Ocean Tribe is now an SSI Instructor Training Center.
Ocean Tribe is an SSI Instructor Training Center in Diani Beach, Kenya. We bring experienced coaching, modern teaching tools and an inclusive approach together to help you take your next step in professional diving.
More possibilities for your diving career.
From your first professional qualification to teaching your own students, you can build your future with Ocean Tribe.
Our move to SSI reflects the way we want to train: with clear standards, time to develop skills and practical support for both students and instructors. It connects our Diani dive centre to a worldwide training network while keeping personal coaching at the centre of the experience.
For Divemasters, that means a route into instructor training. For instructors qualified elsewhere, it means a professional crossover. For new divers, it means learning with a team that also develops the people who teach diving.
A teaching system that supports the whole journey.
Choosing a training organisation affects more than the logo on your certification card. It shapes your teaching, your daily administration and the ways you can develop as a professional.
Comfort through repetition
Good diving skills need practice. SSI’s approach gives you a framework for building comfort and competence through repetition. You learn to respond to a student’s progress while meeting the programme’s standards.
Why choose SSI? →One connected system
MySSI brings learning materials, digital certification cards and dive logs together. As an instructor, you learn to use the professional tools that support course preparation, student records and certification.
Explore the MySSI app →International opportunities
SSI qualifications are recognised internationally. Your training can support a career across the SSI network, with active teaching status, centre affiliation and local employment requirements forming part of your professional planning.
Understand global recognition →Look beyond the course fee
Digital resources, annual professional fees and further instructor training all affect the cost of a diving career. SSI’s professional model and Pro Rewards programme are part of the value we want candidates to understand.
Read about Pro Rewards →Give divers a next step
Specialty training, logged experience and SSI recognition levels give your students goals beyond their first certification. Learn to recommend training that matches what each diver wants to do.
Explore diver recognition →Keep growing as a teacher
Instructor certification is a foundation. Further training can broaden the programmes you teach, develop specialist interests and prepare you for greater responsibility within a dive centre.
Explore the career benefits →Two routes. One professional training team.
Become an SSI instructor
Ready to move from leading dives to teaching? Our SSI Instructor Training Course develops your academic teaching, confined-water instruction and open-water teaching skills.
- Prepare with digital learning and dive theory revision.
- Practise demonstrations, presentations and student management.
- Receive feedback and develop areas that need more work.
- Progress to the independent Instructor Evaluation when you meet the requirements.
Bring your experience to SSI
The SSI Instructor Crossover recognises your existing professional training. It introduces SSI’s standards, educational approach and digital systems while preparing you for the required evaluation.
- Review your current rating, teaching status and experience.
- Learn how to organise and teach within the SSI system.
- Review relevant specialty instructor equivalencies.
- Complete the required training and Instructor Evaluation.
Not yet a Divemaster? Ask us about a staged professional pathway or internship. We will review your qualifications, logged dives and preparation before recommending your next step.
Develop the judgement behind the demonstration.
An instructor needs to explain clearly, spot difficulties early and help students learn safely. Our training connects those responsibilities to the everyday work of a dive centre.
Build your foundation
Review your dive theory, complete assigned digital study and prepare your documents and equipment. Arriving ready gives you more space to focus on teaching.
Practise. Review. Improve.
Work on academic presentations and in-water teaching. Use feedback to refine your explanations, demonstrations, positioning and awareness of students.
Prepare for professional life
Develop your understanding of course organisation and the MySSI workflow. Discuss further training and career goals as you prepare for the Instructor Evaluation.
Learn with Mark Slingo.
Ocean Tribe co-owner Mark Slingo is an SSI Instructor Trainer and former PADI Course Director. His experience across training systems helps candidates understand both the teaching methods and the practical demands of professional diving.
As a paraplegic dive professional, Mark also brings personal experience to adaptive diving. His approach encourages instructors to look closely at each student’s abilities, communicate clearly and find appropriate ways to support learning.
Train in Diani with a team that values preparation, personal feedback and the confidence that comes from practice.
Meet the Ocean Tribe crew →Teach with purpose. Care for your ocean.
Make room for different abilities
Ocean Tribe is an SSI Classified Diving Centre. The Classified Diver programme provides an adaptive training route for people who need assistance with some autonomous-diver skills, with support requirements based on their in-water abilities.
For developing instructors, this is a valuable reminder to assess the person in front of you. Ask us about the additional training needed to teach or support Classified Diving programmes.
Discover Classified Diving →Lead by example underwater
Buoyancy, careful finning and respectful wildlife encounters belong in every instructor’s teaching. SSI Blue Oceans connects ocean awareness with everyday choices that divers can put into practice.
Ocean Tribe’s monthly cleanups give our community another way to take part. Speak to the team about joining an upcoming activity during your time in Diani.
Get involved with Blue Oceans →Make an informed career decision.
These guides explain the thinking behind our choice and help you compare the options for your own professional journey.
Choosing your instructor course
The benefits of choosing SSI’s ITCWhy train as an instructor at Ocean Tribe?The SSI ITC as an alternative to the PADI IDCCrossovers & professional costs
What an SSI crossover can offerUnderstanding professional costs and savingsComparing SSI and PADI trainingThe wider SSI community
Why Ocean Tribe chooses SSIA look back at the 2025 SSI Dive Log ChallengeExplore Scuba Schools InternationalSome linked articles discuss earlier offers, fees or events. Ask us for a current quotation and confirmed course inclusions when planning your training.
SSI instructor training FAQs.
Can I join if my Divemaster qualification is from another agency?
A qualifying leadership certification from a recognised training organisation may meet the entry requirement. Ocean Tribe will check your rating, experience, logged dives and other prerequisites before confirming eligibility.
Does completing the ITC automatically make me an instructor?
No. You must complete the training requirements and pass the independent SSI Instructor Evaluation. Active teaching status also depends on meeting SSI’s professional requirements.
Can I keep my existing instructor qualification when I cross over?
A crossover does not automatically cancel your existing qualification. Maintaining active status with more than one organisation means meeting each organisation’s requirements and paying the applicable professional fees.
Are SSI certifications recognised internationally?
Yes. SSI certifications are recognised internationally. Professional employment also depends on your teaching status, qualifications, experience and the requirements of the country and dive centre where you plan to work.
Are specialty instructor ratings included?
Your teaching authorisations depend on your completed training and the applicable SSI requirements. Ask for a written list of the ratings, materials and fees included in your chosen ITC or crossover package.
How do I choose my dates and budget?
Start with our course calendar and costs page, then contact the team with your current qualification and preferred dates. We can confirm the training route, evaluation arrangements, preparation and package inclusions before you book.
Ready to take your place on the teaching side?
Tell us your current certification, logged dives and career goals. We will help you plan an SSI Instructor Training Course, crossover or professional pathway that fits your starting point.
Ocean Tribe · Diani Beach, Kenya · +254 700 934854
