Core Certification
SSI SCR Diving
The SSI SCR Diving programme is the core certification for Mares Horizon diving. It teaches you to plan, prepare and execute no-decompression SCR dives independently — unit setup and checks, gas management, buoyancy and trim on a rebreather, and the emergency procedures that keep SCR diving safe.
The Essentials
SCR Diving — Key Facts
2 to 3 days
Duration and Structure
- Digital learning : SCR physics, gas management, bailout planning and emergency procedures
- Pool or confined water : Unit setup, pre-dive checks and buoyancy drills
- Certification dives : Four open water dives in the Andaman Sea reefs
- Certification : SSI SCR Diving digital card, valid worldwide
Age 18+
Prerequisites
- Certification : Open Water Diver or equivalent
- Age : Minimum 18 years
- Logged dives : Minimum 20 recommended
- Try SCR : Recommended but not required
Full independence
What You Can Do After
- Plan and conduct independent no-decompression SCR dives
- Dive the Mares Horizon without instructor supervision
- Join guided SCR fun dives and build your Horizon logbook
- Continue to SCR Extended Range for deeper, longer profiles
What the Course Covers
Skills, Systems and Safety
Open-circuit skills transfer well to SCR — but the rebreather adds its own layer of system awareness. You will learn how the scrubber absorbs CO₂, how the metered gas injection maintains a breathable mix, and crucially, what happens if any part of the system fails. Bailout to open-circuit is a core skill, not an afterthought.
- SCR physics — gas recirculation, CO₂ scrubbing, partial pressure and mix management
- Unit assembly — Horizon setup, scrubber packing, loop integrity checks and gas flow
- Buoyancy and trim — adapting OC buoyancy skills to the different weighting of SCR
- Gas management — monitoring injection rate, cylinder pressure and bailout reserves
- Emergency procedures — CO₂ breakthrough recognition, loop flooding and bailout to OC
- Conservative dive planning — no-decompression limits and turn pressures on SCR