SSI Diver Stress & Rescue Course in Gozo

The course where diving stops being about you.

Every course before this one taught you to look after yourself. This one teaches you to look after everyone else. SSI calls its rescue diver training Diver Stress and Rescue, because the emphasis is on recognizing trouble in another diver before they know they’re in it. Two days, six sessions, and the hardest course most divers say they’ve enjoyed.

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Course price

€350

+ €130 React Right (first aid, CPR, oxygen)€450 for both

What the rescue diver certification lets you do

Stress and Rescue doesn’t open up a depth or a site. It changes how you dive. You come out of it noticing things you used to swim past: the buddy breathing too fast, the one who’s quietly overweighted, the group that’s drifted apart without anyone saying so. Most problems underwater are small for a while before they’re not, and this course is about the “for a while” part.

It’s also the gateway to going professional. Rescue diver training is a prerequisite for Divemaster and the SSI professional path, and we’re the exclusive SSI Career Centre in Gozo and Malta, led by Lee Rigby, one of eleven Platinum SSI Instructor Trainers worldwide.

What's included in the price

Everything. No equipment surcharge, no certification fee at the end, no charge for materials.

SSI digital learning theory sent to you when you book

Six training sessions across 2 days

Rescue scenarios in Open Water not just shallow water drills

Kit handling we wash, dry and pack it

Certification issued digitally on completion

All equipment full kit including a dive computer, nothing to hire

Day by Day

Skills in shallow water first, then scenarios where nobody tells you what’s about to go wrong.

1

Before you arrive

Your SSI digital learning and exam go out when you book. Go through it at home so you can concentrate on the in-water part once you're here.
2

Day 1: Self-Rescues & Practice

You start by repeating the self-rescue skills from the Open Water course. Then helping a panicked or distressed diver. Followed by recovering an unconscious diver and bringing them to the surface and out of the water. All of it practised in shallow water in Bubbles Bay.
3

Day 2: Scenarios

Your instructor sets up realistic scenarios and you have to decide what to do. You'll have to put to the test what you learned before. Sometimes we mix them in on the first day as well. Not knowing what the scenarios are, is what makes them realistic.

Bubbles Bay is home, but it's not always diveable. When conditions are better elsewhere, we load the truck and find the most sheltered site on the island. We've never cancelled a customer dive, we just adapt to the conditions.

The same standard, on every course.

Max 4 divers per instructor

SSI permits more on most courses. We cap at four, the only centre on the islands that guarantees it.

100% Safety Record

Oxygen, first aid and surface cover, every time.

Every instructor here qualified here.

We don't hire in and hope.

You'll never wash a piece of kit.

The team handles it. You just dive.

Our base: bar and dive shop

Coffee before, lunch between, beer after.

People come here to train.

We're the exclusive SSI Career Centre in Gozo and Malta.

Requirements

No minimum number of dives. SSI sets no logbook requirement for the rescue diver course, so what matters is whether your own diving is automatic yet, not how many times you’ve done it.

SSI Open Water Diver or equivalent from any recognised agency
Minimum age: 12
First aid and CPR training within the last two years. . If yours has lapsed or you’ve never done it, we run SSI React Right here for €130, or €450 for both courses together.
Oxygen Provider certification. Also covered by React Right, since administering O2 is part of what you’re being trained to do.
Comfortable, automatic buoyancy. Not a formal prerequisite, just an honest one. If you’re still thinking a lot about yourself in the water, you don't have the attention to spare for anyone else.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many dives do I need before the rescue diver course?

None. SSI sets no minimum logged dives for Diver Stress and Rescue, so you can take it as soon as you’re Open Water certified. The real prerequisite is your own comfort in the water. If your own diving still takes concentration, you won’t have attention left for someone else’s.

What’s the minimum age for SSI Stress and Rescue?

Twelve. There’s no upper limit and no fitness test, but you have to be physically capable of completing the required skills, including lifting someone out of the water. Divers younger than 15 receive the Junior Diver Stress & Rescue certification, which can be upgraded once the student turns 15.

Do I need a first aid certificate before I start?

Yes. You need current first aid, CPR and oxygen provider training completed within the last two years. If you don’t hold it, we run the SSI React Right alongside the course for €130, or €450 for both together, which saves you €30. Most people arrive needing it, so tell us while you are booking what you already have and we’ll build it into your days with us.

Is SSI Stress and Rescue the same as PADI Rescue Diver?

They cover the same ground and are treated as equivalent across the industry. The SSI version is called Diver Stress and Rescue because of where it puts the emphasis: spotting stress early rather than only managing a rescue once it’s underway. Even if you hold one already, there is always something new to learn from our experienced instructors and it doesn't hurt to refresh your skills.

Does it count toward becoming a Divemaster?

It does. Rescue diver certification is a prerequisite for the SSI professional path. We certify more SSI professionals than any other centre worldwide, so if that’s the direction you’re heading, you’re in the right place.

Ready to learn to dive?

Three days, four dives, one certification that never expires. Book your course, or talk to us first if you've got questions.