Course overview

Build the skills to prevent and manage dive emergencies with the SSI Diver Stress & Rescue course in the Galapagos, run from Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. In cool, current-driven water you learn stress recognition, tows and unresponsive-diver rescues at sites such as North Seymour and Mosquera, the exact conditions where the training counts. You finish certified and noticeably more capable in the water.

What you’ll learn

• Spot and defuse diver stress before it escalates
• Perform self-rescue and assist a panicked diver in current
• Tow a tired diver and surface an unresponsive diver
• Deliver in-water rescue breaths and manage the exit
• Run a search for a missing diver and coordinate response
• Apply accident-management planning from boat and shore

Prerequisites

• Minimum age 12 (Junior)
• SSI Advanced Adventurer or equivalent with at least the navigation specialty
• Current React Right (CPR and first aid) certification
• 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
   Stress & prevention

   Academics plus stress-recognition and self-rescue skills in calm water near Puerto Ayora.
2. Day2
   Rescue skills

   Practise tows, surfacing an unresponsive diver and rescue breaths at sheltered local sites.
3. Day3
   Scenario assessment

   Complete full rescue scenarios at sites like North Seymour, where moderate current tests your response.

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