Course overview

Build the skills to prevent and handle dive emergencies with the SSI Diver Stress & Rescue programme at Kovalam on Kerala's Arabian Sea coast. Through scenario practice on the warm Kovalam reef you learn to spot stress early, assist struggling divers and manage accidents calmly. It is a confidence-building step that also feeds the SSI professional pathway.

What you’ll learn

• Identify and manage diver stress before it becomes an emergency
• Perform self-rescue and assist a tired or panicked diver
• Surface and tow an unresponsive diver
• Run search patterns for a missing diver
• Deliver in-water rescue breaths and surface care
• Coordinate an emergency response with a dive team

Prerequisites

• Minimum age 12 (junior) or 15
• SSI Advanced Adventurer or equivalent (with specified prior dives)
• Current first aid and CPR provider rating (or completed alongside)
• 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
   Stress and rescue theory

   Work through the SSI digital materials on stress recognition and emergency planning.
2. Day2
   Rescue-skill circuits

   Practise self-rescue, tows and surfacing an unresponsive diver in the calm Arabian Sea off Kovalam.
3. Day3
   Scenario assessment

   Complete realistic rescue scenarios on the Kovalam reef and certify as Stress & Rescue.

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