Assistant InstructorASSISTANT INSTRUCTOR (AI) COURSE

Would you like to assist instructors with open water diver courses and collect valuable teaching experience to become a diving instructor? Then qualifying as an SSI Assistant Instructor is the right program for you! Learn to teach new divers academics and confined water skills under the supervision of a scuba instructor.

The Assistant Instructor rating is the next step after becoming a Divemaster along the scuba instructor pathway. It allows you to collect valuable teaching experience, practice briefings, teach academics, and conduct in-water training. If you want to further your career as a dive professional, you can finish the Instructor Training Course, pass the Instructor Evaluation, and become an Open Water Diving Instructor.

The Assistant Instructor program consists of:

  • Online Study - You will study the ecofriendly digital training materials at home. Approximately 10 hours of reading, videos, and quizzes.
  • 4 days of in Instructor lead classroom & pool training. Typical schedule would include: Orientation and paperwork, lecture and active learning sessions in the pool.

An SSI Assistant Instructor is qualified to:

  • Present the academic portion of the Open Water Diver course under the indirect supervision of an Instructor. 
  • Evaluate the confined pool skills of the Open Water Diver course, with the exception of the emergency accent skills, under the indirect supervision of and Instructor.  
  • Conduct surface skill evaluations during the Open Water Diver course training dives. under the instructor’s indirect supervision.
  • Teach and certify students in: Try Scuba, Scuba Skills Update, all ecology courses, Altitude, Boat, Computer, Equipment, Navigation, Perfect Buoyancy, Photo & Video, Science of Diving, and Waves Tides and Currents, specialty courses. Additional training may be required to teach some of the listed specialties. 

Prerequisites:

  • Divemaster certification
  • 18 years old
  • 75 logged dives with 50 or more hours underwater.
  • First Aid & CPR and emergency oxygen training within the last 24 months (React Right course)
  • Diving Medical Statement dated and signed by a physician within the last 12 months

What you'll need

  • Total Diving System including mask, snorkel, fins, boots, wet suit, hood, gloves, BCD, regulator, alternate air source, dive computer, SPG, knife, compass, deployable surface marker buoy, tanks, whistle, and weights.
  • SSI Wetnotes.
  • Dive Briefing and Guiding Evaluation Slate.
  • Buddy Team Log Slate. 

SSI Registration Fee: $70.00

Course Fee: $1110.63 includes training materials and tax.

Dates for 2023

Jan 7 & 8 & 14 & 15

May 6 & 7 & 13 & 14

July 15 & 16 & 22 & 23

September 9 & 10 & 16 & 17