Instructor Training Course in
Costa Rica
Rated as one of the best in Central America our Career Program has been the starting point for hundreds of dive professionals from around the world for over 20 years!
We offer the SSI Instructor Training Course.
Included with our ITC:
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14 Days Accommodation
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ITC Preparation
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Assistant Instructor Course
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Instructor Training Course
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5 Instructor specialties FREE from SSI - Nitrox Enriched Air, Computer Diving, Perfect Buoyancy, Equipment Specialist, Marine Ecology
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Instructor Digital Materials
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Instructor Crew-pack
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No hidden fees !
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Discount on shop retail
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FREE T-shirt
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DIVE for LIFE Membership
Instructor Specialty add-on:
Deep, Navigation, React Right, Night, Ecology Specialty Instructor (Divemaster Instructor Seminar, 2 days)
ITC Dates & Costs
All Instructor candidates are taught by our Professional Staff and then evaluated by external examiners from SSI at a formal 2-day Instructor Examination.
Here in Costa Rica, we offer 3-4 Instructor Training Courses (ITC) per year. The dates of these ITCs coincide with the dates of the Instructor Evaluation (IE). The total course takes 15 days to complete.
Additional dates can be offered if there is enough interest, please contact us for more details. You find our prices HERE.
ITC Schedule 2025
ITC JAN 4 - 13 & IE JAN 15/16
ITC Apr 21 - 1 & IE May 2/3
ITC Sep 22-2 & Oct IE 3/4
Becoming a dive Instructor with SSI comes with a lot of benefits for Dive Professionals. Read more in our blog
SSI vs PADI for Dive Professionals
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Why Rich Coast Diving ?Rich Coast Diving will help you begin your Dream Career as a Dive Professional. Our PRO Courses have been the starting point for hundreds of professionals from around the world. Rich Coast Diving takes pride in the quality and the professionalism of our teaching methods. But also the fun during our courses. Read testimonials of those who have been here recently.
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How do I get There ?Rich Coast Diving is located in the small town of Playas del Coco. You can either fly to the capital of Costa Rica named San Jose (SJO Int'l Airport) and take a shuttle bus to Playas del Coco (5 hours). We can recommend the Interbus shuttle company. For bookings go to www.interbusonline.com Or you can fly to Liberia (Daniel Oduber Int'l Airport) which is less then 40 min from Playas del Coco and from this airport we can arrange your pickup ($50 USD one way).
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AccommodationFor our Professional Candidates we have several accommodation options. Contact us for prices and availability.
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What do I need to Bring ?As a (future) dive professional we highly recommend that you bring your own dive equipment. If you do not own your own set of equipment yet, you can buy your personal set at our dive shop at a discounted rate or rent it (for divemaster internship only). As a dive professional the following items are mandatory and you cannot start you course without them ! We do sell all items with a 20% discount for our PRO participants if you can not bring them from your home country. As per Instructor Manual you need a dive computer, DSMB, compass, knife / divers tool, sound device (wisle).
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What is the best time of the Year for the Instructor Training Course in Costa Rica ?During the ITC you will spend most of your time in the classroom attending seminars, workshops and presentations. Then there are several pool sessions and a few training dives in the ocean. All of our training dive sites are conveniently located within 15 minutes away. We have access to great training dive sites with shallow and deep water. Conditions underwater can change from day to day but generally the water temperature ranges from 26 - 28 Celcius. So a 3 mm shorty wetsuit will be sufficient to keep you warm. Costa Rica offers year round diving and therefor you can join our Professional courses any time of the year !
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What is your cancellation policy ?Divemaster Training For divemaster training you may cancel your reservation by written confirmation to info@richcoastdiving.com up to 14 days before the start of your PRO course. We can not refund digital course materials that have been send to the candidate. In case of cancellation with notification within 14 days prior to arrival, your deposit will not be fully refunded. We charge: - 50% of your course fee - 100% of the accommodation price - 100% of the course material price Instructor Training We do not refund payments made towards the Instructor Training Course however if possible we will reschedule to the next available date.
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Course Price & FeesBecoming a Dive Professional is an investment in an amazing future career and totally worth it. We want to make sure that you can plan your budget accordingly by understanding all the costs and fees. You find an overview of the prices and fees on our price list. Do not hesitate to contact us for any questions or concerns you have regarding the costs of the PRO Courses. If you are interested to know more about becoming and SSI or PADI dive professional. Read our blog SSI vs PADI - The best choice for dive instructors.
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How do I pay ?We are flexible and offer different payment options for you comfort. Please contact us for the details. Please note that bank and transfer fees are to be paid by the customer. On arrival you can settle your final payments by credit card or payment in cash (USD/EUR/CRC).
Divemaster Instructor Seminar
When you successfully complete the ITC, the next step is to become a Divemaster Instructor. Most Instructor Training Course graduates finish the Divemaster Instructor preparation directly after completing the Instructor Evaluation, as it only takes two additional days. The Divemaster Instructor rating sets you apart as a dive instructor who takes continuing education seriously and is committed to teaching a variety of courses. Which makes you more valuable in the job market.
Once you are certified in 5 Instructor specialties you can start teaching and after reaching 25 Specialty certifications (in any level) a free Divemaster Instructor digital recognition card is automatically issued at no additional charge.
The 5 Specialties that we include as add-on to the Instructor Training Course are:
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Deep Diving Instructor
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Navigation Instructor
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Night & Limited Visibility Instructor
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React Right
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Ecology Specialty (Choose from: Fish ID, Shark, Manta and Ray, Nudibranch, Coral ID, Sea Turtle)
We offer 5 specialties for the price of 4 at a total of $600 USD incl. taxes and certification fees.
These are highly recommended specialties as React Right is a prerequisite for the Diver Stress & Rescue Course and Deep, Navigation and Night are prerequisites for the Dive guide course. On top of that we included one FREE Ecology specialty of your choice !
We offer a very broad range of SSI Specialty Instructor courses depending on your interests. If you want to book them individually the Specialty Instructor courses $150 USD per Specialty.
Don't Miss Out on a Career of a Lifetime
3 Month training program as part of the ITC
Rich Coast Diving developed a special Instructor Internship program for those who need more help and want to gain more on-the-job experience before starting their first dive instructor job.
This unique internship will help you gain the confidence you need to start your career as a dive instructor. The total program takes 3 months and starts one month before the ITC starting date.
The first month you will work as a divemaster which means you will assist on courses and assist guiding certified divers. During the first month we also help you to prepare for the ITC and get your knowledge and skills up to date. After the ITC you will shadow our instructors and assist with teaching courses before you start teaching your own students.
This way you get the experience you need on how to organize, schedule and teach beginner to advance and specialty courses. During this period we will help you find your next job and start your dream career and life.
The price of the instructor internship ($600 USD) is additional to the costs of the ITC.
The following is included :
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2 month experience internship (1 month before and 1 month after the ITC)
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ITC preparation
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Gain teaching experience while shadowing our experienced instructors
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Equipment maintenance experience workshop
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Career development & assistance on job placement & CV writing