SSI Open Water Diver

The SSI Open Water Diver course at Brothers Diving is the full entry-level certification, allowing graduates to dive independently with a buddy to 18 metres anywhere in the world. Brothers Diving describes it as the world's most popular diving certification through SSI, and it's the natural next step for anyone who has completed the Scuba Diver programme — roughly half the work is already done.

The course combines online theory via the mySSI app, confined water practice sessions at Brothers Diving's centre, and open water dives in Gran Canaria. The mySSI materials — manuals, videos, quizzes and exams — are accessible from the moment you book, so theory can be completed before arriving on the island.

Practical training covers scuba gear operation, buoyancy, underwater navigation, safety procedures, and dive planning. Brothers Diving's instructors hold dual SSI and PADI ratings, and the approach follows SSI's methodology: students practise each skill until they're comfortable and confident, not just until they've ticked a box.

Open water dives take place at Gran Canaria coastal sites. The same premium equipment used across all Brothers Diving programmes — Fourth Element and Scubapro wetsuits, Cressi masks, Tecline fins, Mares BCDs — is provided during the course. Transport from Maspalomas is included. Minimum age is 10; under-18s need parental consent.