SSI Open Water Diver — become a certified diver in Goa
The SSI Open Water Diver is the world's most popular scuba certification. Once you've completed it, you can dive independently with a certified buddy, no professional required, to 18 metres at any of SSI's 3,300+ affiliated dive centres worldwide.
The course combines self-paced digital theory, 5 confined water training sessions in a pool, and 4 open water dives in the Arabian Sea at Grandé Island. You don't need any prior diving experience. Most students finish in 3–4 days, depending on their comfort and pace.
Best time to do it: October through May — Goa's prime dive season. Water temperature 27–30°C, visibility 3–6 metres at typical training sites, calm sea conditions for the boat ride to Grandé Island.
SSI Open Water Diver — course structure
Three phases build your knowledge and skills step by step before you dive in open water.
Phase 1 — Digital Theory (SSI eLearning)
Dive PhysicsHow pressure changes with depth, Boyle's Law, gas laws, and how they affect your body and equipment.
Dive PhysiologyNitrogen absorption, decompression sickness, nitrogen narcosis, oxygen toxicity — what they are and how to avoid them.
Equipment KnowledgeHow BCDs, regulators, tanks, computers, and wetsuits work. Pre-dive checks and equipment care.
Dive PlanningUsing dive tables and computers, repetitive dive planning, surface intervals, dive site assessment.
Dive SafetyEmergency procedures, the buddy system, out-of-air emergencies, ascent protocols, dive flags.
Phase 2 — 5 Confined Water Sessions (Pool)
You practice each skill in a pool before taking it to the ocean. Skills include: buoyancy control, mask clearing and removal, regulator recovery, controlled emergency swimming ascent (CESA), buddy air sharing (octopus), compass navigation, and entry/exit techniques.
Phase 3 — 4 Open Water Dives
Dives 1–2 at approximately 12m: skill consolidation in the ocean. Dives 3–4 to 18m: exploration dives demonstrating competency. Your instructor signs off each dive.
Who can take the SSI Open Water Diver course
No prior diving experience is required. The only prerequisites are:
Age 10 years or older
Swim 200m unaided or 300m with mask, fins and snorkel
Pass a basic medical fitness questionnaire (completed Day 1)
No active heart or serious lung conditions
Comfort in open water
10–14 year olds receive the SSI Junior Open Water Diver certification and dive to 12m maximum until they turn 15, then automatically upgrade to the full adult cert.
Your 4 open water dives — Grandé Island, Goa
All four certification dives are at Grandé Island, 30 minutes by speedboat from Novotel Candolim. We pick the site on the day based on conditions and how you're progressing.
Grandé Island Reef5–18m · All levels
Coral gardens, moray eels, snappers, parrotfish. The primary training reef — gentle conditions and rich marine life.
Suzy's Wreck12–18m · OW+
British-era vessel thick with soft coral. Resident groupers, blue-spotted stingrays, moray eels. Light-zone penetration possible.
Sail Rock14–24m · AOW recommended
Rocky pinnacle with currents and pelagics. Eagle rays, drift diving. One of Goa's most dynamic dive sites.
Shelter Cove6–14m · All levels
Protected bay, very gentle. Nudibranchs, pipefish, seahorses. Ideal for skill-focused dives without current distraction.
Bounty Bay5–12m · All levels
Shallow reef for long bottom times. Macro life — nudibranchs, ornate ghost pipefish. Great for photography and hover practice.
Typical progression: Dives 1–2 at Grandé Reef or Shelter Cove (10–12m, good visibility, gentle conditions for skill practice). Dives 3–4 typically extend to Suzy's Wreck area or deeper reef sections to the 18m certification limit.
What's included in this course
SSI eLearning digital materials (free)
5 academic/theory sessions with instructor
5 pool confined water training sessions
4 open water dives at Grandé Island
Full ScubaPro equipment rental
Boat rides to and from the island
SSI Open Water Diver certification card
Dive insurance coverage
Not Included
- Optional underwater video editing
- Personal expenses
- Damage to rental equipment
Certification: Your digital certification card is issued immediately upon successful completion. You are certified before you leave Goa and can dive anywhere in the world.
After your SSI Open Water Diver certification
Your SSI OWD certification is a lifetime qualification; it never expires. Here's what it lets you do:
Dive independently with a buddy to 18m at 3,300+ SSI dive centres globally
Rent scuba equipment at any dive centre worldwide
Add SSI Advanced Adventurer to reach 30m and dive Sail Rock
Do SSI Enriched Air Nitrox for extended bottom times
Progress toward SSI DiveMaster for a career in diving
Recommended next course: SSI Advanced Adventurer. Adds 5 adventure dives, takes you to 30m, and opens up the more dramatic sites like Sail Rock and deeper wrecks — typically done in 2–3 days.
Why take your course with FlyingFish in Goa
Here's what actually sets us apart, minus the marketing fluff.
ScubaPro gear, serviced on schedule
Pro-grade gear serviced every 100 dives or 6 months, not when it fails. MK25/S620 regulator, Hydros Pro BCD, Aladin Sport dive computer. You train on the same kit our working instructors use.
Maximum 4:1 diver-to-instructor ratio
Your instructor always knows where you are underwater. No crowded groups. If a skill needs more practice, you get the time, not whatever's left over after 8 other students.
Both SSI and PADI certifications at one centre
We teach both agencies at the same location, so you can pick the certification that fits your future dive plans. You get honest advice, not a push toward whichever we sell more of.
A proper base at 5-star Novotel Candolim
Proper briefing rooms, clean rinsing stations, a structured course schedule. The difference between a real dive school and a beach shack matters when you're doing a multi-day certification course.
Warm Arabian Sea, ideal for learning
Water at 27–30°C means no thermal stress while you learn. Goa's sandy-bottom training sites keep visibility high, so you focus on the skills instead of staying warm or fighting currents. Learning to dive here is a lot more comfortable than cold-water training.
Frequently Asked Questions
The standard SSI Open Water course includes 5 confined water sessions in a pool. These are not optional — SSI standards require pool proficiency before any ocean dives. If you need additional pool time for any skill, we accommodate this without extra pressure.
Yes — and we recommend it. The SSI eLearning app is available on any smartphone or tablet. Completing the theory modules before you arrive means Day 1 in Goa goes straight to pool training. It saves approximately half a day.
The course is yours, not ours. If a skill requires more practice, we repeat it. If you need an extra pool session, we schedule it. There is no fixed pace — the only requirement is that you demonstrate the skills competently before moving to the next phase.
Both courses meet similar recreational diving standards. The core skills, depth limits, and number of dives are comparable. SSI tends to use a more digital-first learning approach; PADI has a larger global centre network. The cert level and diving privileges are equivalent.
Grandé Island's reef sites reliably produce parrotfish, angelfish, moray eels, blue-spotted stingrays, snappers, and groupers. Barracuda schools pass through regularly. Hawksbill turtles are occasional sightings — not guaranteed but not rare either.
Your SSI Open Water Diver certification never expires. However, if you have not dived in over 6 months, we recommend our Scuba Skills Update refresher session before heading back into open water — your skills will come back quickly.
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