Course overview

The SSI Instructor Training Course on Koh Tao takes you from dive guide to dive educator, on one of the world's busiest certification hubs. Working in the warm, forgiving 28-30C Gulf of Thailand, candidates master SSI's modular teaching system and rehearse open-water presentations at sites like White Rock and Chumphon Pinnacle before the SSI Instructor Evaluation. You finish ready to teach SSI programs of your own.

What you’ll learn

• Teach SSI academic, pool and open-water sessions using digital learning tools
• Apply the SSI training standards and total-diver-education philosophy
• Demonstrate and evaluate all core scuba skills to instructor level
• Manage student risk and conduct sessions to professional standards
• Brief, supervise and assess student divers effectively
• Prepare for the SSI Instructor Evaluation

Prerequisites

• Minimum age 18
• SSI Dive Guide / Divemaster or equivalent leadership rating from another recognised agency
• Certified diver for at least 6 months
• Logged dive minimums per SSI standards (typically 100 dives by Evaluation)
• Current CPR, first-aid 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
   ITC orientation

   An introduction to SSI standards, the digital teaching system and your first academic presentations.
2. Day2
   Pool teaching workshops

   Demonstrate and teach core skills in Koh Tao's calm confined-water training bays.
3. Day3
   Open-water teaching

   Lead open-water teaching scenarios at sheltered sites such as Mango Bay and Japanese Gardens.
4. Day4
   Standards & risk management

   Cover SSI standards, dive-business topics and risk management.
5. Day5
   Theory & rescue assessment

   Complete dive-theory exams and the rescue scenario assessment.
6. Day6
   Evaluation preparation

   Final workshops and a briefing 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 Koh Tao.

Frequently asked questions