If you have taken basic scuba classes and are certified for open water dives, there is a good chance you are a big fan and want to dive as much as possible. If you are looking for a way to advance your diving training, the SSI advanced course is for you. With a variety of SSI specialty courses offered at A-1 Scuba, you will be able to advance your underwater skills and learn even more about diving in open water.

What is great is that the course introduces you to a number of different specialty dives without having to complete the specialty in its entirety. Along with some introductory pool dives, the majority of the dives are conducted in unique open water environments.

Details About the Advanced Course

The goal of the advanced course is to introduce participants to SSI specialty courses so they can choose which ones they want to pursue in more detail. You are able to choose five of the specialty courses that pique your interest. The options include:

The Navigation Course is highly recommended by scuba professionals. This course improves skills related to knowing where you are underwater and where you are going. Participants learn how to plan and organize special procedures and techniques for diving and how to solve potential issues underwater.

The Deep Diver Course is also one that professionals recommend, and it is a requirement for some of the other advanced courses. Many of the great sites are located deep underwater, and this type of diving requires special skills and training. Participants will learn how to dive between 60 and 130 feet safely.

A popular course at the center is Enriched Air Nitrox. Participants learn skills to increase bottom time and reduce recovery time in between dives.

During the other specialty courses, participants will learn a wealth of knowledge and helpful skills. Some of these include identification of underwater animals and coral, emergency prevention and problem-solving underwater, communication during limited visibility, effective tips for object searches, buoyancy control, and cold-water dives.

What is Included in Advanced Course Fee

The advanced course provides a variety of resources participants need to succeed. The course includes online manual, academic sessions, use of scuba equipment and snorkeling equipment for pool sessions, tanks and weights for open water dives, open water training dives, skills review, and a final exam.

Students must provide their own equipment for open water dives and are responsible for transportation, meals, lodging and permit for open water dive locations.

Experience Open Water Environments

Taking the SSI Advanced Course introduces you to a variety of open water locations, and the options are included in the course fee. Some of the course training options include:

  • Homestead Crater, UT
  • Blue Hole in Santa Rosa, NM
  • Chatfield Gravel Pond

After getting certified in specialty courses, many people are ready to put their new skills and knowledge to the test. A-1 Scuba offers group dive trips throughout the year so guests can experience open water diving in gorgeous and unique destinations. Some of the past and upcoming trip destinations that dive enthusiasts can sign up for include:

  • Cayman Brac
  • Curacao
  • The Solomon Islands and Fiji
  • Palau Micronesia
  • Cozumel
  • Lucia
  • Little Cayman
  • Galapagos Island

Sign Up for the SSI Advanced Course Today

If advancing your diving skills sounds like something you would like to do, contact A-1 Scuba today. With over 60 years of experience, the team at A-1 Scuba has been introducing people to the amazing underwater environment through teaching, training and organizing dive tours. Let them help you become a better open water diver.

Image Credit: Shutterstock By Sergiy Zavgorodny