Waves, Tides & Currents

Become an SSI Waves, Tides, and Currents Specialty Diver. Diving in currents opens up a world of new dive sites that often host the most spectacular marine life. Go shore diving and you will discover the simplicity of just walking off the beach and exploring your favorite dive sites with ease. But waves, tides, and currents can impact your dives and affect your safety if you do not know how to handle them.

The SSI Waves, Tides, and Currents specialty will enhance your dive skills and understanding, so you can enjoy diving in different environments safely and with confidence. You will gain a better understanding of dynamic open water environments and learn about the environmental conditions that affect different dive sites. You will also practice diving from shore, in currents, or in rivers to earn the specialty certification. Get started today!

What You'll Learn

• How to identify and analyze different types of water movement at a dive site
• Proper techniques for entry, exit, and navigation when diving from shore or in surf
• How to safely plan and execute drift dives in high-current environments
• The physics and causes behind tides, rip currents, waves, and longshore currents

Learn to Dive with SSI

SSI started in 1970 with a vision of making it possible for anyone to learn to dive. With more than 3,500 Training Centers in over 150 countries and 100,000+ Professionals, it is easy to go diving with SSI wherever you choose. SSI’s Digital Learning platform makes training easy, fun, and possible to study anytime, anywhere either on your mobile device or computer in more than 30 languages.

SSI’s training programs are globally recognized and ISO certified. A progressive approach to personalized training and a close cooperation of all SSI affiliated Professionals and Training Centers and Resorts around the world ensures you will get the best training possible!

How the Training Works

• Digital Learning & Academics: SSI has mastered the use of digital technology to make your learning experience easy. You can start by studying the academics anytime, anywhere at your own convenience, and your selected Training Center will schedule your review and in-water training sessions.
• In-Water Training: During the pool/confined water training, your SSI Instructor will teach you all the necessary skills in a controlled environment until you are comfortable and ready to go to the open water. During the open water training dives, you will apply your knowledge and repeat the skills in a real-world environment under the supervision of your Instructor.
• Certification: Once you have completed all required training sessions, final exam, and open water training dives, your SSI Training Center will issue your digital certification card which will show up instantly on your MySSI App.

Facts and Training Standards

• Minimum Age: 10
• Amount of Academic Sessions: 2
• Maximum Training Depth: 30 meters / 100 feet
• Suggested Duration: 5 to 10 hours
• Certification Prerequisites: Open Water Diver certification