What are the prerequisites?

You must hold an SSI Assistant Instructor certification and present 100 logged dives verified at course check-in.

Can I gain teaching experience before the IE?

Yes—the Assistant Instructor step can be completed standalone so you can assist student courses and build teaching hours before the Instructor Evaluation.

How many students per class?

Classes are kept small to maximize feedback; contact instruction@looekeyreefresort.com or call (305) 872-2215 for group bookings over four people.

What certifications will I be able to teach?

Upon successful completion you can independently teach Open Water Diver, Advanced Open Water Diver, Enriched Air Nitrox, Diver Stress & Rescue, and Dive Guide programs.

What if weather cancels an open-water day?

Instructors plan make-up sessions and adjust the schedule; Day 6 includes make-up and practice sessions to prepare for the IE.

SSI Open Water Instructor Upgrade at Looe Key Reef Resort — 8-Day Instructor Course in Ramrod Key | Scuba | Workshop

Q: How long is the course and evaluation?

The full upgrade runs eight days: six days of Instructor Training Course followed immediately by a two-day Instructor Evaluation by an SSI Examiner.

Looe Key Reef Resort sits just off Ramrod Key in the lower Florida Keys, where the shallow crest of Looe Key reef lifts a palette of hard corals and sponges into sunlit water. This eight-day SSI Open Water Instructor upgrade transforms an experienced Assistant Instructor into an independently certified teacher, combining classroom theory, confined-water coaching, reef-based presentations, and a two-day SSI Instructor Evaluation. The course is intentionally hands-on. You’ll move from focused classroom modules—covering Open Water Diver material, specialty teaching techniques, and the business of diving—to pool sessions that rehearse confined-water presentations and Diver Stress & Rescue scenarios. Open-water days take place at Looe Key itself, one of the region’s most accessible coral reef systems: stony corals forming pinnacles and bommies, swaths of elkhorn and brain coral, and dense schools of snapper, parrotfish, and wrasse. Encounters with green sea turtles and nurse sharks are common; the reef’s structure supports rich macro life like cleaner wrasse and banded coral shrimp, which make excellent demo subjects for student training. Prerequisites are strict and practical: an SSI Assistant Instructor certification and 100 logged dives, verified at course start. That depth of experience lets instructors-in-training focus on pedagogy and leadership—how to sequence skills, manage divergent student needs, and teach rescue scenarios with calm authority. Class sizes are deliberately small to maximize instructor feedback; if you plan to bring a group larger than four, contact [email protected] or call (305) 872-2215. This course stands out because it integrates real site teaching at a protected reef inside the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Looe Key’s shallow topography and predictable currents make it an ideal classroom for open-water presentations, while local operators emphasize reef stewardship—use of mooring buoys, reef-safe sunscreen, and low-impact teaching practices. Completing the eight-day sequence (six days of Instructor Training Course followed immediately by the two-day Instructor Evaluation) qualifies you to independently teach Open Water Diver, Advanced Open Water, Enriched Air Nitrox, Diver Stress & Rescue, and Dive Guide programs. Logistics are straightforward: daily boat transfers for open-water sessions, pool training at the resort, and classroom time tailored to professional outcomes. Expect long, focused days, regular performance evaluations, and real-world teaching opportunities that accelerate the transition from assistant to lead instructor. For divers committed to a career in scuba, this upgrade at Looe Key Reef Resort is an efficient, site-specific path to professional credentialing in one of the Florida Keys’ premier reef locations. Plan for early mornings on the water, bring a current dive computer and your certified dive log for verification, and expect to practice teaching multiple presentations each day. Coordinate travel and lodging in Ramrod Key well ahead of your start date; call (305) 872-2215 or email [email protected] to confirm class capacity. Ready.