The SSI (Scuba Schools International) Instructor Crossover program is designed to orient Instructors who were trained by other certification agencies, to the teaching and business philosophy of SSI. At the end you will be allowed to teach and certify divers through SSI.
Since you already have done your instructor training with another agency, you already know how to teach divers. Therefore our main goal during the course will be to make you knowledgeable and comfortable with SSI Programs, products and services, so that you may confidently teach SSI courses.
But doing you SSI Crossover with Wicked Diving means more: Our aim is to make sure that by the end of the course you will feel comfortable to teach SSI courses. Meanwhile, we reserve a lot of time for open discussions and questions to be asked, since every instructor has his own style and every training agency has his own philosophy. The length of the course and the topics covered depend on the number of candidates and the level you wish to cross over.
This document will give you an idea what you can expect from us and what we expect from you during your course.
We hope you have a great time with us.
Recreational Levels
Depending on your experience and rating with your current training organization, we will look at which professional level you can crossover. These are the main levels within the SSI system:
*** Scuba Diver: Part theory & confined / 2 dives / 1 snorkeldive; Allowed to dive to 12 mtr under direct supervision of a dive professional.
***Open Water Diver: Theory & confined / 4 dives / 1 snorkeldive; Allowed to dive to 18 mtr with another certified diver.
*** Stress & Rescue Diver: Has successfully completed stress & rescue course.
*** Advanced Adventurer: Limited theory / 5 adventure dives (incl deep and navigation).
*** Specialty Courses: Examples are: deep – night & limited viz – wreck – navigation – enriched air nitrox – computer diving – waves, tides & currents – stress & rescue – search & recovery – uw photography etc.
*** Specialty Diver: Minimum of 12 dives and 2 specialties
*** Advanced Open Water Diver: Minimum of 24 dives and 4 specialties
*** Master Diver: Minimum of 50 dives and 5 specialties, including stress & rescue diver
Professional Levels
*** Dive Control Specialist: Divemaster & Assistant Instructor in one
*** Open Water Instructor: Can teach all levels up to Open Water Diver and the Advanced Adventurer course
***Stress and Rescue Instructor: Can also teach Stress & Rescue Specialty
*** Specialty Instructor: Can also teach one or more Specialties
***Advanced Open Water Instructor: Instructor with at least 4 specialty ratings
*** Dive Control Specialist Instructor: Can also teach Dive Control Specialists
*** Master Instructor: Instructor with extensive diving and teaching experience
*** Instructor Certifier: Can conduct Instructor Training Courses
Before the crossover program starts, we will sit down and look at your current experience and decide on which level we will be able to cross you over for SSI. Remember we need written proof of your experience and rating, like a list of your professional credentials and course breakdowns.
To enroll in the SSI Instructor Crossover Program, you should have the following prerequisites:
Open Water Instructor
Be an active Open Water Instructor or higher with a scuba training organization and have had no ethics action taken or currently pending with any other scuba training organization.
Be 18 years & older at the start of the course.
Logged at least 100 dives with at least 24 dives within the past 12 months.
Have completed a SSI Stress & Rescue diver course or equivalent.
Have a current medical exam for diving, signed by a licensed medical practitioner. The clearance must be current within the last 12 months.
Submit proof of CPR & First Aid training within the last 24 months.
Sign the Crossover paperwork.
Provide own scuba diving equipment of instructor type and quality
Stress and Rescue Instructor
All prerequisites for Open Water Instructor.
Proof of experience in teaching people at the Stress & Rescue Diver level or equivalent.
OR after you have co-taught a Stress & Rescue Course with another instructor or attended a Stress & Rescue Instructor course with an SSI Instructor Certifier
Specialty Instructor / Advanced Open Water Instructor
All prerequisites for Open Water Instructor.
Have certified at least 15 divers at various levels.
Hold a specialty with another diving agency for each specialty area for which you want to apply.
OR provide proof of significant experience or extensive training in each specialty area for which you want to apply*.
OR after you have co-taught a Specialty Course with another instructor or attended a Specialty Instructor course with an SSI Instructor Certifier.
To become an Advanced Open Water Instructor you need to be able to apply for at least 4 specialties.
Dive Control Specialist Instructor
All prerequisites for Advanced Open Water Instructor.
Have been a certified scuba diving instructor for at least 6 months
Have certified at least 30 divers at various levels and at least 3 divers at leadership level.
Be equivalent to SSI DCSI with another training agency.
* Significant experience is defined by having at least 20 dives in the specialty area. Extensive training is defined by having completed a specialty course in the Specialty Area for which they are applying.
Course materials that should be in possession of the candidate are:
SSI Instructor manual (digital or paper version)
Home preparation guide
SSI Dive table
SSI Stress & Rescue slate
SSI Open Water course slates
All course materials are provided in the Crossover kit.
This is an example of a course schedule. However, the schedule can be adjusted based on the no of candidates, available time etc.
Before the course starts, there will be a short orientation where the course schedule is explained, paperwork can be done and the Crossover kit and home preparation guide will be handed out. This will allow you to prepare for the Crossover. There are some knowledge reviews to be filled in and you will also be asked to prepare a test exam before the course starts to find out strong and weak points in the theory (no pass mark).
Day one:
Course Introduction / check paperwork
Crossover DVD & knowledge reviews
Go over test exam
SSI educational system & materials
Teaching academics & in-water training
General Standards and Procedures
Classroom presentation evaluation techniques and assignments
Day two:
Classroom presentations
SSI Snorkel Programs, Resort Dive, Scuba Diver and Open Water Diver course
Water session
Classroom presentation assignments
Day three
Classroom presentations
Crossover exam
Certification procedures
Monitor Assessment Procedure program
SSI Stress & Rescue course
SSI Specialties (only for AOW Instructors)
SSI Dive Control Specialist program (only for DCS Instructors)
Finish paperwork
Water session
During the water session we will practice the demonstration of the SSI skills. The emphasis will be on the exercises that differ from the other training agencies. You will notice that a lot of the exercises are the same or that the differences are not big.
Classroom Presentation
During the course you will be asked to prepare a classroom presentation on a certain topic of one of the courses. The goal of the classroom presentation is not so much to test your abilities in the classroom, but to give each other the chance to evaluate classroom presentations. When teaching Dive Control Specialists you will also have to evaluate them and it is good to know what the important things to look for are.
Why not go on a liveaboard trip to the Similans after you have finished your crossover course? If you have done your SSI crossover with Wicked Diving we will give you a big discount on a 3 day / 2 night trip to the Similans. Now that you have joined the best Instructors in Thailand join an amazing trip to these beautiful islands which offer the best diving in Thailand.
PRODUCT |
INCLUDES |
PRICE |
Standard crossover (digital) |
Complete crossover course Crossover kit including digital instructor manual Application & instructor fee for the current year |
€ 350 |
Standard crossover (paper version) |
Complete crossover course Crossover kit including instructor manual (paper version English) Application & instructor fee for the current year |
€ 420 |
Wicked Crossover Special (digital) |
Complete crossover course Crossover kit including digital instructor manual Application & instructor fee for the current year 3d/2n Liveaboardtrip to Similans |
€ 575 |
Wicked Crossover Special (paper version) |
Complete crossover course Crossover kit including instructor manual (paper version English) Application & instructor fee for the current year 3d/2n Liveaboardtrip to Similans |
€ 645 |