Bookings are paused until 9 October 2026. The SSI Open Water Referral Course is currently the only programme available.

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SSI Open Water Referral Program Goa
SSI Certified

SSI Open Water Referral Program Goa

2 Days (ocean dives) 18m max Course
  • Split training: start at home, finish in Goa
  • SSI global training standards
  • Recognised at 3,000+ dive centres worldwide
  • Warm Arabian Sea ocean dives
₹17,820
+ GST per person

Optional Add-ons

  • + Add SSI Nitrox specialty ₹6,500
  • + Extra guided fun dive after certification ₹3,200
  • + GoPro rental + edited video ₹1,500
  • + Private 1-on-1 instructor ₹6,000
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SSI Certified Dive Centre in Goa

SSI Open Water Referral Program — Start at Home, Certify in Goa

Duration
2 Days (ocean dives)
Ocean Dives
4
Cert
SSI Open Water Diver
Depth
18m max

The SSI Open Water Referral Program allows students to split their certification across two locations: complete the academic learning and confined water (pool) training at an SSI dive centre near home, then travel to Goa to complete the required ocean dives with FlyingFish.

This is an official SSI training structure. SSI keeps the same standards across all certified centres, so your pool training at home counts in full toward your certification at FlyingFish.

This program suits students who want to get the theory and pool skills done near home (often cheaper and easier to fit in) and then do their open water certification dives in warm, clear water rather than a cold or murky local quarry.

The Referral Program Split — Home Centre & FlyingFish

Completed at Your Home SSI Centre

SSI eLearningAll 5 knowledge development sections completed and reviewed with your home instructor.
5 Confined Water SessionsAll pool/confined water sessions completed and signed off by your home instructor. Full skill performance verified.

Completed at FlyingFish Goa

Open Water Dive 1 — 12m Skill ConsolidationDemonstrate core skills (mask clearing, regulator recovery, buoyancy, CESA) in the ocean for the first time.
Open Water Dive 2 — 12m Continued AssessmentBuddy air sharing, navigation, increasing comfort in ocean conditions.
Open Water Dive 3 — 18m ExplorationDeeper dive, reduced skill focus, increasing exploration. Instructor confirms progression.
Open Water Dive 4 — 18m Certification DiveFinal assessment. All skills confirmed. Certification issued.

Requirements for the Referral Program

SSI Referral documentation from your home SSI centre
All eLearning sections completed
All 5 confined water sessions completed and instructor-verified
Age 10 or older
Referral valid for 12 months from issue date
Contact us before travelling to confirm your referral documentation is in order. We can verify your SSI Student ID with SSI headquarters if documentation is missing.

Ocean Certification Dives at Grandé Island, Goa

Your 4 open water dives take place at Grandé Island — 30 minutes by speedboat from Novotel Candolim.

Grandé Island Reef
5–18m · All levels

Coral gardens, moray eels, snappers, parrotfish. The primary training reef — gentle conditions and rich marine life.

Suzy's Wreck
12–18m · OW+

British-era vessel thick with soft coral. Resident groupers, blue-spotted stingrays, moray eels. Light-zone penetration possible.

Sail Rock
14–24m · AOW recommended

Rocky pinnacle with currents and pelagics. Eagle rays, drift diving. One of Goa's most dynamic dive sites.

Shelter Cove
6–14m · All levels

Protected bay, very gentle. Nudibranchs, pipefish, seahorses. Ideal for skill-focused dives without current distraction.

Bounty Bay
5–12m · All levels

Shallow reef for long bottom times. Macro life — nudibranchs, ornate ghost pipefish. Great for photography and hover practice.

Most referral students find their first ocean dive blows the pool sessions away. Warm water, marine life and natural light make it a completely different experience. The 4 certification dives cover the same skills you practised in the pool, just somewhere much better.

What Is Included in This Course

4 open water certification dives at Grandé Island
SSI Certified Instructor throughout
Full ScubaPro equipment rental
Boat rides to and from the island
Tanks and weights
SSI Open Water Diver certification card

Not Included

  • SSI eLearning (completed at home centre)
  • Pool sessions (completed at home centre)
  • Accommodation
  • Personal expenses
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 Certification — Dive Anywhere

SSI Open Water Diver certification — recognised at 3,000+ dive centres globally
Dive the same Grandé Island sites as a certified independent diver immediately after certification
Add SSI Advanced Adventurer for 30m depth access
Add SSI Enriched Air Nitrox for extended bottom times
FlyingFish fun dives are available to certified divers from Day 1 post-cert
Your certification is issued as a standard SSI Open Water Diver — identical to a student who completed the full course at FlyingFish. No annotation distinguishes referral completions.

Why take your course with FlyingFish in Goa

Here's what actually sets us apart, minus the sales talk.

ScubaPro Equipment — Maintained 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 equipment working instructors use.

Maximum 4:1 Diver-to-Instructor Ratio

Your instructor knows where you are underwater at all times. No crowded groups. If a skill needs more practice, you get the time — not the time left over after 8 other students.

Both SSI and PADI Certifications at One Centre

We teach both agencies at the same location. You choose which certification fits your future dive plans. We give you honest advice, not a push toward whichever we sell more of.

Professional Base at 5-Star Novotel Candolim

Proper briefing rooms, clean equipment rinsing stations, structured course schedule. The difference between a dive school and a beach shack matters when you are doing a multi-day certification course.

We Communicate With Your Home Centre If Needed

Occasionally, referral paperwork has gaps or ambiguities. We work directly with your home SSI centre to resolve any issues before your first ocean dive — rather than turning you away or making you wait. Our experience with international referral students means we know how to handle common documentation issues quickly.

Frequently Asked Questions

The outcome is the same — you complete your 4 ocean certification dives at FlyingFish and receive your SSI Open Water Diver certification. The two pages serve slightly different audiences: the Referral Course (953) is oriented toward students who started their certification elsewhere and have a referral form ready; this page (Referral Program) explains the full split-training concept including the home centre component. The process at FlyingFish is identical.

Bring any documentation your home centre issued — skill sign-off sheets, referral forms, and your SSI Student ID. A printed or digital referral form is the key document. If you only have digital records, a PDF on your phone is acceptable.

Yes — certified divers can join fun dives at Grandé Island from Day 1 after certification. If you arrive a day before your referral dives are scheduled, you can book a fun dive in the meantime (as a pre-certified diver with an instructor present).

Contact SSI international directly — they maintain centralised student records for enrolled students. We can assist with the verification process. In most cases, your digital eLearning completion is verifiable through your SSI account regardless of what happens to the home centre's physical records.

The Referral Program at FlyingFish covers only the ocean dive component — which is less expensive than the full course that includes eLearning, pool sessions, and ocean dives. Whether the total cost (home centre + FlyingFish) is less than doing everything at FlyingFish depends on your home centre's pricing. The benefit is primarily convenience — pool training near home, ocean dives in a better environment.

SSI referrals are typically valid for 12 months from issue date. After 12 months, pool skill proficiency is assessed — if skills have lapsed, a refresh pool session is required before ocean dives can proceed. Referrals do not expire in terms of knowledge development (eLearning) — only the practical (pool) skill sign-off has a time component.
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