Try Scuba The SSI Try Scuba program is your introduction to the underwater world. This entry-level program gives you the opportunity to experience the underwater world, in a confined water setting. You will earn the SSI Try Scuba recognition rating.

Referral Diver Your first step in becoming SCUBA certified involves home study (via a free account at diveSSI.com or on the MySSI app), academic workshops at ASTscuba, and time learning and practicing skills in the pool at the YMCA. This globally-recognized certification program is the best way to begin your life-long adventure ...

Snorkel Diver The SSI Snorkeling program may be your first step in becoming a scuba diver. Most people enjoy it so much that they enroll in a dive training program afterwards. Through the SSI Open Water Diver program, you can complete your training and get full credit for what you have already accomplished in your Snorkeli...

Scuba Explorers The SSI Scuba Explorers Program is a club that offers numerous diving activities for children ages 8 - 12. Safety is a top priority and SSI Scuba Explorers programs are only taught by specially trained instructors in a pool, or under confined water conditions in a protected area up to a maximum depth of 3 met...

Open Water Diver - Certification Dives This is the final step in earning you Open Water Diver Certification with ASTscuba. You must have completed your Referral Diver academic & pool sessions and received your instructor's approval before registering for these dives. This globally recognized certification program is the best way to begin your lif...

Basic Freediver The SSI Basic Freediver course is your first step into the peaceful, exhilarating world of freediving. During this entry-level program, you will learn how to freedive safely with a buddy in a pool/confined water up to a depth of five meters. Online training is combined with in-water practice sessions to give you all th...

Advanced Adventurer This program allows you to experience five different open water dives from five SSI Specialty programs without requiring you to complete the entire Specialty. If you are unsure of your next step, this is the perfect way to advance your dive skills and experience, and to identify which Specialty programs interest you. Y...

Boat Diving The ocean is filled with dive sites, but many of them cannot be reached from shore. This program gives you the skills and knowledge required to safely dive from a boat, allowing you to get the most from your underwater opportunities. You will earn the SSI Boat Diving Specialty certification after completing this progra...

Deep Diving Many exciting dive sites are located in deeper water. Without proper training, this kind of diving puts you at risk. The SSI Deep Diving Specialty will give you the ability to safely and comfortably plan and conduct dives beyond 60 feet, and is a prerequisite for some advanced training. You will earn the SSI Deep Divin...

Diver Stress & Rescue Stress is a major cause of diving accidents and negatively impacts rescue situations. This program teaches you the skills and knowledge required to recognize and deal with stress, prevent accidents and properly deal with emergency situations encountered by divers. You will earn the SSI Diver Stress and Rescue Specialty...

Navigation This program provides the skills and concepts required to safely and comfortably navigate underwater during a dive. You will learn how to use a compass and natural navigation techniques, estimate distance, basic navigation patterns and how to leave and return to a designated point. You will earn the SSI Navigation Spec...

Night Diving & Limited Visibility This program provides the skills and concepts required to safely and comfortably dive at night or in limited visibility conditions. Some of the ocean's most amazing creatures only come out at night, so your dive doesn't have to end when the sun goes down. You will learn how to enter and exit the water, use spec...

Search & Recovery This program provides the skills and concepts required to safely plan and conduct search and recovery dives. You will learn about search patterns, specialized dive plans, underwater communication, and how to recover small to medium-sized objects using specialized equipment like lift bags. You will earn the SSI Search a...

Waves, Tides, and Currents Water motion can have a tremendous effect on your diving experience This program gives you the skills and knowledge required to conduct dives from shore, in currents, and in different types of waves. Students completing this program earn the SSI Waves, Tides and Currents Specialty certification after completing this pr...

Wreck Diving Many of the ocean's best dive sites have artificial reefs, or wrecks that have sunk through the ages. This program gives you the skills and knowledge required to safely scuba dive above and around these underwater treasures. You will earn the SSI Wreck Diving certification after completing this program. This cou...

Perfect Buoyancy Do you want to increase your buoyancy control, minimize your breathing gas consumption, or move effortlessly above the ocean floor? The SSI Perfect Buoyancy program teaches you the skills and techniques needed to maximize your dive experience, increase your comfort in the water, and get the most from your equipment. Yo...

Photo & Video This program teaches you the skills needed to dive with an underwater camera, and provides the in-depth knowledge and experience required to properly use, maintain and store your equipment. Our goal is help you capture your amazing underwater experiences. You will earn the SSI Photo & Video Specialty certification....

Underwater Communication Since we cannot talk underwater, we need to communicate by using hand signals. This workshop will review many of the most common and useful hand signals and teach you a few new ones with the opportunity to practice them both on land and in the water.

Full Face Mask Diving The SSI Full Face Mask Diving program provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to safely dive using a full face mask in environments and to depths equivalent with their training and the equipment manufacturer’s specifications. Ask us how to take this course for FREE with the purchase of any full ...

Dry Suit Diving This program provides the skills and concepts required to safely and comfortably dive while using a dry suit. You will learn the special requirements for dry suit diving, how to use your new equipment, the benefits of a dry suit, and how to deal with emergency situations that are unique to dry suit diving. You will ear...

Ice Diving This program provides the skills and concepts required to safely and comfortably dive underneath surface ice. You will learn the special requirements for diving in an overhead environment, the techniques and communication methods, and the specialized equipment used for ice diving. You will earn the SSI Ice Diving Speci...

Independent Diving This program provides the skills and concepts required to safely and comfortably dive without a designated dive buddy. You will learn about self-reliance, proper equipment maintenance, and the special considerations and rescue techniques required to dive independently. You will earn the SSI Independent Diving Specialty...

Seabob Scooter/DPV Diving This program is unique to the Seabob Scooter/DPV and provides you with skills and concepts required to safely plan and conduct dives using underwater scooters or diver propulsion vehicles (DPVs). You will learn the special precautions for using DPVs, how to maintain buddy contact and control your equipment, and how to ...

Equipment Techniques The SSI Equipment Techniques teaches you how to choose, maintain and store your Total Diving System. This ensures performance and increases the longevity of your equipment. You will earn the SSI Equipment Techniques Specialty certification. Ask us how to take this course for FREE with the purchase of any new BC, reg...

Enriched Air Nitrox The SSI Enriched Air Nitrox program will teach you how to safely plan and dive with enriched air mixtures of up to 40% oxygen. Diving with enriched air can increase your no-decompression limits, increase your safety, and reduce the required length of your surface intervals when compared to air. You will earn the SSI En...

React Right React Right is SSI's emergency training program, consisting of the following basic components: Primary Assessment, First Aid & CPR Skills, Primary Stabilization Techniques, and includes two optional components: Oxygen Administration in Diving Emergencies and Automated External Defibrilation Basics. Students who...

Science of Diving This program provides an in-depth and detailed study of physics, physiology, decompression theory, the aquatic environment and diving equipment. It is required training for most SSI Dive Professional programs, as well as some Extended Range programs. You will earn the SSI Science of Diving Specialty certification after...

PSI-PCI Visual Cylinder Inspector Program This Visual Cylinder Inspection® certification course teaches the regulations and fundamentals of conducting visual inspections of solid wall and composite SCUBA and SCBA cylinders. The full day course is suited for those new to visual inspection as well as those who have been inspecting without formal training thr...

Marine Ecology This program provides a general understanding of the complex and exciting science of marine ecology, which is the study of how organisms interact with each other and the environment, the flow of energy through communities, and the link between ocean ecosystems. You will earn the SSI Marine Ecology Specialty certificati...

Fish Identification The ocean is filled with fascinating and beautiful fish of every shape and size. This non-diving specialty program teaches you the skills and concepts required to identify the common families of Caribbean, Indo-Pacific, and Red Sea reef fish. You will earn the SSI Fish Identification Specialty certification after compl...

Coral Identification Coral reefs are the building blocks of many ocean ecosystems. This program teaches you the skills and concepts required to recognize and identify common families of coral species. You will earn the SSI Coral Identification Specialty certification after completing this program.

Sea Turtle Ecology This program teaches you the skills and concepts required to recognize and identify common species of sea turtles, describes their history and role in marine ecosystems, and threats to their survival. You will earn the SSI Sea Turtle Ecology Specialty certification after completing this program.

Shark Ecology Many humans fear sharks, but is that reputation deserved? By taking the SSI Shark Ecology program, you will learn how sharks and their behavior are often misunderstood, and how you can safely observe them in their natural habitat. You will earn the SSI Shark Ecology Specialty certification after completing this program...

Manta & Ray Ecology This program teaches you about the amazing variety of rays you can find in our oceans, how to recognize ray species by their unique physical characteristics and behaviors, and the vital role rays play in our ocean’s ecosystems. You will learn how to safely interact with rays, and why living animals are worth more...

Marine Mammal Ecology Do you have a passion to save the ocean and the marine animals that call it their home? Does the thought of diving with whales fascinate you? Do you want to learn more about the ecology, biology, and conservation of marine mammals? The SSI Marine Mammal Ecology program introduces you to the wonders of these amazing cre...

Blue Oceans Join us for this FREE video workshop all about ocean conservation. You can also access the full SSI program for free on your MySSI app or account online. This program introduces you to many of the global challenges that our ocean faces today. Each section will focus on a particular problem, like ocean plastics. We w...

Ecology Series Over 7 sessions, you will earn the 6 certifications included in the SSI Ecology Bundle: Marine Ecology, Fish Identification, Coral Identification, Sea Turtle Ecology, Shark Ecology, Manta & Ray Ecology, and Marine Mammal Ecology. You are also automatically registered for 2 BONUS sessions - a Blue Oceans w...

Dive Guide This program gives you the skills and experience required to safely lead groups of certified divers, and is the first step towards an exciting career as an SSI Professional without requiring you to complete an instructor program. Professional Dive Guides can work for SSI Training Centers, guiding dives in a variety of ...

Assistant Instructor Training The SSI Assistant Instructor program provides candidates with the knowledge and training necessary to perform the duties of an assistant instructor. These duties including conducting entry-level scuba training under the supervision of an Open Water Instructor, and independently conducting Scuba Skills Updates, Try S...

Instructor Training Course The SSI Instructor Training Course provides candidates with the knowledge and training necessary to organize and conduct entry-level scuba training courses. It is also intended to prepare candidates to successfully complete an Instructor Evaluation. Upon completion of the Instructor Training Course, candidates ...

Sidemount Demo Sidemount Diving is already common practice for many wreck and cave divers. Now the benefits are being discovered by more and more recreational divers as well. The ease of movement without a heavy tank on your back and a new feeling of buoyancy are enticing advantages of the diving style. Join us to try out this con...

Lake Onota Clean-Up Help us keep the Berkshires clean! Join us to remove trash and clean Onota Lake in Pittsfield. Spend the day cleaning the lake with fellow divers and others who want to keep the Berkshires clean. Contact us if you are interested in volunteering!

Underwater Pumpkin Carving We'll provide the pumpkins and carving tools. You bring your warmest wetsuit/drysuit and other gear (or rent from us!). The morning will be land based for prepping our pumpkins and we'll head to Lake Onota after lunch for the real fun!

Full Face Mask Demo Want to breathe more naturally, stay warmer and maybe even have a conversation with your buddy while you're diving? Visit us for an in-water, hands-on demo of the OTS Guardian Full Face Mask. A quick 1-hour trip to the YMCA pool will leave you wondering how you ever dove without one! (Photo courtesy OTS Photo...

Rescue Workshop Freshen up your rescue skills or get introduced to some basics in this one day workshop including academics and a pool session. We will cover accident prevention as well as basic rescue skills. For divers that haven't completed our Stress and Rescue certifications, this is the perfect opportunity to "test r...

Better Buddy Basics A dive buddy helps in all phases of diving and shares the fun. A buddy assists in dive planning, suiting up, pre-dive equipment check, water entry support, assistance throughout the dive, post-dive equipment maintenance and logging dive information. Diving with a buddy is the only way to dive - you should never dive...

Scuba Skills Update A Scuba Skills Update provides you with the opportunity to review and practice necessary scuba skills that you learned in your original Open Water Diver program under the guidance of an SSI Dive Professional. The Scuba Skills Update is often a required for continuing your diving training after a long period of time awa...