions and four open-water dives in the warm, calm bays off Long Beach and Coral Bay, you become a fully independent certified diver.

What you’ll learn

• Assemble, use and care for scuba equipment
• Perform all core skills including mask and regulator clearing
• Establish and control neutral buoyancy
• Plan dives and manage your air supply
• Respond to common problems and assist a buddy
• Dive with a buddy to 18 metres

Prerequisites

• Minimum age 10 (Junior) or 15
• Able to swim and be comfortable in water
• No prior diving experience required
• Complete a brief medical questionnaire before diving

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
   Digital theory and confined water

   Work through the SSI digital sections and the first confined-water skills in calm shallows off Long Beach.
2. Day2
   Open-water dives 1 and 2

   Your first two open-water training dives on a sheltered local reef.
3. Day3
   Open-water dives 3 and 4

   Two final dives to 18 metres on Perhentian reefs, then certification as an SSI Open Water Diver.

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