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SSIOne-on-OneScuba Training
One instructor, one student, and a schedule built around you rather than around a group.
Any of our SSI programmes can be run privately — from a first breath underwater to Divemaster — at whatever pace the student actually needs.
Written by The Scuba Duka team · Reviewed by Ali, founder and Divemaster Instructor · October 2026
Ratio
1 instructor : 1 student
Available for
Any SSI programme we run
Minimum age
As per the chosen programme
Scheduling
Built around your dates
Typical duration
Programme length, often fewer days
Outcome
The certification of the chosen course
Prerequisites, session counts, depths and minimum ages are those of the SSI programme you choose — private delivery changes the ratio and the schedule, never the standard. Everything is confirmed against current SSI standards and your instructor's ratings before the course begins.
What private training actually changes
We already teach in small groups, so private training is not about escaping a crowd. It changes three specific things: the pace, the schedule and the attention.
Pace, because a skill can be repeated until it is comfortable rather than merely signed off, and a confident student can move on the moment they are ready instead of waiting. Schedule, because sessions fit your holiday — early mornings, split days, a rest day in the middle. Attention, because your instructor is watching one person's breathing, buoyancy and face for the whole dive.
—Skills repeated as many times as they need to be, without holding anyone up
—Sessions arranged around your dates, not a fixed course start
—Briefings and debriefings aimed at one diver's questions
—Often finished in fewer days than the same course run in a group
What it does not do
A private instructor does not shorten SSI standards. The sessions, the skills and the performance requirements are the same as they are for anyone else, and a certification will not be issued because a flight leaves on Thursday. What private training buys is efficiency and comfort, not a discount on the standard.
It also does not make anyone dive-fit or medically clear. Anything disclosed on the medical disclaimer goes to a physician, whatever the ratio.
Who it suits
—Nervous beginners who want an instructor's full attention for a first dive
—Guests with a short holiday who need the schedule to bend around other plans
—Divers rebuilding confidence after a difficult experience or a long break
—Parents who would rather their child trained one-to-one
—Couples and families who want the group to be only themselves
—Photographers and professionals working on one specific skill
Where you will train
Sheltered shallow water for confined sessions, chosen for easy entry and clear instructor sightlines
Diani reef sites matched to the programme — depth band and site suitability follow the course, not the preference
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
Tell us the programme and the days
Private training is scheduled rather than sold from a shelf. Message us with what you want to achieve and which days you have, and we will tell you whether it fits — including when it does not.
Digital learning in MySSI
You create a MySSI profile, select The Scuba Duka as your Training Centre, and work through the digital materials before you travel. Doing the theory at home is what makes a compressed private schedule realistic.
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.
What to bring
Swimwear, a towel and reef-safe sunscreen. Certification and logbook details if you already hold a qualification. Equipment, tanks and weights are provided and fitted at the centre.
Frequently asked questions
Which courses can be run privately?
Any programme we teach, from Try Scuba to Divemaster. Tell us which one and we will confirm availability for your dates.
Is it faster than the group course?
Often, because nobody is waiting on anybody. But the number of required sessions does not change, and neither do the performance requirements.
How much more does it cost?
Private training is quoted per programme and per schedule. Message us with the course and your dates and you will get a straight number in USD or Kenya Shillings with the inclusions in writing.
Can two of us train together?
Yes — a couple or a parent and child can be quoted as a private pair. It is no longer one-to-one, but the group is still only you.
Will I have the same instructor throughout?
That is the intention, and it is one of the reasons private training works. If illness or conditions force a change we tell you before the session, not after.
What if the sea is rough?
We change the site, move the session, or reschedule. A private schedule usually has more room to absorb a lost morning than a group course does.
Where this sits in the pathway
Private training is a way of running any step, not a step of its own.
Try Scuba→
Basic Diver→
Scuba Diver→
Open Water Diver→
Specialties & Advanced→
Stress & Rescue→
Dive Guide→
Divemaster
From the dive log
"Had a two week vacation in Diani and decided to try diving. I opted for a one on one training cause I was a little nervous being a newbie. The instructor was great, calm and patient with me and that got me relaxed." Louisa, South Africa
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.
