The SSI Divemaster Course
The SSI Divemaster Course consists of two scuba diving certifications. Dive Guide and Science of Diving. When completed, you will have earned the SSI Divemaster rating and join the ranks of professional scuba divers around the world.
Quick Summary
- Cost $3000
- Rescue and 40 dives required to enroll (may add that for a fee)
- Must own gear – long term rental $500
- Earn up to $8400 worth of dives by interning (helping out instructors and really learning what it means to be a dive guide)
This is a quick summary. But if you are coming here to be a Divemaster, please go ahead and read the whole page, so your expectations and ours match.
What kind of dive center is Island Divers Hawaii (and why do my course there)?
While we have multiple dive shops on the island of Oahu, the busiest is on the water in Hawaii Kai. It is here that divers will check in for the boats and depart for nearby pool training. A typical day at Island Divers has a lot of different dive activities and training occurring.
The advanced morning wreck and drift dive usually departs first at 8 am. Students participating the the semi-private Open Water course arrive at 7:30 am and prepare do depart for their morning pool session. Try Scuba Diving participants and Scuba refreshers arrive at 9:30am to watch the training video and gear up for pool session before the afternoon boat dive. 11:30am is usually the busiest time of day. Certified divers doing afternoon reef dives, open water students doing check out dives, and Try Scuba participants all converge for multiple afternoon boat departures. In the middle of that, the morning charters return. It is not uncommon to see 2 or 3 captains, a half dozen instructors, a few divemaster candidates, boat crew and tank monkeys all hustling to great guest and meet their needs! If you want a “real” divemaster course. You found it.
The SSI Divemaster course will get you involved with all of the above. Instructors supervise your involvement. The philosophy is to learn by BEING IN the scuba diving industry. In addition, you will have one on one time with your instructor mentor, which you are assigned at the beginning of your training. However, you will work with all staff instructors during the course of your training. Expert level scuba skill demonstrations, rescue scenarios, watermanship evaluations, and snorkeling skill demonstrations are all part of candidate development.
What are the SSI Divemaster course prerequisites?
- 18 years old
- 40 logged dives
- SSI Stress and Rescue certification or the same from another organization
- CPR/First Aid with O2 provider is a prerequisite of Stress & Rescue
- A physician signed medical form
- Specialty Diver ratings in Deep, Navigation and Night*
- *can be completed during Divemaster certification course
Planning advice to the meet the prerequisites
Consider the Master Diver rating as a great way to prepare for the SSI Divemaster Course. The Master Diver rating in the SSI system is obtained by completing 5 specialty certifications and logging 50 dives. One of those certifications must be Stress and Rescue. Science of Diving is part of the Divemaster course, but it is also a specialty certification. Therefore, if you are charting a course to dive professional, include the Science of Diving Specialty.
Consider this path:
- SSI Open Water Diver
- Navigation Specialty
- Deep Specialty
- Night and Limited Visibility Specialty
- Science of Diving
- Stress and Rescue
- Log 50 dives
Completing the above will result in the Master Diver rating. You will also have prepared yourself very well for the SSI Divemaster Course. As your Science of Diving Specialty is complete, you will only need to complete Dive Guide to earn your Divemaster professional certification. As a bonus, you will as have earned the free Specialty Diver and Advanced Open Water Diver ratings along the way. And you will be entered to win three different dive trips. Read how here.
You can complete your prerequisites with us or prior to arrival. Contact us for a custom package.
How much does the SSI Divemaster Course cost?
- $3000 to do the Divemaster internship (3 months)
- $4000 for private intensive course (2 full weeks)
- $4000 to complete it in two months (weekends only)
- unlimited boat diving pass while doing your Divemaster
Some people want to finish their course quickly or have limited availability to dive, so the private intensive course would be the best option so that every dive is a dedicated training dive designed to move you through the requirements quickly.
What does that include?
- Dive Guide certification and digital materials
- Science of diving certification and digital materials
- Divemaster certification
- $70 Professional Membership fee
- Dive Guide Kit (briefing slate and SSI swag)
- All boat dives fees for the course with use of tanks and weights
- All boat fees are included for required dives for the course
- Make it an Internship by taking pictures of our guests
- We encourage additional dives
What does in not include?
- Divemaster certification prerequisites
- Rescue, React Right (or any CPR/First Aid), and 40 dives logged are required to start your training.
- Deep, Navigation, and Night specialty ratings or equivalent are also required.
- Many SSI Divemaster candidates arrive with some or all of these prerequisites missing, contact us for a discounted quote on finishing them prior to your candidate commencement.
- Your personal diving gear
- You don’t need to buy this from us. Used functional equipment is fine. However, you may want to invest in high quality professional level gear. You may want to make your purchase with Island Divers. For packages greater that $1500 bought at MSRP, we will apply 20% of purchase price as a credit toward training cost. We will rent you a basic set of BCD, computer, regulator and a wetsuit for $500 for the course duration. You need to own personal set and tools (compass, dive light, spool and marker).
- Transportation, lodging, and meals.
- Budget $1500 a month on the low end. (Facebook Marketplace) If your on a budget, this is a good place to stay while you look around. Used mopeds start at $500 locally. Mopeds are sufficient and there is an active market.
What does the schedule look like?
There are two kinds of activities you are participating in.
Candidate only training
Instructors will conduct activities that are divemaster candidates specifically. Pool sessions for skill development and watermanship assessments are one example. Academic sessions for knowledge development and testing are another. Finally, there may be specific boat dives for candidates. Rescue scenarios are an example. Many of these sessions happen in the evening after charters are done for the day. One instructor will be assigned to move you through this part of the program. This will be your mentor.
Training that includes guests
For the second activity type, you are under instructor supervision in the real world scuba industry. Generally, the day starts at 6:3oam, or 11:30am if you are only on the afternoon boat.
First, you will prepare for guest arrival by preparing the boat and equipment with other crew members. Secondly, you will greet guests and introduce yourself. Next, you will assist certified instructors with supervision and training, or guiding fun dives. Most likely both. You may do one or both charters a day. Finally, at the end of the day you will assist with break down and clean up. That can be as early as 1pm, or closer to 5pm for afternoon charters. Your mentor will provide you a written guide to the job, and you will proactive putting it into reality with staff instructors.
For all of these activities you will work with all staff instructors. You will observe their individual styles and develop your own. Though an emphasis will be placed on diving with your mentor.
How do I get started with my SSI Divemaster certification?
We prefer to start candidates at the beginning of a calendar month. This is not a requirement, but it helps.
Prior to contacting us, you should review the prerequisites and tell us in your initial email what is outstanding, including whether or not you own personal dive gear.
Here is the required gear list:
- BCD
- Regulator 1st and second stage
- Alternate air source
- Dive Computer
- Pressure Gauge *can be integrated on computer
- Mask
- Snorkel
- Fins
- Wetsuit
- Dive Tool *knife or cutting tool
- Compass *recommend detachable – can hand to your future students
- Dive Light
- Surface Marker and Finger Spool
You may pay in full at the time of enrollment or pay a $500 non refundable deposit. Next, you will be assigned the digital learning for Dive Guide and Science of Diving. Balance is due first day of course. The physician signed medical form is also required before you start (upload a copy to you MySSI profile when you get it, that way you can’t lose it.)
We don’t rent full gear for SSI Divemaster programs. However, we will rent you a basic set of BCD, computer, regulator and a wetsuit for $500 for the course duration Arrange this well in advance. The rest of it you need to own. If you have to buy everything on that list, plan on spending $2000-$4000 for new gear. $2000 is solid, quality equipment, if not high end.
What is the difference between an Divemaster Candidate and an Divemaster Intern?
Basically, it is if you want to be available to help out with everything that makes our charters run. That makes you an intern. All candidates pay the $3000 fee for the program. Help set up gear and tanks and clean rental gear at end of charter with your fellow work mates (the instructional staff).
We do not allow free internship dives until you have completed Rescue, logged 40 dives, and officially entered the Divemaster Program. Up until this point you will be treated as a regular guest, though you may get extra attention as everyone knows why you are around.
We have 2 ways we refer to Divemaster Candidates internally 1) DMCq – Divemaster quick program – just doing what is required to achieve the rating, no extra fun dives or intern responsibilities 2) DMCi – most will probably fall into this category – stands for Divemaster Candidate intern. A month of full time boat charters would cost $8400 retail. Interns eliminate that cost by becoming “crew”. This is out preferred method of training, as you will interact with lots of guests and be ready to work as a Divemaster coming out of the program (we hire from this group).