Course overview

The SSI Diver Stress & Rescue course in Papua New Guinea trains you to anticipate, prevent and manage diving emergencies on the reefs of Kimbe Bay. Through realistic scenarios in sheltered island shallows and on the bay's biodiverse reefs, you learn to identify stress early, assist struggling divers and lead a confident response. The certification sharpens your awareness and self-reliance underwater.

What you’ll learn

• Identify and defuse diver stress before it becomes an emergency
• Perform self-rescue and assist tired or panicked divers
• Search for and recover an unresponsive diver
• Give in-water rescue breaths and tow a diver to safety
• Plan and coordinate a dive-emergency response
• Administer oxygen and first aid for diving injuries

Prerequisites

• Minimum age 12 (Junior) or 15 for the full rating
• SSI Advanced Adventurer or equivalent (typically with relevant specialties)
• Current first aid and CPR / SSI React Right 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
   Academics & first aid

   SSI Stress & Rescue digital theory and a review of CPR and first-aid response.
2. Day2
   Rescue skills

   Practise stress recognition, tows and panicked-diver handling in the calm shallows of Kimbe Bay.
3. Day3
   Scenarios & certification

   Run full rescue scenarios on a bay reef, including search and unresponsive-diver recovery, then certify.

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 Papua New Guinea.

Frequently asked questions