Course overview

Develop practical problem-solving skills with the SSI Search and Recovery specialty in Phuket, learning to locate and raise lost objects on the Andaman Sea's sheltered reefs. You practise search patterns, knot work and lift-bag use while sharpening your navigation and buoyancy. It is a rewarding, hands-on specialty recorded digitally in MySSI.

What you’ll learn

• Plan and execute underwater search patterns
• Search accurately using a compass
• Tie recovery knots underwater
• Rig and deploy a lift bag
• Work as a team during a recovery
• Raise objects to the surface safely

Prerequisites

• Minimum age 15
• SSI Advanced Adventurer or equivalent (navigation skills recommended)
• Diver medical clearance where required

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
   Search and recovery

   Academics plus training dives practising compass search patterns, knot work and lift-bag use on a sheltered reef, leading to certification.

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 Phuket.

Frequently asked questions