Course overview

Cross from leading dives to teaching them with the SSI Open Water Instructor programme based at Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. You build and rehearse academic, pool and open-water teaching presentations in the cool, current-rich Galapagos waters where you will go on to certify divers, then complete the SSI Instructor Training and evaluation. You qualify to teach SSI programmes worldwide.

What you’ll learn

• Deliver academic, confined-water and open-water teaching presentations the SSI way
• Apply SSI standards and the digital SSI training system
• Demonstrate and evaluate student skills to instructor standard
• Manage risk and group control in current-prone Galapagos conditions
• Plan and brief training dives for sites with drift and cool water
• Prepare for the SSI Instructor Evaluation

Prerequisites

• Minimum age 18
• SSI Dive Guide / Divemaster or equivalent leadership rating
• Certified diver for at least 6 months
• Logged dives per SSI requirements (typically 100 by evaluation)
• Current first-aid and CPR (React Right) and oxygen-provider training
• Diver medical clearance signed by a physician

What's included · What's not

Not included? Sort the rest of your trip

Flights and accommodation aren’t part of the course price, here’s how to book them around your dates.

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 SSI standards and the digital training system, plus your first academic presentations in Puerto Ayora.
2. Day2
   Pool teaching workshops

   Rehearse skill demonstrations and confined-water teaching before open water.
3. Day3
   Open-water teaching

   Run open-water teaching circuits at calmer sites like North Seymour and Santa Fe under evaluation.
4. Day4
   Standards & safety

   Cover SSI standards, risk management and professional duties, including how to brief students for Galapagos currents.
5. Day5
   Theory & assessment

   Complete dive-theory exams and skill-demonstration assessments.
6. Day6
   Instructor Evaluation prep

   Mock presentations and final readiness checks 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 Galapagos.

Frequently asked questions