Explore colourful reefs, dramatic walls and Diani’s signature wreck with small-group guided diving in Kenya.
Join daily guided dives on Diani’s reefs, walls and wrecks.
Explore Diani Diving →Get the practical details you need before booking your Diani dive.
Ask the Dive Team →Compare Diani sites and find a dive that suits your certification and experience.
Check out the dive sites →
Learn about pressure in diving and how it affects your body, gas consumption and air spaces underwater.
The Physics of Diving
Ambient pressure and gauge pressure.
Thanks to Easy Dive Theory for making this video
Learn how to calculate volume changes due to depth and as a result pressure. Learn what formula you should use to calculate the volume change. (Boyle’s Law)
Constants you will use:
Ambient pressure and gauge pressure.
Thanks to Easy Dive Theory for making this video
What are the effects of breathing oxygen under pressure? Find out how the partial pressure of the mix in the air can affect you when you dive. When you breathe oxygen under pressure you are possibly exposing yourself to the risk of Pulmonary Oygen Toxicity and Central Nervous System Oxygen Toxicity.
Thanks to Easy Dive Theory for making this video
Develop the line-handling, buoyancy, gas-management and emergency skills needed to conduct controlled limited-penetration dives inside the light zone of a wreck.
Advanced Wreck Diving builds on foundational wreck skills and introduces controlled penetration techniques using a single continuous guideline.
You will learn to plan and execute no-decompression penetration dives through clear entry points while remaining inside the light zone and maintaining a direct guideline back to open water.
This is a recreational, no-decompression program with clearly defined limits. Good wreck divers know where the course boundary lies.
Penetration is limited to areas where natural light and a clear, controlled exit route remain available.
A properly laid line maintains a direct route from the penetration area back to open water.
Dives remain within recreational no-decompression limits and the maximum depth permitted by your certification.
Every participant must meet the diver medical questionnaire requirements before entering the water.
Detailed theory covering wreck hazards, equipment, penetration planning and emergency procedures.
Instructor-led preparation focused on planning, guideline use, gas management and emergency procedures.
Four progressive ocean dives, including controlled penetration where conditions and diver readiness allow.
Learn to deploy, secure, follow and retrieve a guideline in a wreck environment.
Required standard scuba equipment, cylinders, air fills and weights during scheduled training.
Internationally recognised SSI Advanced Wreck Specialty certification after completing all requirements.
Fruit, drinking water and light snacks during the scheduled boat dives.
Scheduled course transfers within the Diani area.
Close coaching and feedback with emphasis on control, precision and safe decision-making.
Develop the theory, dry-land line skills and in-water experience required for controlled wreck penetration.
Complete the Advanced Wreck Digital Learning before the course. Study at home, make in-app notes and finish the section reviews before practical training begins.
Develop reel and line-handling techniques in a controlled dry-land environment before using them underwater.
Travel by boat to a suitable wreck and begin applying specialist wreck-diving techniques under direct instructor supervision.
Build your guideline skills and complete a controlled limited-penetration dive when conditions and performance allow.
Your wreck training is planned for the MV Alpha Funguo, subject to weather, ocean conditions, diver readiness and instructor assessment.
Its structure provides opportunities to develop orientation, guideline and controlled-penetration skills in a real wreck environment.
The course is available throughout the year, subject to instructor availability and suitable wreck-diving conditions.
Contact Ocean Tribe if you need help checking your certification, logged dives or medical requirements before booking.
Add depth, gas planning, equipment configuration and precise control to become a more capable wreck diver.
Develop deeper-dive planning, gas management, narcosis awareness and emergency skills.
Explore Deep Diving →Build balance, streamlining and gas redundancy using a flexible twin-cylinder configuration.
Explore Sidemount →Analyse enriched-air blends and plan dives with extended no-decompression limits.
Explore Nitrox →Improve stability, trim and propulsion while using a reel and working close to a wreck.
Explore Perfect Buoyancy →Combine Deep Diving, Sidemount, Advanced Wreck and Enriched Air Nitrox into one focused program with twelve training dives.
Discover Mission Ready Diver
Purchase professional underwater photos and videos captured by Ocean Tribe’s in-house photography team.
Subject to availability, DJI Osmo Action 4 cameras may also be hired from the dive-centre front desk.
Buy Your Dive PhotosWrecks provide structure and shelter, attracting reef fish and other marine life. Every dive brings something different.
Watch for turtles cruising past or resting near the reef.
Look carefully into protected openings and sheltered spaces.
These distinctive predators often shelter around structures.
Slow down and inspect the wreck carefully for colourful details.
Keep an eye on the blue for a seasonal passing manta.
These ocean giants may visit Diani during the seasonal window.
Develop the control, planning and line skills needed to begin exploring the inside of a wreck safely and responsibly.
Diani Beach, Kenya · +254 700 934 854 · info@oceantribe.co
Build the professional-level dive knowledge you need to plan dives, manage divers, solve problems and explain the science behind safe scuba diving.
Divemaster knowledge development takes everything you learned as a recreational diver and connects it to real professional decisions. You will study why things happen underwater, how to plan around them and how to communicate that information clearly to other divers.
Your training combines SSI Digital Learning, knowledge reviews, instructor-led workshops and practical application. Your instructor will review difficult concepts with you, correct misunderstandings and show you how the theory applies to actual dive-centre operations.
This is knowledge you will use while giving briefings, planning dives, assisting students, handling problems and progressing toward your SSI Instructor Training Course.
A professional should be able to do more than select the correct exam answer. You should be able to explain the idea, apply it to a dive and use it to make a safe decision.
Work through the theory in manageable stages, then turn that information into practical professional knowledge.
Complete the assigned SSI Digital Learning modules using the MySSI app or online learning platform.
Complete knowledge reviews that help identify the subjects you understand and the areas that need more work.
Discuss the topics with your SSI Instructor and work through examples based on genuine diving situations.
Use the knowledge during dive planning, briefings, diver supervision, training assistance and final assessments.
You will go beyond recreational-level knowledge and learn how each subject affects the divers under your supervision.
Pressure, buoyancy, gas behaviour and the physical principles that affect divers and equipment underwater.
How pressure and breathing gases affect the body, including decompression illness, narcosis and oxygen exposure.
Equipment function, appropriate configuration, common problems and how equipment choices affect the dive plan.
Inert-gas loading, ascent planning, repetitive diving and the principles behind dive tables and computers.
Evaluate depth, time, gas, conditions, diver ability, environmental factors and emergency options.
Organise groups, assess ability, set expectations, prevent problems and supervise certified divers effectively.
Recognise developing problems, respond to incidents and build practical emergency plans for different dive environments.
Understand conditions, entries, currents, visibility, marine life and environmental considerations when planning dives.
Your Divemaster knowledge is developed through the Dive Guide material, Science of Diving and computer-based dive planning.
Learn professional conduct, dive preparation, briefings, guiding, diver supervision, site assessment and leadership responsibilities.
Explore the Divemaster course →Develop a detailed understanding of physics, physiology, decompression theory, equipment and the aquatic environment.
View Science of Diving →Understand how dive computers calculate exposure, manage repetitive dives and support better dive-planning decisions.
View Computer Diving →
Strong dive theory gives you the confidence to answer questions, recognise problems early and explain the reasoning behind safe diving practices.
Ocean Tribe will review your certifications and logged experience before your professional training begins.
You should have at least 40 logged open-water dives totalling 25 hours to enter the training.
To earn the SSI Divemaster certification, you must have at least 60 logged open-water dives totalling 40 hours and complete all course requirements.
Knowledge development forms part of the complete Ocean Tribe SSI Divemaster program.
Two-or-more-diver rates may be available for candidates booking together. Course suitability and any required preparatory training will be confirmed before enrolment.
Yes. Completing assigned digital learning before your practical training gives you more time to ask questions and apply the theory during your course. Ocean Tribe will explain which sections should be completed before arrival.
Yes. Science of Diving is a core part of the SSI Divemaster pathway. You must demonstrate the required professional-level knowledge and successfully complete the applicable assessments.
Your instructor will review the subject with you using workshops, examples and practical diving situations. The aim is to help you genuinely understand and apply the material.
No. You will use it when planning dives, giving briefings, supervising divers, assisting students and preparing for future professional training such as the SSI Instructor Training Course.
SSI standards allow recognised certifications or verified experience in these areas, subject to the current training standards and your instructor confirming that you demonstrate the required ability. Ocean Tribe will check your dive history before the course.
The Basic Package is designed for divers who already satisfy the required training and experience. The Deluxe Package includes important prerequisite courses for candidates who still need to complete them. Send Ocean Tribe your certifications and logged-dive information for an individual recommendation.
Speak directly with the Ocean Tribe professional training team in Diani. We will review your experience, explain the course and help you plan the right route to SSI Divemaster.
Learn how to support an SSI Instructor during real diver training. Develop the awareness, organisation and people skills that turn an experienced diver into a trusted dive professional.
One of the most important roles of an SSI Divemaster is assisting an instructor during diver training. It is not simply about carrying equipment or following the group. You need to anticipate what comes next, watch the students, support the instructor and help the entire session run safely and smoothly.
At Ocean Tribe, you will assist experienced SSI Instructors during real training programs whenever suitable courses are running. If a required training situation is not available, realistic simulations can be used so you still develop and demonstrate the required skills.
A capable Divemaster helps create a calmer, safer and more organised learning environment for every student.
Monitor the rest of the group while the instructor works with an individual student. Maintain position, awareness and clear communication without distracting from the lesson.
Support demonstrations that require a second diver, including air-sharing exercises. Good positioning helps every student see exactly what is happening.
Prepare spare equipment, organise cylinders, assist students with their gear and check that descent lines, emergency equipment and training aids are ready.
Lead the underwater tour while the instructor observes student performance. Practise navigation, pace control, group positioning and environmental awareness.
Recognise common equipment problems and make safe, appropriate adjustments. Learn which problems you can resolve and when the instructor must take over.
Be calm and approachable. Listen to student concerns, reinforce the instructor’s guidance and help nervous divers feel supported without stepping outside your professional role.
Good assisting begins before anyone enters the water and continues after the final student has removed their equipment.
Review the plan, understand your assigned role and confirm that equipment, teaching aids and emergency resources are ready.
Watch the instructor, students, surroundings and group position. Spot developing problems before they become disruptive.
Carry out the instructor’s directions calmly and efficiently while communicating clearly with both students and the dive team.
Join the debrief, discuss what worked and identify how your positioning, awareness and assistance can improve next time.
Student divers sometimes find it easier to speak to the Divemaster than to the instructor. You may be the person they approach with a question, a concern or a quiet admission that they feel nervous.
Your job is to listen, remain reassuring and pass important information to the instructor. You reinforce the instructor’s teaching rather than replacing it. This balance of friendliness, judgement and professional boundaries is a key Divemaster skill.
Tell us your current certification level, number of logged dives and preferred training dates. We will help you plan the right Divemaster route in Diani.
Embarking on the SSI Instructor Training Course (ITC) with Ocean Tribe in Diani Beach, Kenya, is a significant step in your diving career. To ensure a smooth journey, it’s crucial to complete the Digital Learning component effectively. Here’s a straightforward guide to help you navigate this process.
First, create a profile on the MySSI platform. Once your profile is set up, Ocean Tribe will assign the ITC Digital Learning materials to your account.
After the assignment, you can access the materials through the MySSI app or website. This flexibility allows you to study at your own pace, whether on a computer, tablet, or smartphone.
The ITC Digital Learning is divided into ten comprehensive sections:
Each section includes review questions and assessments to reinforce your understanding.
It’s essential to complete all ten sections, including the reviews and assessments, before the start of your ITC sessions. This preparation ensures you’re ready for the practical applications and evaluations that follow.
After completing the sections, you’ll take a final exam. Achieving a passing score is necessary to proceed with the in-person components of the ITC.
Remember, thorough preparation through the different modules sets the foundation for your success as an SSI Instructor. Dive in, study diligently, and get ready to inspire the next generation of divers.
Discover how the SSI Instructor Evaluation verifies your dive standards knowledge, classroom teaching and in-water instructional ability.
After successfully completing the SSI Instructor Training Course, the Instructor Evaluation verifies that your knowledge, diving skills and teaching ability meet the required SSI performance standards.
The evaluation is conducted by an authorised SSI Instructor Certifier. It is separate from the development and coaching you receive during the ITC.
During your Ocean Tribe ITC, you will practise the same types of academic and in-water presentations used during the evaluation. By the time the IE begins, the structure should already feel familiar.
The IE evaluates written knowledge, academic teaching, confined-water teaching and open-water teaching.
Each section focuses on your ability to apply SSI standards and create a safe, effective learning environment for student divers.
Your exact timetable may vary, but the Instructor Evaluation normally includes these four core areas.
Demonstrate your understanding of SSI Training Standards.
Teach an assigned knowledge topic using SSI materials, examples and student interaction.
Brief, demonstrate, supervise, identify student problems and debrief an assigned skill.
Conduct two assigned skills in open water while controlling the site, students and assistants.
Show that you understand the SSI standards governing the programs you will teach.
Complete a multiple-choice examination covering professional-level dive theory and SSI Training Standards.
Theory subjects may include physics, physiology, equipment, decompression theory, ecology, dive skills and dive planning.
The standards section tests your ability to understand program requirements, ratios, depths, supervision and certification procedures.
The standards portion is normally open book. The goal is to know how to locate the correct information—not memorise every standard.
Your Ocean Tribe ITC includes exam preparation and practice to identify any areas requiring additional study.
Demonstrate that you can explain diving knowledge clearly and help a student understand a difficult concept.
The evaluator assigns a question or knowledge topic from an appropriate SSI diver-training program.
Prepare a short presentation using SSI lesson guides, manuals, digital learning and other approved teaching materials.
Explain the subject clearly, involve your students and use appropriate examples from real diving.
Connect the knowledge to student safety, comfort, equipment or their future diving experiences.
Presentations commonly last around 10–15 minutes, depending on the assigned topic and current evaluation requirements.
Show that you can organise, teach and evaluate scuba skills in a controlled in-water environment.
Deliver a clear briefing explaining the skill, its value, the required performance and how the session will operate.
Demonstrate the assigned skill slowly, clearly and at demonstration quality.
Supervise the students while maintaining appropriate positioning, control and awareness.
Identify deliberately assigned student problems, intervene when required and help each student meet the performance requirements.
Finish with an effective debrief that reinforces success and provides useful corrective feedback.
You may also be asked to demonstrate selected Open Water Diver skills, including an emergency skill, at instructor quality.
Bring together site organisation, student control, skill teaching and professional judgement in a real open-water environment.
Prepare the training site and organise the equipment, students and certified assistants.
Brief the assigned Open Water Diver skills, including the session organisation and safety procedures.
Teach the assigned skills while maintaining control of the group and the open-water environment.
Recognise and correct deliberately assigned student problems while ensuring the performance requirements are met.
Conclude with an organised exit and a clear, positive student debrief.
Complete the required rescue demonstration, including bringing an unresponsive diver to the surface and providing appropriate assistance.
None of the evaluation formats should be a surprise. During the ITC, you will practise the presentation structure, scoring approach and skills required for the IE.
Practise theory and standards examinations before the IE.
Deliver several academic presentations and receive trainer feedback.
Practise confined-water briefings, demonstrations and student corrections.
Conduct open-water presentations in realistic teaching scenarios.
Refine your rescue and demonstration-quality scuba skills.
Once all certification requirements are completed and processed, you can begin your career as an SSI Open Water Instructor.
Not passing one section does not normally mean repeating the entire Instructor Training Course or Instructor Evaluation.
The IE is a separate evaluation following the ITC. Ocean Tribe’s current full ITC packages may include the IE fee, but you should confirm the inclusions of your selected package when booking.
The IE is conducted by an authorised SSI Instructor Certifier rather than being evaluated solely by the team who delivered your ITC.
The Ocean Tribe IE is normally scheduled across two days. The exact timetable can vary according to candidate numbers, conditions and SSI requirements.
You will normally need to repeat only the relevant component at a future IE. The evaluator and training team will explain the development required and any applicable resit fees.
The standards component is normally open book because instructors need to know how to locate and correctly apply current SSI Training Standards. Confirm the current format during IE orientation.
No. You should use the approved SSI teaching materials effectively, explain the assigned subject clearly and interact naturally with your students rather than delivering a memorised speech.
Develop your teaching skills, practise every evaluation component and arrive at your SSI Instructor Evaluation ready to succeed.
Discover how the SSI Instructor Training Course transforms experienced dive leaders into confident educators through workshops, teaching presentations, skill development and real in-water practice.
During the SSI Instructor Training Course, you take part in practical workshops designed to develop the art of teaching scuba divers safely, clearly and confidently.
You will attend presentations led by the Ocean Tribe SSI Instructor Trainer and supported by Assistant Instructor Trainers. These sessions combine teaching methods, SSI program knowledge, professional standards and practical career development.
You then put that knowledge into action by delivering academic, confined-water and open-water presentations in realistic student scenarios.
Being able to perform a scuba skill is only the beginning. An instructor must be able to explain it, demonstrate it, supervise it and recognise when a student needs extra support.
The ITC develops each of those abilities through repetition, feedback and progressively more realistic teaching exercises.
Each part builds on the last, moving from preparation and workshop development into realistic academic and in-water teaching.
Complete your SSI ITC Digital Learning, revise dive theory, review SSI training standards and practise your scuba skills before live training begins.
Explore teaching techniques, program administration, professional responsibilities, risk management and the SSI education system.
Deliver short classroom presentations using SSI materials and learn how to turn technical information into an engaging student lesson.
Brief, demonstrate, supervise and debrief scuba skills while your fellow candidates simulate realistic student difficulties.
Plan and conduct ocean sessions while managing the site, your assistants, student divers and the required performance objectives.
Complete knowledge reviews and practise the theory and standards examinations used during the separate SSI Instructor Evaluation.
Review your progress with the training team, identify final areas to refine and prepare to enter the Instructor Evaluation confidently.
Your course combines knowledge, practical teaching and professional development. Each element helps you prepare for both the Instructor Evaluation and the real job that follows it.
Build on your digital learning through staff-led discussions, demonstrations, problem-solving exercises and team activities.
Review dive theory and learn how to locate information efficiently within SSI training standards and professional materials.
Refine your scuba and rescue skills so every important step is slow, controlled, visible and easy for students to understand.
Learn positioning, control, assistant use and techniques for spotting potential problems before they become serious.
Recognise whether a student has met the performance requirements and provide feedback that is constructive and motivating.
Discuss career planning, customer care, the business of diving and the professional behaviour expected from an SSI Instructor.
A dive instructor must be able to communicate effectively in a classroom, at the pool and in open water. The ITC develops all three.
Use SSI lesson guides, digital learning and instructor materials to answer an assigned question clearly. You will practise involving students, using examples and connecting theory to real diving.
Brief a skill, demonstrate it at teaching quality and supervise simulated students. You must identify deliberately assigned problems, correct them and finish with an effective debrief.
Organise a real ocean training site and teach multiple skills while managing environmental conditions, student safety, assistants and the session’s performance requirements.
Instructor candidates are expected to behave like dive professionals throughout their training—not only when an evaluation officially begins.
Professional behaviour: punctuality, preparation, attitude, communication and respect for candidates, staff and customers.
Equipment presentation: complete, suitable and professionally maintained diving equipment.
Safety and control: effective supervision, positioning, organisation and use of certified assistants.
SSI system knowledge: understanding how SSI programs, standards and the Diver Diamond support student development.
Demonstration skills: calm, controlled and clearly visible scuba and rescue-skill demonstrations.
Coachability: the ability to accept feedback, adapt your approach and improve throughout the course.
Great instructors do more than deliver course content. They create a safe learning environment, adapt to individual students and represent the dive centre and training organisation professionally.
Ocean Tribe uses the ITC to develop employable instructors—not only candidates who can complete an evaluation.
Your Open Water Instructor rating is the start of your instructional journey. Additional instructor programs can broaden what you are qualified to teach and help you progress through the SSI professional system.
Explore Specialty Instructor CoursesDevelop the ability to teach CPR, First Aid and emergency oxygen skills required by divers and dive professionals.
Add programs such as Deep Diving, Navigation, Night Diving, Perfect Buoyancy and Enriched Air Nitrox.
Work toward the instructor ratings and certification experience required to train SSI Dive Guides and Divemasters.
No. Classroom workshops are important, but a substantial part of the program involves confined-water training, skill demonstrations, rescue development and open-water teaching presentations.
Yes. Completing the assigned digital learning before live training allows the workshops to concentrate on applying the knowledge rather than introducing every subject from the beginning.
Yes. You will deliver academic and in-water presentations while fellow candidates act as students. This creates a supportive place to practise, receive feedback and improve.
The ITC prepares you for the separate SSI Instructor Evaluation. The evaluation is conducted by an authorised SSI Instructor Certifier and verifies your knowledge and teaching performance.
The ITC is a training environment. Your trainers will identify what needs improvement, coach you through the relevant techniques and give you opportunities to develop your performance.
Train with Ocean Tribe in Diani Beach and develop the knowledge, confidence and practical ability required to teach the next generation of divers.
Arrive ready to teach, learn and improve. Use this practical guide to prepare your digital learning, dive theory, SSI standards, equipment and demonstration-quality scuba skills.
The SSI Instructor Training Course is not the ideal place to begin relearning basic dive theory or discovering the SSI materials for the first time.
Arriving prepared allows you to concentrate on developing the new skills that matter: teaching, demonstration, student supervision, evaluation and professional decision-making.
Your goal is not to memorise everything. You should understand the core concepts, know where to find the standards and be comfortable demonstrating your diving skills slowly and clearly.
Focus your preparation on digital learning, dive theory and standards, demonstration-quality water skills, and practical course organisation.
If you are unsure where to begin, send Ocean Tribe your current certification history and planned course dates.
Complete every assigned ITC section, review question and assessment before live training begins.
Refresh your dive theory and become familiar with locating information in the current SSI Training Standards.
Practise each skill slowly, neutrally buoyant where appropriate and with every key step clearly visible.
Check your equipment, medical, certifications, travel arrangements and required professional materials.
This is a suggested preparation structure rather than a fixed SSI schedule. Start earlier whenever possible and adapt it to your experience.
Confirm your prerequisites, medical, certifications, logged dives, course dates, accommodation and equipment requirements.
Work steadily through your ITC Digital Learning and refresh your Science of Diving knowledge.
Practise the full scuba-skills circuit, rescue skills, navigation, lift-bag use and professional dive briefings.
Review weak areas, prepare your equipment and materials, then avoid exhausting yourself immediately before training.
You do not need to memorise the entire SSI Instructor Manual. You do need to understand its structure and locate the correct standard efficiently.
Pressure, volume, density, buoyancy and the gas laws that affect divers.
Pressure-related injuries, decompression illness, narcosis and oxygen exposure.
Equipment function, configuration, care, problem recognition and appropriate use.
Dive computers, tables, ascent procedures and responsible dive planning.
Environmental conditions, navigation, gas management and emergency planning.
Program prerequisites, ratios, depth limits, supervision and certification requirements.
How knowledge, skills, equipment and experience combine to develop capable divers.
Responsible diving, marine protection and managing training around local conditions.
Your demonstrations should be slow, controlled and easy to understand. Exaggerate important actions and pause so students can identify each step.
Useful practice: ask another professional to watch your demonstrations or record them on video. What feels slow to you may still appear fast to a student.
Use these guides alongside your digital learning to prepare your qualifications, equipment and professional training materials.
Confirm your professional certification, logged dives, medical, First Aid training and specialty experience.
Check the prerequisites →Check your personal dive gear, signalling equipment, teaching accessories and professional equipment configuration.
View the equipment list →Prepare your digital resources, wetnotes, evaluation slate, computer or tablet and study materials.
View the materials →Use this quick checklist shortly before your course begins. Contact Ocean Tribe immediately if any required item is incomplete.
Digital Learning, reviews and assigned assessments completed.
Medical clearance, CPR and First Aid certification are current.
Certification history and logged dives are available for review.
Dive equipment has been checked, serviced and correctly configured.
Laptop or tablet, charger, stationery and SSI materials are packed.
Travel, accommodation and arrival details have been confirmed.
You have rested and avoided exhausting final-minute preparation.
Choose your ITC dates, complete your preparation and arrive in Diani ready to develop into a confident SSI diving instructor.
Ocean Tribe Dive Team
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