Skip to content
Meet the full team, with certification cards →
SSIBasic Diver
You add theory and confined-water training, dive to a maximum of 12 metres under the direct supervision of an SSI professional, and carry the completed training forward as credit.
The step between a first taste and a full certification.
Written by The Scuba Duka team · Reviewed by Ali, founder and Divemaster Instructor · October 2026
Minimum age
10
Prerequisite
Fit to swim · no certification needed
Sessions
1 academic · 1 confined · 1 open water
Maximum training depth
12 m / 40 ft
Typical duration
8 hours
Scope
Supervised diving only
Session counts, depths, ages and durations above are the public SSI programme figures. Your exact schedule, prerequisites and route are confirmed against current SSI standards, your instructor's ratings and the conditions of the week before your course begins.
Why divers choose it
—A natural next step after Try Scuba, without the schedule a full course needs
—Continued diving under professional guidance while your confidence builds
—Credit towards SSI Scuba Diver or Open Water Diver, subject to the SSI conditions
—Real comfort in the basic skills before you take on deeper diving
How we run it in Diani
Your open-water session is deliberately run on a shallow, low-complexity site chosen for predictable entry and exit and good instructor visibility — not on the site with the best marine life. The reef comes later, when the skills are automatic.
We record your completion date and explain in writing exactly what you would need to do to continue, and by when. If you continue with us or with any SSI centre in the world, that record travels with you in the MySSI app.
Understand the limits before you book
Basic Diver is a limited-scope certification. It allows supervised diving to 12 metres with an SSI professional. It does not allow you to dive independently with a buddy, and it is not the certification to hold if you plan to book dives elsewhere on your own.
If that is your plan, book Open Water Diver instead. We would rather lose the booking than sell you the wrong card.
Where you will train
Shallow, sheltered training reef — chosen for entry, exit and visibility
Sites are chosen on the day for the conditions and for your stage of training, with a primary site, an alternate, and clear criteria for postponing. Tide, wind, visibility, current and entry condition are logged before every course day.
Before you arrive
Digital learning in MySSI
You create a MySSI profile, select The Scuba Duka as your Training Centre, and work through the digital materials on your phone at your own pace. Your training record, logged dives and certification card are kept in the app.
Medical disclaimer before you dive
A medical disclaimer forms part of the form you complete before diving. If anything on it applies to you, it goes to a physician — we are not doctors and will not clear you medically. Disclosures are kept confidential, and no schedule will be allowed to rush that.
What to bring
Swimwear, a towel and reef-safe sunscreen. Certification and logbook details if you already hold a qualification. Everything else — equipment, tanks, weights — is provided and fitted at the centre.
Two to four students
Small groups let the instructor watch your breathing, buoyancy and comfort, and repeat a skill until it feels easy.
Frequently asked questions
How is this different from Try Scuba?
Try Scuba is a single supervised experience. Basic Diver adds theory and confined-water training and results in a limited certification with a documented upgrade route.
How long do I have to upgrade?
SSI applies conditions and a time window to the credit. We will confirm the current terms in writing at your booking.
Can I dive with a buddy afterwards?
No. Diving remains under the direct supervision of an SSI professional at this level.
How much does it cost?
$170 per person, with the instructor, equipment, SSI digital materials and hotel pickup included. Certification and any park fees are confirmed at booking.
Where this sits in the pathway
Try Scuba→
Basic Diver→
Scuba Diver→
Open Water Diver→
Specialties & Advanced→
Stress & Rescue→
Dive Guide→
Divemaster
From the dive log
"Scuba Duka instructor Omari was very knowledgeable and quite patient during my lessons at the pool and was by my side at all times during dive. Got to see lots of huge turtles" Richard, Kenya
We ask permission before quoting or photographing any guest, and we publish nothing without it.
Who you will dive with
Seven people run the centre, four of them born and raised in Diani Beach. Between the four instructors sit more than 13,000 logged dives on this stretch of the Indian Ocean. Two qualified dive guides, Sampuli and Captain Michael, guide dives alongside them.
Ali
Founder · Divemaster Instructor25+ years diving in Kenya and abroad. Born and raised in Diani Beach.
Kassim
Scuba Instructor17+ years and 8,000+ logged dives, from Diani to Kisite Mpunguti. SSI and PADI certified.
Salim Swaleh
Scuba Instructor4,000+ logged dives on Diani sites. Teaches SSI beginner to specialty courses.
Omari
Scuba InstructorSSI and PADI Open Water Instructor, 1,000+ logged dives. Shoots underwater photo and video.
Sampuli
Dive GuideBorn and raised in Diani Beach. 100+ logged dives. Guides guest divers and runs equipment checks.
Michael
Dive Guide · Captain20+ years scuba diving and captaining boats. Handles the boat and guides dives.
