SSI Open Water Instructor Course in Lanzarote (ITC)

You already know you want to become an instructor. Now it is about choosing the right place to do it.

At Dawn Dives, we prepare you through a clear Instructor Training Course (ITC) so you arrive well at the SSI Open Water Instructor exam and feel more confident when teaching real students

I want to do my Instructor course

Next date:
 Start: 20 May 2026
Instructor Evaluation (IE): 3 and 4 June

Price: 

2.660 €

Focus:
 ITC (Instructor Training Course) + preparation for the IE

Minimum age:
 18

Basic requirement:
 SSI Divemaster or equivalent

Real preparation:
 Guided practice and corrections to help you arrive better prepared for the IE

Format:
 Demanding, well guided and without feeling lost

Next date:
 Start: 20 May 2026
Instructor Evaluation (IE): 3 and 4 June

Price:
 2,660 €

Focus:
 ITC (Instructor Training Course) + preparation for the IE

Minimum age:
 18

Basic requirement:
 SSI Divemaster or equivalent

Real preparation:
 Guided practice and corrections to help you arrive better prepared for the IE

Format:
 Demanding, well guided and without feeling lost

What this course is and who it is for

This is the point where you start preparing to teach diving for real.

The ITC is the training part of the course, and theIE is the SSI instructor evaluation. Together, they are the path into this SSI instructor course and the start of your professional-level training.

This course is a good fit if:

  • You already have a solid base, experience and logged dives behind you, as a Divemaster or equivalent.
  • You want to get to the IE with real preparation, not gamble everything on the exam.
  • You value clear teaching, feedback with good judgement and enough time to work on what needs work.
  • You are looking for a serious course, well guided and without the feeling of always rushing.

And it is probably not your course, at least not yet, if:

  • You are coming in a rush and do not want to work properly on the basics.
  • You are looking for the quickest way to pass and move on.
  • You are not too concerned about how you are trained or who is guiding you through the process.

More than a certification: how this course changes you

Clarity

You become much clearer on what to explain, in what order, and how to make a session make sense from start to finish.

Confidence

You get to the exam feeling more in control, and you leave the course ready to teach, not just ready to pass.

Judgement

You get better at seeing what each student needs and making calmer, better decisions during training.

Presence

You are no longer just someone with experience in the water. You are someone teaching others, with all the responsibility that comes with it.

Direction

You finish the course with a much clearer idea of the place you want to have in professional diving.

Why Lanzarote works well for instructor training

On a course like this, the setting matters more than people sometimes think. Not because of the destination side of it, but because it has a direct effect on how you train, how you organise your days and how well you hold the pace of the programme.

Lanzarote gives you something really valuable for this kind of course: consistent water time, real practice, great visibility on most days, a comfortable temperature and conditions that usually help you stay focused on the training instead of fighting with the environment.

And doing it from Playa Blanca helps even more. Less daily hassle, an easier routine and a more focused training environment for a course that asks quite a lot from you.

It is not about doing the course somewhere nice. It is about doing it in a place that helps you practise, repeat and finish feeling ready.

How your SSI Instructor course is structured: ITC and preparation for the IE

On a course like this, the order matters a lot. It is not just about ticking off stages. It is about each part helping you arrive better at the next one, and making sure the whole process feels clear from start to finish.

Before the in-person part starts, we run two online sessions to move some of the theory forward, answer the first questions and help the whole group arrive with a clearer base.

This helps us bring everyone to a more similar theory level, explain how the ITC and the IE are structured, and make much better use of the in-person time once it starts.

Before going properly into the course, we offer an in-person Pre-ITC that we really recommend, so you arrive with better water skills and more control from day one.

Here we work on things like the in-water evaluation, skill demonstrations, confined water review, buoyancy, trim, control and equipment adjustments, with individual feedback to fine-tune whatever needs work before the ITC starts.

This is where you work on the core of the course:

  • How to teach.
  • How to structure an academic presentation.
  • How to do demonstrations.
  • How to work in the classroom, confined water and open water.
  • How to move more confidently within SSI standards.

It is not just about covering content. It is about working with a clear method, repeating what needs repeating and correcting things until everything starts to come out with more ease.

Before the IE, we run a full mock exam so you can clearly see where you are and what still needs adjusting before the final exam.

Here we work on:

  • The academic part.
  • Confined water.
  • Open water.

After that mock exam, we make the final corrections, sort out what is still not quite there, and finish with individual feedback and a clear plan before the IE.

The idea is very simple: that you do not get to the exam unsure about what will be asked from you, or feeling that everything is decided on that one day.

The IE is the final independent evaluation, and it is run by an SSI examiner who comes to the centre for that part of the process. Since that is where the result is decided, good preparation beforehand makes a real difference.

Our job is to help you get there with a solid base, a clearer idea of what will be asked from you, and more confidence when it is time to face the exam.

Price for the SSI instructor course, what’s included and how to book

If you are comparing centres, this is usually the part that brings up the most questions: what the course really costs, what is included, what you need, and how booking works.

Total price for the SSI Instructor Course: 2,660 €

ITC: 2,110€ + IE fee: 550 €

What’s included

  • ITC (Instructor Training Course).
  • 2 online sessions before the ITC.
  • 2-day in-person Pre-ITC.
  • 2 post-ITC days.
  • Instructor kit, including confined water and open water lesson planning slates, manuals and exams.
  • Digital materials for the SSI Instructor course and access to MySSI.

What’s not included

  • Accommodation.
  • Food and drinks.
  • Personal diving equipment.
  • Optional extras, if there are any.

How to book your place

To secure your place, we ask for a 660 € non-refundable deposit. You can pay by bank transfer, card or cash.

I want to do my Instructor course

And if you are coming from outside Lanzarote, this is worth knowing:

The first two bookings on this edition include accommodation for the whole course!!

Requirements to do the course

  • Be at least 18 years old.
  • Be an SSI Divemaster or hold an equivalent certification recognised by SSI.
  • Have SSI Enriched Air Nitrox or an equivalent certification. If you do not have it yet, you can do it here with us at a reduced price.
  • Have 100 logged dives before you present yourself for the IE.
  • Be in Active Status as an SSI professional, or have started the activation process before the IE.
  • Have a valid diving medical certificate.
  • Have valid professional liability insurance.

Equipment and materials you need

  • Active access to MySSI.
  • Digital course materials.
  • Full recreational scuba diving equipment.
  • Spare mask.
  • Dive computer and compass.
  • SMB and reel.
  • Cutting tool.
  • iPad, tablet or laptop.
  • Calculator.
  • Notebook or something to take notes with.

If you do not have all the equipment, rental is available.

Dates and duration

The next edition is organised like this:

  • 2 online sessions before the ITC.
  • Optional in-person Pre-ITC: 18 and 19 May 2026.
  • In-person ITC: 20 to 31 May 2026.
  • Optional improvement or rest days: 1 and 2 June.
  • Instructor Evaluation (IE): 3 and 4 June 2026.

That gives you a clear view of how the whole process is laid out, from the preparation beforehand to the final exam.

Why do your SSI Instructor course with Dawn Dives

When you choose where to do your Instructor course, you are not only choosing a programme. You are also choosing how the process will be run, the team you will train with, and the kind of preparation you will have for the ITC and the IE.

Time to work through the course properly

The programme is built around a base of 4 candidates, so the training can be more personal and everything can be worked on properly.

In a course like this, you really notice the difference.

A process to help you prepare better for the IE

It is not just about starting the ITC and following a schedule. There are online sessions beforehand, an optional Pre-ITC, a full IE simulation, and optional improvement days before the exam.

All of that adds up when what is at stake really matters.

An environment that makes your training easier

We are in Playa Blanca, with our own facilities, a pool and a stable team that knows the area well.

In a course like this, good logistics, less day-to-day hassle and a well-organised centre also make a real difference.

An investment that really makes a difference

In the end, you are not only paying to do a course.

You are paying for the way the process is handled, for how you arrive at the IE, and for the base you leave with when you start teaching afterwards.

Who will train you during the ITC

During the ITC, you train with a team made up of 1 SSI Instructor Trainer and 2 SSI Master Instructors. It is not one person trying to hold the whole course together, but a team that is present, close and with real experience training dive professionals.

I´m Pepe, Your SSI Instructor Trainer

The sea has always had a pull on me.

I grew up by the sea and, since I was young, I loved being underwater because of that feeling of weightlessness and calm.

One day I decided to do my Open Water, and I never really stopped after that.

With time, I also realised how much I enjoyed teaching: helping people gain confidence in the water, work through fears and discover everything that sits behind this world.

That is why I became an instructor in 2009.

Lanzarote came soon after. I arrived in 2010, fell in love with the island, and by 2012 I was already living here.

Since then, I have stayed in the same dive centre, where I am now co-owner.

These days, among other things, I focus on training dive professionals, and since March 2023 I have been an SSI Instructor Trainer.

In the end, whether it is someone taking their first steps or someone who wants to do this professionally, there is something really special about this job: being there for people at a step that often changes their lives.

Rinus, SSI Master Instructor

I’ve been teaching diving for many years, and I still enjoy that moment when everything starts to click for someone underwater.

During the ITC, I focus a lot on helping you really understand what you’re doing, build confidence, and develop solid judgment as a professional.

  • SSI Master Instructor.
  • Over 20 years of diving experience.
  • Training divers and professionals in Lanzarote.

Claudia, SSI Master Instructor

I’ve always enjoyed teaching and guiding people through that moment when everything starts to make sense.

During the ITC, alongside the training itself, we also work on how to communicate, how to connect with students, and how to move confidently as a professional in your day-to-day work.

  • SSI Master Instructor
  • Specialized in training and student support

What matters most when choosing where to take this step

On a course like this, people do not read reviews just out of curiosity.

They read them to answer one very specific question: whether you are really going to be in good hands for an investment like this.

What tends to give the most confidence is seeing that people came out better prepared, understood the process clearly, got to the exam with better feelings, and never felt like they were doing the course blindly.

Changes and cancellations

As this course needs planning in advance and places are limited, we prefer to leave this clear from the start.

  • The deposit to secure your place is non-refundable, because it covers the instructor kit and the course teaching materials.
  • If we need to cancel because of safety, sea conditions or organisational reasons, we will refund any amount paid apart from the deposit.

If what you need is to change dates, write to us as soon as possible and we will look at the best way to move your place, depending on availability.

Things people often ask about the SSI Instructor course in Lanzarote

Before booking a course like this, it is completely normal to have questions. Here are clear answers to the ones that come up most often when someone is thinking about taking this step.

To sit the IE, you need to meet the SSI requirements: minimum certification level, number of logged dives, valid medical certificate, valid insurance and the rest of the programme requirements.

If you are not sure whether you meet everything, we can go through it with you before you book.

To join the programme, you need to be at least 18, be an SSI Divemaster or hold an equivalent certification recognised by SSI, have Enriched Air Nitrox or an equivalent certification, and meet the other course requirements.

You also need 100 logged dives before you present yourself for the IE, a valid diving medical certificate, valid liability insurance and active SSI professional status, or the activation process started before the IE.

Yes. You can do it if your certification is equivalent and meets the requirements SSI asks for to enter the programme.

The ITC is the training part of the course. That is where you work on everything you need in order to arrive properly prepared.

The IE is the final exam, and it is run by an SSI examiner who comes to the centre for that part of the process

No, it is optional. Even so, we strongly recommend it because it helps you arrive at the start of the ITC with better water skills, more control and a stronger base to get more out of the course from day one

No problem. If you do not have the Enriched Air Nitrox certification yet, you can do it before the course at a reduced price. The best thing is to speak to us and we will sort it out with you.

Ideally, yes, if you already have your own equipment and feel good using it. If you are missing anything or do not have the full set, we can offer rental during the course.

If you do not pass one part of the IE, you will need to repeat that part or the relevant exam, according to SSI criteria. That is exactly why we put so much focus on the preparation before the IE, the full mock exam and the corrections before the final exam.

Beyond the programme itself, look at who is training you, how the process is organised, how much attention you are going to get and whether the course is designed to help you arrive well at the IE. On a course like this, that matters much more than it may seem.

Yes. If your idea is to work professionally in diving and be able to move to different destinations, this course is the step you need to begin that path within the SSI system.

That depends on the instructor and availability, but we work in several languages. If you need a specific option, just let us know and we will confirm what fits you best.

No. They are programmes from different agencies. If you are comparing SSI and PADI, what matters is not only the name, but also which option suits you better, what kind of training you are looking for, and who you want to do the course with.

This programme, which runs over around 10 days plus the IE, allows you to independently teach several key SSI programmes, such as Scuba Diver, Open Water Diver, Enriched Air Nitrox, Diver Stress & Rescue, Dive Guide and Divemaster.

So you do not leave with just another certification. You leave able to start teaching some of the most important programmes in the SSI system.

Write to us and we will be happy to help. If you want to check whether you meet the requirements, whether this course is right for you, or just clear up any detail, we can go through it with you.

Contact us here

Does taking this step with Dawn Dives feel right for you?

If, after reading all this, you feel this course could be right for you, write to us and we will go through it with you clearly.

We will tell you whether you meet the requirements, what dates are available, and help with any questions you still have before booking.

I want to do my Instructor course