Skip to content
Meet the full team, with certification cards →
SSI Open WaterDiver
The first full certification. It qualifies you to dive with a certified buddy to 18 metres anywhere in the world.
We teach it in groups of two to four, moving from confined water to the reef as each skill becomes comfortable.
Written by The Scuba Duka team · Reviewed by Ali, founder and Divemaster Instructor · October 2026
Minimum age
10
Prerequisite
Fit to swim · water-fitness evaluation
Sessions
6 academic · 6 confined · 4 open water
Maximum training depth
18 m / 60 ft
SSI suggested duration
3–4 days
Typical delivery
3–4 days, subject to pace and conditions
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.
How the days run
—Before you arrive — the digital theory in the MySSI app, at your own pace, on your phone
—Day one — equipment, confined-water skills and your first breaths in shallow water
—Days two and three — four open-water training dives on local reefs: skills, then real diving
—Finish — a review, your logged dives, and a digital certification card that does not expire
The skills you will actually be taught
SSI lists pre-dive checks, controlled descents and ascents, mask removal, replacement and clearing, regulator clearing and retrieval, gas sharing, delayed SMB deployment where required, and safety stops.
Before open-water training you complete a water-fitness evaluation: a swim assessment and a survival float.
Where we differ is repetition. We build extra time into mask skills, buoyancy, controlled ascents and gas sharing, because comfortable is not the same as completed.
Why Diani is a good place to learn
The coral reefs near Diani Beach make excellent training grounds. The water is warm, visibility is reliable for most of the year, and marine life is active enough to keep things interesting while you focus on skills. Students regularly complete checkout dives alongside turtles and reef fish.
You will also learn the local part of diving: a conditions and environment briefing before the first reef dive, calm entries and exits, keeping hoses, gauges and fins clear of coral, and the difference between a skills site and a wildlife site.
What we will not promise
We publish three to four days as typical, not guaranteed. Skill mastery, weather, sea state, medical screening and your own pace decide when the course is finished. A course is not complete until you have demonstrated the required skills in conditions the instructor considers appropriate.
Where you will train
Kinondo Reef
Galu Reef
Dzinani Reef
Milele Reef
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
Do I need to be a strong swimmer?
You need to pass the SSI water-fitness evaluation — a swim assessment and a survival float. It is not a race.
Can I finish the theory before I arrive?
Yes, and we recommend it. The digital learning sits in the MySSI app and frees your days for water time.
Does the certification expire?
No. Your SSI certification does not expire. If you have been out of the water a long time, book a Scuba Skills Update before diving again.
Is age 10 really enough?
Ten is the SSI programme minimum. Readiness depends on maturity, water comfort, equipment fit and guardian consent, and we will talk it through with you first.
What if I cannot equalise or feel anxious?
We slow down. Extra sessions are normal, and no instructor here will push you deeper than you are ready for.
How much does it cost?
$490 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
"I earned my Open Water Diver certification here and can recommend the diving center 100%. All the staff were very friendly and professional, and they always made us feel safe. Thank you for the great experience." Simon, Germany
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.
