Course overview

Build the skills to prevent and handle dive emergencies with the SSI Diver Stress & Rescue course on Thailand's Phi Phi Islands, certifying you as a calmer, more self-reliant diver. In the sheltered Phi Phi bays you learn to spot stress early, then rehearse tows, assists and unresponsive-diver recoveries in warm, forgiving water before running full scenarios on the reefs. It is a confidence-building step toward the leadership ladder.

What you’ll learn

• Identify and defuse diver stress before it becomes an emergency
• Carry out self-rescue and manage personal air and buoyancy
• Assist and tow tired or panicked divers safely
• Search for, surface and tow an unresponsive diver
• Deliver in-water rescue breaths and coordinate an exit
• Plan and lead an emergency response with a buddy team

Prerequisites

• Minimum age 12 (Junior) or 15 for the full rating
• SSI Advanced Adventurer / Adventure Diver with navigation, or equivalent certification from another agency
• Current SSI React Right or equivalent first-aid and CPR provider rating (can be combined)
• 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
   Theory & emergency care

   Work through the digital knowledge development and complete or confirm your CPR / first-aid training.
2. Day2
   Rescue skills

   Practise stress recognition, self-rescue, tows and assists in the calm island shallows.
3. Day3
   Scenarios

   Run missing- and unresponsive-diver scenarios on Phi Phi's reef sites.
4. Day4
   Assessment & certification

   Demonstrate full scenarios and complete assessments to 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 Phi Phi.

Frequently asked questions