Course overview

Step up from guiding to teaching with the SSI Open Water Instructor programme in Trincomalee, on Sri Lanka's calm east coast. Working from the sheltered bays around Nilaveli and the reefs of Pigeon Island Marine Park, candidates complete the SSI Instructor Training Course and rehearse academic, pool and open-water teaching before the Instructor Evaluation. You finish authorised to teach and certify SSI divers worldwide.

What you’ll learn

• Present SSI academic, confined-water and open-water teaching sessions
• Teach using the SSI digital training system and DiveSSI app
• Demonstrate and evaluate student skills to SSI performance standards
• Manage student safety and dive-site logistics
• Brief and debrief students clearly and professionally
• 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 meeting SSI Instructor Training prerequisites (commonly 75-100)
• Valid first-aid / CPR provider rating
• 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 the SSI training system and your first academic teaching presentations.
2. Day2
   Confined-water workshops

   Practise demonstrating and teaching core skills in the calm shallows off Nilaveli.
3. Day3
   Open-water teaching

   Deliver open-water teaching sessions over the reefs near Pigeon Island under evaluation.
4. Day4
   Standards & risk management

   Cover SSI standards, dive-business and risk-management modules.
5. Day5
   Theory & assessments

   Sit dive-theory exams and complete rescue and skill assessments.
6. Day6
   Evaluation preparation

   Mock teaches and a full 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 Trincomalee.

Frequently asked questions