SSI Open Water Diver in Thailand
The Open Water Diver certification is your passport to the underwater world. Earn it in Khao Lak and your training dives happen on the same coral reefs our guests pay to visit every day. You leave with a globally recognised qualification and a logbook that starts in one of the most beautiful dive destinations on earth.
What the Open Water Course Involves
The SSI Open Water Diver course covers theory, confined water skill practice and open water dives in the Andaman Sea reefs. No prior experience required to start.
Requirements to Start
- Age : Minimum 10 years old
- Prerequisites : None — start from zero
- Swimming : Basic comfort in water
- Fitness : Normal health, no conditions excluding diving
- Equipment : All scuba gear included
Duration and Format
- Academic : Theory sessions on dive physics and safety
- Confined water : Skill practice in shallow sheltered water
- Open water : 4 certification dives in the Andaman Sea reefs
- Max depth : 18 metres
- Certification : SSI digital card, valid worldwide
What You Can Do With It
- Dive anywhere in the world with a certified buddy
- Recognised by all major diving agencies globally
- Rent equipment at any dive center worldwide
- Continue into specialty and advanced programs
- Progress toward Divemaster and Instructor paths
Three Phases, One Certification
The Open Water course moves through theory, shallow water skills and real reef dives. Each phase builds on the last. By the time you reach your open water dives, the skills feel natural and you can focus on the experience rather than the technique.
- Academic sessions — dive science, equipment, planning and safety covered in digital study materials and classroom review
- Confined water — practise every core skill in sheltered shallow water until they feel solid
- Open water dives — four certification dives in the Andaman Sea reefs with your instructor
- Final assessment — brief knowledge review and skill sign-off, then your certification is issued
Skills That Make You a Safe, Confident Diver
The Open Water program covers everything you need to dive independently with a buddy anywhere in the world. Not just the minimum required skills. The judgement and awareness to use them properly.
Buoyancy and Equipment
- Setting up and checking your scuba equipment
- Neutral buoyancy and weight control
- Equalising ears and sinuses comfortably
- Controlled descents and ascents
- Mask clearing and regulator recovery
Dive Planning and Emergency Skills
- Reading dive tables and planning no-decompression dives
- Air management and turnaround points
- Buddy system and pre-dive checks
- Emergency ascent procedures
- Underwater navigation basics
Open Water Confidence
- Entry and exit techniques from a boat
- Diving in mild current and different visibility
- Marine life awareness and reef care
- Surfacing procedures and surface marker buoys
- Logging dives and reading your computer
Your Training Dives Are the Real Thing
Most people learn to dive in a quarry, a pool or a murky bay. Here, your four certification dives happen on actual Andaman Sea reefs with coral, turtles and reef sharks. Every dive in your Open Water course is a dive worth logging.
- Warm water around 28 to 30 degrees year-round
- Visibility regularly 20 to 30 metres on training sites
- Marine life on every dive, including turtles and reef fish
- Small groups with focused, patient instruction
- SSI instructors with years of Thailand experience