We Can Help You Expand Your Worldwide Professional Scuba Employment Opportunities

FREE ACCOMMODATION PROVIDED DURING THE CROSSOVER

All-inclusive professional SCUBA training that produces predictable results, every time!

Why Cross Over to SSI?

Being certified as a professional with two or more agencies is a no brainer; the more credentials you hold, the better your chances of obtaining the employment you want. SSI has been around for more than 40 years, and since being acquired by HEAD, has grown in leaps and bounds. Schools and shops who were once loyal to other agencies like PADI or NAUI, are crossing over to SSI every day, with some incredibly successful and large operations deciding to switch to SSI entirely. Because of this, SSI Professionals are in high demand, so you can crossover and start working right after the course!

And the good news is, you can continue to be an active divemaster or instructor with your current agency if you wish so. Unlike other organizations, SSI won’t bully you because they want you to be successful and understand that you are more employable with multiple credentials.

SSI has also simplified their crossover program for divemasters and instructors for Recreational, Technical or Freediving. As a qualified professional you already know your job, so the crossover is designed to familiarize you with the SSI Total Teaching System and the difference in our water skills. It’s that simple.

The ratings you currently hold will be matched one-to-one with SSI ratings. After completion, you can continue your career with SSI by taking higher Dive Professional programs or by qualifying for other Specialty Instructor ratings. We’re here to help you.

Check Your Equivalences

These are the main leadership levels within the SSI system:

• Dive Master: Can work as a dive guide and assist instructors.
• Assistant Instructor: Can teach classroom sections and some of confined water for scuba classes, as well as some speciality courses.
• Open Water Instructor: Can teach all levels up to Open Water Diver and Advanced Adventurer.
• Stress and Rescue Instructor: Can also teach Stress & Rescue Specialty.
• Specialty Instructor: Can also teach one or more Specialties.
• Advanced Open Water Instructor: OWI with at least 4 instructor specialty ratings. Similar to MSDT.
• Assistant Instructor Trainer: Can also certify Assistant Instructor. Similar to PADI Staff Instructor.
• Master Instructor: Instructor with extensive diving and teaching experience.
• Instructor Trainer: Can conduct SSI Instructor Training Courses.

You can also read about standards of all of these agencies here.

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. Any specialties that you already hold with another organization will be automatically crossed over to your SSI professional license as well.

For more than 40 years, SSI has provided training, scuba diving certification, and educational resources for divers, dive instructors, dive centers and resorts around the world. There are more than 30 Service Centers, and stores and shops in more than 110 countries.

An Exchange in Abundance

Like with our other programs, we are focused heavily on helping you get the very best return on your investment (ROI) possible. We’ve worked really hard to make our crossover one of the most dynamic, exciting, affordable, and generous programs in the world. Here’s just a few of the benefits you’ll receive by working with us:

• Grants Awarded to Select Candidates
• Free Accommodation in Some Locations
• All Required Course Material Provided
• Training Exceeds Industry Standards

• Get Extra Certifications for Free
• Up to 50% Discount on Professional Gear
• Career Planning and Job Placement Help
• No Hidden Costs

Employment opportunities

​SSI Instructors are always in demand! They’re all in constant need of well-trained SSI instructors. Every month there are dozens of new PADI instructors finishing the IE and handing out resumes. In contrast, there are far fewer SSI instructors being certified, and SSI facilities will not accept PADI instructors, so you have to cross over.  By being dual certified, you’ll be far more employable. That’s a fact. Also, SSI is the fastest growing dive agency with thousands of dive centers worldwide, so the employment opportunities will only increase with time.

The SSI System

​The SSI teaching system has built-in flexibility that allows you to move skills between dives and enhance and supplement skills. This allows you to teach more to your style and the local environment. Also, SSI focuses more on in-water teaching, so you’ll be spending less time in the classroom and more time in the water creating confident, skilled divers.

Specialties and Ratings

Any specialty courses you can teach currently, will roll over to the equivalent SSI specialty course at no additional cost. The same is true for any professional ratings you’ve achieved. We believe in recognizing your accomplishments, whereas, other agencies do their best to keep you locked into them. Our goal is for you to succeed, and we go out of our way to offer programs that will do just that.

The Crossover Program

The intent of the SSI Dive Professional Crossover program is to provide an orientation to SSI philosophies and procedures to dive professionals from other recognized scuba training agencies. It provides the knowledge and skills needed to conduct SSI programs equivalent to their existing qualifications in a safe and enjoyable manner. This is the basic schedule, depending upon your current level.

Home study (2-3 days)

Once you sign up, you will download a digital kit and begin studying the materials so that you are fully prepared when the course starts. You’ll also take a pre-test exam assessing your knowledge of dive theory.

Academics

​We’ll get you familiar with the SSI teaching system and philosophy and refresh some dive theory.

Watermanship skills

There’s a handful of tests you’ll need to complete, to make sure you’re still strong in the water.

• 700m snorkel swim
• 25 meter underwater swim (with fins)
• 15 minute water tread
• 100m tired diver tow

Skills Demonstrations

We’ll go through a skills circuit to make sure your skills are up the standard expected for your current level of certification, and we’ll get you completely comfortable with SSI specific skills you’ll need to know. There’s some pretty cool ones that are unique to SSI. If you’re an instructor, we expect to see demonstration quality.

Rescue Skills Workshop

We’ll go through all the rescue skills to ensure you know them well. If you’re an instructor, this is to ensure you’re prepared to teach SSI Diver Stress & Rescue course.

Final Exam and Final Performance Evaluation

Once you’ve completed all of these tasks, you’ll take your final exam and your Instructor Trainer will conduct your final performance evaluation. That’s it. You’ll then be crossed over.

What does this course enable you to do?

Upon completion you will be certified as an SSI Dive Professional commensurate with your previous certification and experience.

Cost Depends on Level

The total investment you’ll have to make to crossover to SSI will depend on what credential you currently hold, how many dives you have, and which agency you currently hold credentials from. These are our current prices for Divemaster to Assistant Instructor Trainer. If you’d like to discuss this in more details, please request an application to speak with a Mentor. Grants, scholarships, or financing may be available.

Course materials and SSI application fees are all included in the price. So there are no extra costs to start teaching SSI courses. Also, you can apply directly for any specialties that you currently hold with another diving organization or in areas in which you can prove you have significant experience, included in the price.

Divemaster Crossover (Or Equivalent Dive Leader)

The crossover as an active Divemaster from a recognized agency to SSI requires:

1) completion of online academics; 2) in-water training to familiarize you with SSI techniques; 3) your SSI professional registration fee valid for one year; and 4) other required materials. Training is completed over 2 full days. Our most popular location is Cozumel, Mexico.

The total cost for the crossover is $497.00 USD.

Housing is included in Cozumel, Mexico. Other locations may or may not be available.

Open Water Instructor (OWSI or Equivalent)

The crossover as an active Open Water Instructor from a recognized agency to SSI requires:

1) completion of online academics; 2) in-water training to familiarize you with SSI techniques and evaluation of students; 3) in-class training to familiarize you with the SSI methods of lecturing, conducting active-learning, and evaluation of students; 4) your SSI professional registration fee valid for one year; and 5) other required materials.Training is completed over 2 full days.

The total cost for the crossover is $747.00 USD. ​

Housing is included in Cozumel, Mexico. Other locations may or may not be available.

Advanced Open Water Instructor (MSDT or Equivalent)

The crossover as an active MSDT or higher (or equivalent) from a recognized agency to SSI requires:

1) completion of online academics; 2) in-water training to familiarize you with SSI techniques and evaluation of students and leadership candidates; 3) in-class training to familiarize you with the SSI methods of lecturing, conducting active-learning, and evaluation of students and leadership candidates; 4) your SSI professional registration fee valid for one year; 5) additional required specialities; and 6) other required materials. Training is completed over 2-5 full days, depending on your current credentials.

The total cost for the crossover is $897.00 USD. ​

Housing is included in Cozumel, Mexico. Other locations may or may not be available.

Assistant Instructor Trainer (Staff Instructor, Master Instructor, or Equivalent)

The crossover as an active Staff Instructor or higher (or equivalent) from a recognized agency to SSI requires:

1) completion of online academics; 2) in-water training to familiarize you with SSI techniques and evaluation of students and leadership candidates; 3) in-class training to familiarize you with the SSI methods of lecturing, conducting active-learning, and evaluation of students and leadership candidates; 4) your SSI professional registration fee valid for one year; and 5) other required materials. Training is completed over 2-3 full days.

The total cost for the crossover is $997.00 USD. ​

Housing is included in Cozumel, Mexico. Other locations may or may not be available.

FAQs

When it comes to making a decision as important as this one, you’re going to have questions. Well, we have answers. This section will cover most of the questions we’re normally asked. Please take a moment to go through them before contacting us. If your question isn’t covered here, by all means reach out.

What’s the Process?

Step 1 – Request an Application

Get in touch with us now. You’ll talk to one of our representatives, and if you decide to move forward, you’ll move on to the next step in the process.

Step 2 – Complete Your Application

Once you and your advisor have spoken, you’ll be given access to our short online application specifically for the Crossover program of your choosing.

You must be an active Divemaster, Open Water Instructor, or higher with another scuba training organization and have had no ethics action taken or currently pending with any other agency. You must also have a current medical exam for diving, signed by a licensed medical practitioner. The clearance must be current within the last 12 months.

Finally, you have to submit proof of CPR & First Aid training within the last 24 months.

Step 3 – Application Review

If you’re qualified, you’ll be accepted to be crossed over. We offer the program 8 times per year, so if we have a slot available for you, we’ll approve you to attend.

Step 4 – Complete the Grants & Scholarships Application

As a non profit we try to help as many potential instructors as we can defray costs. While we can’t award grants to everyone, the only way to determine if you’re eligible is to complete an application for funding. If we can, we’ll help. You may skip this Step if you wish.

Step 5 – Attend Crossover

To secure your spot, you’ll be required to pay a non-refundable deposit. You’ll need to book your flights, and we’ll give you housing (in most cases) for the entire program.

Other Learning Opportunities

During your crossover, you can opt to earn other credentials such as Assistant Instructor if you are already a DM, Speciality Instructor Certifications applicable to your level if you are a DM, AI, OWI, or above, etc. Talk to your mentor about opportunities to upgrade.

Job Prospects

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) doesn’t collect income data on SCUBA instructors specifically, but it does have information on divers (www.bls.gov) in a variety of positions. The BLS expected employment for divers to grow faster than average, by 37%, between 2018 and 2024. As of their last report, professional divers earned an average annual wage of $54,640 USD. You could simply teach, you could become a DSO (Dive Safety Officer) for a company or aquarium, or you could open a shop. Those are just examples. The opportunities are limited only by one’s imagination.

Being certified as a professional with two or more agencies is a no brainer; the more credentials you hold, the better your chances of obtaining the employment you want. SSI has been around since 1940, and since being acquired by HEAD, has grown in leaps and bounds. Schools and shops who were once loyal to PADI or NAUI are crossing over to SSI every day, with some incredibly successful and large operations deciding to switch to SSI entirely. It just makes sense to have the credential.