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SSITry Scuba
A supervised first dive for people who have never dived: about five hours with an instructor beside you, finished on a shallow Diani reef. From age 8, for $160.
Try Scuba is not a certification. The skills you learn count towards SSI Open Water Diver if you decide to carry on.
Written by The Scuba Duka team · Reviewed by Ali, founder and Divemaster Instructor · October 2026
Minimum age
8
Prerequisite
Fit to swim
Sessions
1 academic · 1 confined water
Maximum depth
12 m / 40 ft
Typical duration
5 hours
Outcome
Recognition, not certification
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.
What the session actually involves
We start on land with a calm, unhurried equipment orientation: what each piece does, how it feels, and what you will be asked to do. Nothing is rushed and there is no theory exam.
In shallow water you practise the four things that make a first dive comfortable — breathing through the regulator, clearing a little water from your mask, equalising your ears, and the hand signals you and your instructor will use.
Then you dive. Your instructor stays beside you throughout, at a depth chosen for the conditions on the day, and your job is simply to look around.
—Small group, always — extra time is built in for ear equalisation or nerves
—A guided shallow reef dive rather than a pool-only session where conditions allow
—Fruit, drinking water and fresh juice back at the centre
What it does not do
Try Scuba does not certify you to dive independently, and it is not a short version of Open Water Diver. Any further dives need an instructor with you until you complete a certification course.
If you finish the session and want more, the natural next steps are SSI Basic Diver or, if you have the days, SSI Open Water Diver.
Who it suits
—Resort guests who are curious but not ready to commit to a course
—Families with children from age 8, subject to maturity, water comfort and guardian consent
—Nervous first-timers who want a patient instructor and a small group
—Anyone with one free morning in Diani
Where you will train
Sheltered shallow reef selected on the day for easy entry and good instructor 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 and logged dives 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 able to swim?
You need to be comfortable and fit in the water. SSI lists a fit-to-swim prerequisite for Try Scuba, and your instructor will talk it through with you before the session.
Can my eight-year-old do this?
Eight is the SSI programme minimum for Try Scuba. Whether an individual child is ready depends on maturity, water comfort, equipment fit and guardian consent. We tell you before you book whether we think your child is ready.
Does it count towards a certification?
The skills carry forward. Ask us about starting Open Water Diver afterwards; the training you have already done is not wasted.
What if the sea is rough?
We move the session, change the site, or reschedule. Conditions and your comfort set the plan, not the timetable.
How much does it cost?
$160 per person for a half day, with the instructor, equipment, hotel pickup and SSI digital materials included. Any recognition or 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
“So happy to have tried diving with Scuba Duka. Never thought I would be a diver but now can’t stop thinking about my next dive adventure.”
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.
