Course overview

Move up from guiding to teaching with the SSI Open Water Instructor programme in Djibouti, set on the calm Gulf of Tadjoura where the Red Sea opens toward the Indian Ocean. The region's quiet reef bays and uncrowded sites give candidates a steady base to build teaching presentations and learn the SSI system before the Instructor Evaluation. You finish the programme qualified to teach and certify divers as an SSI professional.

What you’ll learn

• Deliver academic, pool and open-water teaching presentations the SSI way
• Apply the SSI Total Teaching System and current training standards
• Demonstrate, assess and refine student diving skills to instructor level
• Manage risk and run training to dive-centre standards
• Brief, supervise and debrief students with confidence
• Prepare fully for the SSI Instructor Evaluation

Prerequisites

• Minimum age 18
• SSI Divemaster or Dive Guide, or equivalent leadership rating from a recognised agency
• Certified diver for at least 6 months
• Logged dives to SSI requirements (typically 60+ to start, building toward instructor standards)
• Current SSI Diver Stress & Rescue or equivalent and CPR/first-aid provider rating
• 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
   Teaching foundations

   Introduction to the SSI Total Teaching System and your first academic presentations.
2. Day2
   Pool teaching workshops

   Practise demonstrating and teaching core skills in the calm shallow reef waters of the gulf.
3. Day3
   Open-water teaching

   Deliver open-water teaching presentations and skill circuits under evaluation at local reef sites.
4. Day4
   Standards and risk management

   Cover SSI standards, risk management and the business side of running training.
5. Day5
   Theory and rescue assessment

   Complete dive-theory exams and the rescue assessment to instructor standard.
6. Day6
   Evaluation preparation

   Mock presentations and a full briefing ahead of the SSI Instructor Evaluation.

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 Djibouti.

Frequently asked questions