What do I do next after SSI Stress & Rescue Certification

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

The Wolf

Contributor
Messages
319
Reaction score
116
Location
Brunei
# of dives
1000 - 2499
Hi all,

I am a 31 year old veteran diver who dives for recreational purposes these days.

The highest certification I have is with SSI as a Stress and Rescue diver but I am wondering what would be the next steps forward to being able to take divers out on tour dives and working in the diving tourism industry in the future?

I am based out of Brunei at the moment so warm water diving all year round for the most part.

Thanks.
 
Dive guides are typically, at minimum, DIvemaster (if they're PADI) or a Dive Con (I think...) if SSI. But most dive guides are instructors, which I think is the same designation for both PADI and SSI (and most other agencies.)

The important step is figuring out where, when and with whom you want to work in the diving tourism industry. Then find out what certification they want you to have, or what certification their guides actually do have. Make sure there's a reasonable expectation of work for you after you go through the cost and effort of additional certification. Then make a plan and do it.
 
Dive guides are typically, at minimum, DIvemaster (if they're PADI) or a Dive Con (I think...) if SSI. But most dive guides are instructors, which I think is the same designation for both PADI and SSI (and most other agencies.)

The important step is figuring out where, when and with whom you want to work in the diving tourism industry. Then find out what certification they want you to have, or what certification their guides actually do have. Make sure there's a reasonable expectation of work for you after you go through the cost and effort of additional certification. Then make a plan and do it.

Thanks for the pointers. Will look into it and contact the relevant companies.

Is it normal for 46 year old's to become dive leaders so late in the game?
 
Start on the SSI professional route. Get started as a Divemaster Trainee. Earn your Dive Guide, take The Science of Diving specialty and become a Divemaster. From there move on to Asst. Instructor, then Instructor.
 
Is it normal for 46 year old's to become dive leaders so late in the game?
I know some people a lot older going this route. It depends on what your motivation is, but you're certainly not too old.
 
For sure it is not too old. If you want, do it.

If instructor is your goal, then look also around for all DM options. I have looked around also (not to become instructor at that time) and found that CMAS 3* fitted my needs at the lowest costs. I had a fulltime job and it was just for myself I wanted to become DM. When I wanted to become instructor, every DM cert can be used. I checked SSI, Padi, cmas and IANTD. At the end IANTD fitted best as I wanted to become tech instructor also, so went from cmas 3* to iantd instructor. I never worked as DM, even did not do anything with my 3* cert.
I don't know what you want, if DM is just to become DM, then you can do it with every agency. If you want to work as DM, then choose the best agency in your backyard. SSI instructor means you have to be working for a divecenter. With padi and other agencies you can do it without being affiliated to a divecenter.
 
Start on the SSI professional route. Get started as a Divemaster Trainee. Earn your Dive Guide, take The Science of Diving specialty and become a Divemaster. From there move on to Asst. Instructor, then Instructor.

The one problem I face is the area around Borneo is mainly a PADI related area (SSI have disappeared from Brunei/Borneo) for the most part so I would need to switch to PADI i guess moving forward from Stress & Rescue with SSI?
 
Dive guides are typically, at minimum, DIvemaster (if they're PADI) or a Dive Con (I think...) if SSI. But most dive guides are instructors, which I think is the same designation for both PADI and SSI (and most other agencies.)

The important step is figuring out where, when and with whom you want to work in the diving tourism industry. Then find out what certification they want you to have, or what certification their guides actually do have. Make sure there's a reasonable expectation of work for you after you go through the cost and effort of additional certification. Then make a plan and do it.

The industry standards around here are divemaster is a minimum requirement to lead dives with tourists/new divers/trained divers as there aren't enough instructors plus companies do not want to pay a higher wage to higher instructors to lead dives. Most go with 1 instructor overseeing the team and leave it to divemasters to do the work.

I do however know 1-2 companies who insist on instructor level divers only taking divers out and understand why and only hire/train instructors to do the work.
 
For sure it is not too old. If you want, do it.

If instructor is your goal, then look also around for all DM options. I have looked around also (not to become instructor at that time) and found that CMAS 3* fitted my needs at the lowest costs. I had a fulltime job and it was just for myself I wanted to become DM. When I wanted to become instructor, every DM cert can be used. I checked SSI, Padi, cmas and IANTD. At the end IANTD fitted best as I wanted to become tech instructor also, so went from cmas 3* to iantd instructor. I never worked as DM, even did not do anything with my 3* cert.
I don't know what you want, if DM is just to become DM, then you can do it with every agency. If you want to work as DM, then choose the best agency in your backyard. SSI instructor means you have to be working for a divecenter. With padi and other agencies you can do it without being affiliated to a divecenter.

Thanks for the advice. And headsup. Didn't know SSI insisted on working for a dfive center.
 
Is it normal for 46 year old's to become dive leaders so late in the game?

I used to think that dive shops preferred younger DMs also, but a buddy of mine shared an interesting experience. He's an instructor, in his late 50's, and went to Roatan for a trip. He asked the dive shop there about working for them when he retires in a few years. They said they'd be very interested in having him... because a lot of their guests are older Americans and would be able to better relate to him. I had never thought about it that way, but it kind of makes sense: a lot of travelling divers are older Americans and some dive shops might see hiring older American dive guides as a way of catering to those guests.

The one problem I face is the area around Borneo is mainly a PADI related area (SSI have disappeared from Brunei/Borneo) for the most part so I would need to switch to PADI i guess moving forward from Stress & Rescue with SSI?

Shouldn't be a problem to "cross over", get credit for your courses as if you had done the equivalent PADI courses, especially since you haven't started on your first "pro" course yet. Any PADI dive shop can give you the details.

The industry standards around here are divemaster is a minimum requirement to lead dives with tourists/new divers/trained divers as there aren't enough instructors plus companies do not want to pay a higher wage to higher instructors to lead dives.

Interesting point... my experience is mostly limited to the US and Caribbean, where is seems nearly all the dive guides are instructors. I guess that's why it's important to find out how it works in whatever corner of the world you want to work. Everywhere's a little different!
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

Back
Top Bottom