SSI Extended Range instructor Xovers

XR instructor bluelabeldiving Koh Tao_8339I take great pleasure introducing a handful of SSI Extended Range instructor candidates to the Thailand Diving community.

What’s so exciting about this program? It is a totally revamped, 100% digital and truly interactive program, where the diver does most study from their smart device or even phone, including knowledge reviews and online dive logging. This allows the instructor to spent more time on practical dive planning, case studies and cool stories. What’s more, true emphasis is given to the student’s in-water skill set.

With a vast array of well-defined and outlined skills, the SSI XR program follows an almost holistic approach in getting the diver to meet the required trim and positioning whilst performing all skills to perfection. The knowledge is tested before students hit the deep and the same skills are presented in an array of combinations and scenario’s , giving as much real-life scenario’s as safely possible. Proficiency in technical skills takes time and dedication and moreover,  repetition.

Extended Range instructor SSI
Extended Range instructor

Therefore, the entry levels of the SSI XR program are introduced into the recreational realm by means of specialties, where the recreational diver with a standard recreational setup can enrol. A minor adaption such as a reel and a small stage tank, allows these recreational diver to take their first steps into the overhead or do their first decompression dives safely.

Extended Range instructors on Xdeep
Extended Range instructor on Sidemount

Extended Range Nitrox, Cavern and Advanced wreck, offer the recreational diver a brief, but solid glimpse of the otherwise isolated world of technical diving. To guarantee the quality of tuition, instructor candidates are run through rigorous academic presenting seminars, day-long confined skill sessions and of course; the ability to lead complex technical exploration dives. SSI recognized the fast growing abundance of technical diving equipment. To compensate for this versatility of equipment, SSI has made the XR programs into configuration-generic classes, where one student can be on sidemount, where the others are carrying twins or even a rebreather.

With the compatibility of skills and emergency scenario’s, SSI embraces the fact in the not too distant future, this is the variety of configurations to be found in buddy teams, on liveaboards and expeditions.

So, please welcome Ivan, Lassi and Oriol as fresh SSI Extended Range instructors and I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves