SSI Open Water Diver

What You Learn

The SSI Open Water Diver course consists of three main phases:

• Knowledge Development (online, home study or in a classroom ) to understand basic principles of scuba diving
• Confined Water Dives to learn basic scuba skills
• Open Water Dives to review your skills and explore!

Why get certified?

You get to embark on the of the greatest adventures you will ever experience. Becoming an open water scuba diver marks the first step in a journey that will change the way you experience the world. You can explore and experience the wonder of feeling weightless, interact with incredible marine life and discover wrecks only open to those who become divers. Becoming certified gives you a license to explore our true last frontier: the ocean

COURSE PREREQUISITES:

A reasonable standard of swimming ability is required for entry into the open water course, meaning candidates:

— must be able to swim ~200m confidently — must be able to tread water for ten minutes — must be over the age of 11

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT TO LEARN:

Designed to deliver you with an entry-level certification, these courses cover all the necessary skills needed as a diver, including:

• Physics and physiology (buoyancy, pressure, air spaces, breathing)
• The aquatic environment (vision, light, sound, heat loss, tides, currents)
• Equipment (selection, assembly, use, maintenance)
• Planning (location, gear, rescue and emergency procedures)

UNDERSTANDING THE RISKS

Diving is an adventure activity that includes risk to your person. Under New Zealand law we are we required to notify you of the following statement.

You accept that this activity inherently involves risks and potential hazards. The risks and hazards include, but are not limited to breathing compressed gas, marine traffic, marine life, decompression sickness, drowning, barotrauma, air embolism, decompression illness, dehydration, gas narcosis, malfunctioning equipment, ear problems, sun damage, hyperthermia, hypothermia, sea sickness, and adverse weather events.

These activities are run in the outdoors on the ocean, so may be exposed to sudden natural disasters such as, but not limited to Tsunami, Earthquakes, Slips Landslides or Rock Falls, or Volcanic Eruption. I am aware that participating in the activities offered by New Zealand Diving Limited can be hazardous even if they are conducted with care, control, and responsibility. You acknowledge that these risks could result in my injury (physical or mental) or even death.

TERMS & CONDITIONS

Please read our terms & conditions found on our website page, frequently asked questions before booking: https://nzdiving.co.nz/faq/

Sometimes our activities may have to be rescheduled due to situations outside of our control, such as poor weather. Please note we reschedule in such situations, as described in our terms and conditions.

Overseas participants are advised to carry travel insurance in case rescheduling is unsuitable.

All participants must be of good health and complete a medical declaration. This is available on our website: https://nzdiving.co.nz/faq/

All participants must be diving certified to dive on a charter or undergoing a diving course with New Zealand Diving Limited.

All participants must be able to swim a minimum of 200m, unassisted.

Facts about the course

The Diver Diamond methodology

Each of our Specialty Programs is based on our  diver diamond methodology

Diver Diamond is the cornerstone of the SSI educational system. It emphasizes the critical components of a great scuba education program: Proper knowledge, Proper Skills, Proper Equipment and Proper Experience. The diver diamond is the foundation for the Ultimate Dive Experience.

At SSI, they don’t want you to just learn to dive; they want you to become a diver. Their goal is to make every step of your scuba experience all about your comfort and confidence in the water. SSI professionals work together to make learning come alive with personalized instructions that will put your skills to use in reality based training scenarios. The unique approach is known as “Comfort through repetition”. By practicing each skill learned throughout each level of training your actions become conditioned responses – second nature!

Repetition ensures you retain what you have already learned while continuing to learn more. As a result, diving becomes more fun.

Open water courses have the following training options for the confined pool session:

A. Evening course: Training is held over two evenings from 6pm to 9pm for the confined pool sessions, with the open water dives held over two days

B. Three day course: All of the course is run over three consecutive days

While New Zealand Diving will provide all necessary diving equipment, you will need to bring swimwear, a towel, lunch/snacks, water, a change of clothes to each session and sunscreen (if required).