The Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI) program is the second of two distinct components of the Instructor Training Course (ITC)—the core of Instructor training and development. The first portion (3-4 days) is the Assistant Instructor course followed by the Open Water Scuba Instructor program (4-5 days). Combined you will be looking at approximately 9-10 days for your complete ITC.

For the full ITC program we offer two methods to accomplish this. First, commit to 9-10 straight days for both the AI and OWI portions of the ITC. The second method is to complete it on a schedule that is coordinated with your fellow students and the Instructor Trainer's schedules. We can custom design a program to fit everyone's needs in most cases. The IE is scheduled 60 days out so this second method is only offered with firm commitments from all of the candidates. We schedule them here in Lubbock, TX or we can assist you in doing them either on Utila or Roatan, Honduras with our training partners. We can even go along with you or arrange for a couple days of IE preparation for you (additional fee).

If you have already completed your Assistant Instructor with SSI then you only need another 4-5 days to complete the OWI portion. If you are coming from another agency as an AI then a day or two more will be needed to conduct a cross-over.

The Fun Part

It’s about life transformations—both yours and those around you.

The fun part of instructor training is interacting with course participants while creating friendships that continue long after the course concludes. One lady we trained as a Open Water Diver and then as a Open Water Instructor, now owns her own dive training school and she herself is now a Instructor Trainer and teaches Cave Diving, Sidemount and other Extended Range courses on Utila, Honduras. We train and prepare the very best dive professionals and she has become a SSI XR International Trainer.

You’ll begin networking with other dive professionals and begin to explore Pro Diving Jobs worldwide. You’ll also have the opportunity to continue your professional education by participating in specialty instructor courses, which train you to teach specialties after instructor certification.

The Challenging Part

The challenging part of this course is your personal commitment to the training. The course requires you to complete all the self-study digital course material before the course begins and to prepare teaching assignments for classroom, pool and open water presentations. Organization and dedication are key for your success. This is not a "rubber stamp" program. Our candidates will go on to become some of the industry's best professional dive instructors.

What You Learn

During the course you’ll learn how to apply the System of Education by presenting at least:

• A number of confined water teaching presentations
• A number of knowledge development presentations
• A number of open water teaching presentations integrating two skills

You will also attend and participate in the several curriculum presentations as well as demonstrate competence at:

• performing all dive skills listed on the Skill Evaluation at demonstration level competence.
• performing a face down, non-stop swim for 375 meters and additional water fitness requirements.

What You Can Teach

After becoming an Open Water Scuba Instructor, you will be able to conduct the entire range of programs from Try Scuba Diving up to Divemaster. You may also choose to acquire specialty instructor ratings in areas of interest, such as Digital Underwater Photographer, Enriched Air Diver and others.

At a glance, compare what you can teach when you continue your professional diver education.

The Scuba Gear You Use

You will need to equip yourself with all the basic instructor level scuba gear (Instructor Total Diving System).

The Learning Materials You Need

THE OPEN WATER INSTRUCTOR BUNDLE

The Open Water Instructor Bundle is tailored for certified SSI Assistant Instructors who aspire to become SSI Open Water Instructors. This comprehensive Bundle comprises all essential Digital Materials required to achieve the Open Water Instructor rating - Instructor Training Course Kit. This Bundle also includes access to all Training Materials for the programs that an Open Water Instructor will be authorized to teach, contingent on successful completion of the Instructor Evaluation.

Note: Required Instructor Evaluation Fees are not covered within the Bundle, nor are any travel fees.

The Instructor Training Course digital course includes all the materials needed to prepare for the Instructor Training Course outside of the classroom prior to starting class and pool work. 

Next Steps

View the Instructor Examination (IE) Calendar with your Course Director (Instructor Trainer).

Prerequisites

To qualify for training as a Open Water Scuba Instructor, you must:

Be certified as a Dive Master (to enroll in full ITC), or as an Assistant Instructor, or be an instructor in good standing with another training organization for at least six months (check with our Training Director for qualifying credentials.)
Be certified in First Aid/CPR w/AED, and Oxygen Provider current within the past 24 months or take a refresher with us during your ITC.

• Be at least 18 years old
• Be certified as a diver for at least six months
• Have 60 logged dives that include experience in night, deep and navigation diving to participate in the Instructor Training Course. You’ll need 100 logged dives to take the Instructor Exams and be certified as a OWI.
• Be fit for diving and submit a Medical Statement (PDF) signed by a physician within the last 12 months

The Costs and What Do You Get:

Many Instructor Training programs that are out there don't show you the cost on their web sites. Others list just the basic costs and don't mention the add on items you will need to pay for once you put your deposit down or enroll in their courses. After all training new instructors is a very competitive business and you need to compare programs Apples-toApples. So we believe in a package one price being the honest method. Below is what you get when you choose Texas Dive Center, Inc. in Lubbock, TX:

You will pay the IC their fee directly - approx $750 total for your final Instructor Examination (this is not done by your Trainer). You will also incur some travel costs to open water for training. We provide scuba tanks and weights for your ITC for free.We will coordinate and register you for any available IE that meet your needs.

CROSS-OVER TO SSI

Are you already certified as a Dive Master or Instructor with another scuba training agency and interested in joining our SSI Dive Team? We'd love to discuss the various reasons we did it. Learn about the process and costs by clicking here;

For more information about this or other courses have a chat with one of the TEXAS DIVE CENTER Team members.