Scuba Diving instructor Course in Gozo, Malta
Qualify to teach. Guaranteed the work to prove it.
Become an SSI Open Water Instructor on a month-long course led by Platinum Pro Instructor Trainer Lee Rigby, at the only dive centre in the world that backs its instructor training with both a Pass Guarantee and a Work Guarantee. Train inside a working dive centre with real students, on Gozo, one of the Mediterranean's best diving and teaching environments.
#1
center by professional certifications issues worldwide
1
of only 10 SSI Career Centres globally, the only one in Malta.
330+
Professionals trained
31%
of all SSI certifications in Malta in 2026
100%
First-time pass rate at the evaluation
12
Instructor Training courses per year
An SSI Open Water Instructor rating: licensed to teach for a living
Complete the course and pass your Instructor Evaluation (IE), and you become a certified SSI Open Water Instructor. From there you can independently teach, assess and certify divers across the core SSI programmes: Scuba Diver, Open Water Diver, Advanced Adventurer, Perfect Buoyancy, Diver Stress & Rescue, Enriched Air Nitrox and Dive Guide.
It's a professional rating recognised in more than 110 countries, insured, renewable and cross-agency portable — so it doesn't tie you to one employer or one ocean. It's also the gateway to everything above it: Specialty Instructor, Assistant Instructor Trainer, Master Instructor and, eventually, Instructor Trainer. This is a full scuba diving instructor course, not a taster or an assistant rating, you finish it ready to run your own classes.
The only instructor training backed by both a Pass Guarantee and a Work Guarantee
Together, these mean the two biggest risks of going pro 1. failing the exam, and 2. qualifying into unemployment. With us, we carry that risk, not you.
If you don't pass your Instructor Evaluation first time, you retrain with us — free — until you do. We can offer this because we train to a hiring standard, not a passing one, which is also why our first-time pass rate is 100%.
If you qualify with us and do not secure paid diving work, we will make sure you have a route forward.
Ask us about the full Work Guarantee during your discovery call.
SSI's two-step pathway: the ITC, then the IE
We run both stages back to back as one continuous programme. If you trained with another agency, the terminology differs but the destination is the same: what PADI runs as an IDC, SSI runs as the ITC.
Fifteen days of intensive training in how to teach: academic sessions, confined-water skill circuits, open-water training dives, managing students, and demonstrating every skill to a professional standard. This is where a competent diver becomes a competent teacher.
The Instructor Evaluation is hosted at Bubbles and conducted by an independent SSI examiner. You'll be assessed in the classroom, confined water and open water. Our candidates hold a 100% first-time pass rate—and if you're the exception, the Pass Guarantee means you retrain with us for free until you pass.
What you need to start, and what you need to cERTIFY
To begin the ITC, you must:
To certify at the IE, you additionally must:
A full month, not a compressed week
Some centres run the instructor course as a rushed fortnight. We give it a full month, because the difference between passing an exam and being ready to stand in front of paying students is team teaching and shadowing our experienced instructors.
ITC Dates 2026
The ITC itself runs in the middle of each month, but the full programme is designed as a complete training month. Most candidates arrive near the start of the month and stay until the end, giving time for preparation, fun dives, the 15-day ITC, the Instructor Evaluation and post-IE team teaching.
Exact arrival and departure dates can be discussed with us. We are flexible where possible and will help you choose the timing that best fits your level, travel plans and training goals.
| ITC Dates | Instructor Evaluation |
|---|---|
| 8–20 Mar 2026 | 21–22 Mar |
| 12–24 Apr 2026 | 25–26 Apr |
| 17–29 May 2026 | 30–31 May |
| 14–26 Jun 2026 | 27–28 Jun |
| 12–24 Jul 2026 | 25–26 Jul |
| 9–21 Aug 2026 | 22–23 Aug |
| 6–18 Sep 2026 | 19–20 Sep |
| 3–16 Oct 2026 | 17–18 Oct |
| 1–13 Nov 2026 | 14–15 Nov |
November, January and February courses run in the Maldives, contact us for more details.
ONE PRICE, EVERYTHING IN IT
The price you agree is the price you pay: a lot of dive centres surprise you with exam-fees, materials extras or accommodation bolted on at the end. Budget separately for flights, insurance, and any missing prerequisite course.
Nothing extra.
Nothing to chase.
Accommodation, lunch, equipment hire, certification fees and IE fees are all part of your package, one arrangement, no separate costs along the way.
Nothing to pay SSI, ever
Your SSI registration and certification fees are already covered in your training.
Active with SSI through year-end
You're kept in Active status with SSI through 31 December 2026 as part of your training, no renewal for you to arrange.
FAQ
How do I become a scuba diving instructor?
To become a scuba diving instructor, complete these steps: (1) get certified as an Open Water (2) complete Rescue Diver and Divemaster to reach professional level; (3) log at least 100 dives and gain Enriched Air Nitrox certification; (4) complete an Instructor Training Course (ITC); and (5) pass the independent Instructor Evaluation to earn your instructor rating.
I trained with PADI, can I cross over to SSI?
Yes. Your PADI training absolutely counts, and you can cross over to SSI from any PADI level.
If you are a PADI Divemaster or another leadership-level diver, we can assess your current rating and build the right route into SSI professional training. If you are already a PADI Instructor, you are still very welcome, but to become an SSI Instructor you will need to complete the full SSI Instructor Training Course.
That is not because your PADI experience is ignored. It is because SSI has its own teaching system, standards, digital materials and instructor evaluation process. The ITC makes sure you are fully prepared to teach the SSI way, not just certified on paper.
What can I teach once I'm certified?
As an SSI Open Water Instructor you can independently teach and certify Basic Diver, Scuba Diver, Open Water Diver, Advanced Open Water, Perfect Buoyancy, Diver Stress & Rescue, Enriched Air Nitrox and Dive Guide programmes. Of course you can add specialty instructor ratings from there.
Let's map your route to instructor
We run Instructor Training Courses year round. Tell us where you are now in your scuba career and we'll map the pathway, prerequisites and timing to your situation.