SSI Dive Guide – This is SSI´s Initial Dive Leadership Level

From the time man had the urge to explore the underwater world, the pleasures were denied to the vast majority until scuba equipment was developed in its present form. Now that diving is accessible to anyone, there is a demand for people who have a passion for diving and want to share the experience with others.

For SSI, that all starts with becoming a person who can lead dives – the Dive Guide (DG). The SSI Dive Guide mission is to inspire and influence others to grow in their diving experiences and increase your own knowledge, skills and experience by thinking, planning and leading dives.

Since 1978, SSI has been a leader in professional education and the SSI Dive Guide program is a simple way to get divers who want to be more involved without making the full commitment and taking the responsibility of becoming an SSI Instructor. The Dive Guide program is the first step and blueprint for becoming a professional dive leader. The Dive Guide program is a new approach with more practical application, more background information and more flexibility. This program forms the entry point into the SSI Leadership Levels and is still true to the original concept – a program only focusing what an SSI Dive Guide needs to know.

The following academic- und practical application topics have been integrated into the Dive Guide (DG) program: Leader Stress & Rescue, Group-Mangement, Leading Dives, The Working Dive Guide an Career Options. In addition candidates can also qualify for the Snorkel Instructor rating in an optional module. The SSI Dive Guide training makes you a well-prepared, versatile and marketable dive professional especially to Dive Resorts worldwide.

As a certified SSI Dive Guide (DG) you can:

• Work on Dive Boats, in Dive Centers and Dive Resorts.
• Take up to 6 certified divers diving
• Lead trips and tours for certified divers

The goal of SSI is to prepare you for successful career in the diving industry with a few simple steps. The program approach is modular in design to fit most anyone’s desire. With this program you have two choices, remain an Dive Guide and make a career out of being a professional Dive Guide, or upgrade your status to a Divemaster (DM) by taking the Science of Diving Specialty.

Science of Diving is a non-diving specialty that incorporates in-depth information on physics, physiology, decompression theory, equipment and aquatic environment. By being a Dive Guide and completing the Science of Diving Specialty Course, which you can take any time before, after or in conjunction ith the Dive Guide program, you automatically qualify for the Divemaster (DM) rating. This is a prerequisit to enroll the SSI Dive Control Specialist program, should an SSI Divemaster(DM) decide to proceed to the next level.

As a certified SSI Divemaster (DM) you also can:

• Assist active SSI Instructors in academics, pool and open water training under direct supervision

Devoted divers who are motivated to pass along their love of recreational scuba diving to others will find the SSI Dive Guide program a rewarding experience that will add a new dimension to the sport. Much as the SSI Open Water Diver course opened the door to diving, the SSI Dive Guide or Divemaster program will open the door to leadership, which allows the SSI Dive Guide to enjoy diving on an entirely different level and to earn the respect of other divers.