Instructor Internship

Whether you completed your SSI Instructor course on Koh Tao, or whether you did it elsewhere, it’s a good idea to get some teaching practice under the guidance of an experienced professional on our Instructor Internship to build up your confidence and your certification count, before heading out to teach on your own.

Students on our SSI Instructor Internship work alongside their instructor mentor and are thoroughly involved in all course briefings and debriefings. At first, you will simply observe. This is a great opportunity to pick up pointers for your own briefings and to start putting together your own lesson plans. You’ll assist in evaluating student skills in both confined and open water, plus you’ll start to teach sections of the course. We’ll build up your teaching role in a logical and organic way, starting with a few skills in shallow water, leading some dives, and teaching some academics. Over time, your confidence and abilities will grow and you’ll be teaching solo before you know it!

During the Instructor Internship, you’ll earn approximately 20 student certifications in total, including:

• 3 full SSI Open Water Diver Courses
• 2 SSI Advanced Adventurer Courses
• 1 SSI Diver Stress and Rescue Course
• 1 SSI Basic Diver Course
• Any SSI Specialty Courses that are available and you’re qualified to teach

In order to sign up for our Instructor Internship, you must be a certified SSI Open Water Instructor, have your own set of dive gear, have personal and professional liability insurance for diving, have had CPR training within the last two years, have valid O2 provider certification, and must be able to pass a medical exam for scuba diving.

The schedule for the Instructor Internship usually looks like this.

Week 1

You’ll spend the first week passively assisting and observing your Instructor Mentor on the Open Water and Advanced Adventurer courses.

Week 2

Beginning in the second week, you will be given areas of control to focus on. It can either be skills in confined water, classroom academics, or even the open water, depending on the areas your Instructor feels you are most strong.

Week 3

Starting in the third week, you will become much more actively involved in teaching students on the Open Water and Advanced Adventurer Courses. You will also start taking on other courses like the Basic Diver and Rescue Diver Courses.

Week 4

During the final week of your Instructor Internship, you’re basically in charge! Your Instructor Mentor will sit back and become your assistant while you take control and teach the whole course on your own.

Don’t forget! Because of the extra nitrogen your body builds up while scuba diving, you cannot fly within 24hrs of your last dive.

Are you fit to dive?

Scuba diving is an activity that requires a certain level of physical health. Read this medical questionnaire. If you can answer yes to any of the questions you may require medical clearance to enrol in a diving course. Contact us for more information.