SSI (Scuba Schools International) offers a range of scuba diving courses, including the SSI Basic Diver and the SSI Open Water Diver, to help you get scuba certified on Koh Tao but what is the difference between them and how long does each course take?
SSI Basic Diver Course: 1 day
The SSI Basic Diver course is an introductory program designed for beginners who want to experience scuba diving but may not have the time or commitment to complete a full certification course. It provides a basic understanding of scuba diving principles, equipment, and techniques, involving a short classroom session, pool or confined water training, and one or two open water dives.
Here’s what the course will look like.
08.30-11:30 You’ll meet your instructor and the rest of your group at our dive center, fill out paperwork and talk about the skills you’ll be required to perform in the pool plus a brief explanation of just how to dive safely whilst maximizing fun! We then go in the pool to show us that you’re comfortable using the equipment in very shallow water (2m approx..), this takes 45 minutes usually…sometimes longer if you’re having trouble.
11.30-12:30 Free time for you to grab a healthy lunch and stay hydrated.
12:45-15:00 You’ll head out on the afternoon boat heading to two shallow dive sites around Koh Tao. The first dive will be in a nice and shallow bay, we will take you for a dive around the site so you can see all the beautiful fish and corals. Typically each dive is around 30-40 minutes, depending how fast you’re breathing of course. As we did the practice in the pool earlier we have more time actually diving than the dive centres who practice in the ocean on the first dive site – much better this way!
15:00-16:00 You’ll have an hour on the boat for your surface interval when you’ll talk with your instructor about how the first dive went and whether you’d like to continue on to do a second dive. This will also be when you get to snack on cookies and fruit and grab a cup of coffee or tea.
16:00 Time to enter the water for the second dive, if you choose to do it. Once again, this second dive will be a fun dive to explore the reef with no need to practice any skills with the equipment.
17:00-18:00 Back on the boat and back to shore to log your first underwater experience with your instructor!
Upon completion, participants receive a recognition card, but it is important to note that the Basic Diver certification has limitations and is not a full scuba diving certification. To get scuba certified on Koh Tao you need to do the …
SSI Open Water Diver: 2- 3 days.
The SSI Open Water Diver course is a comprehensive scuba diving certification course and is the most popular entry-level certification program worldwide. It provides in-depth knowledge and skills necessary for safe and independent recreational scuba diving. The Open Water Diver course consists of a combination of academic study, confined water training (typically in a pool), and open water dives. It covers topics such as dive planning, equipment use, dive physics and physiology, underwater communication, and dive safety.
Here’s what the course will look like-
Day 1: 8:45 – 11am – This is when you’ll meet your instructor and your fellow students, and you’ll spend the morning at our al fresco classroom on the beach, chatting through what your course will comprise of over the next few days, having a look at the equipment we will be using, and learning the fundamental concepts behind scuba diving.
12:00-17:30 – The afternoon will be spent in the swimming pool where you will do your confined water session to learn and practice basic scuba skills. This is the moment when most people doing this course will put a regulator in their mouth for the first time! Your instructor will demonstrate skills for you and you will need to repeat the skills back to them. We will start the session in water deep enough to stand up in so if there is any problems or the student needs to ask a question all they have to do is stand up. As the afternoon progresses and the student gains their confidence we will reach a maximum depth in the pool of no more than 3 meters.
Day 2: 9:30- 11:30 – On the morning of day 2, you’ll again meet up with your group in our classroom/ restaurant. You have a bit more academics to do this morning with your instructor before you sit your final exam. But don’t worry this is a multiple choice exam designed to remind you of what’s important. It’s a straight forward exam with a pass mark of 80%, so no need to stress over last-minute studying and cramming!
12:30-17:30 – The afternoon of day 2 will be the most exciting part of the course. This is when you’ll head out on one of our large dive boats and do your first dives in the open ocean. We’ll take you to two shallow and sandy dive sites around the island so that you can easily and safely practice the skills you learned in the pool the day before. The maximum depth for these first two dives is 12 meters (36 feet).
Day 3: 6:30- 12pm – This is it! The final 2 dives of your Open Water Diver certification. This time you’ll head out to sites that have a bit more excitement. You’ll complete any skills you haven’t demonstrated to your instructor in open water, or redo any skills that needed some practice. The maximum depth for these two dives is a full 18 meters/60 feet. After the dives, it’s back to land to log your dives and officially become certified as Open Water Divers!
Upon successful completion of the course, participants earn a globally recognized scuba diving certification card, which allows them to dive independently with a buddy to a maximum recommended depth of 18 meters.
In summary, the SSI Basic Diver course is a brief introduction to scuba diving, which takes 1 day, while the SSI Open Water Diver course is a comprehensive certification program that enables individuals to get scuba certified on Koh Tao to certain depth limits and takes 2 and a half days to complete.
